NEW BRUNSWICK, New Jersey - May 16, 2016 -
New Brunswick Theological Seminary (NBTS) today announced the appointment of
The Reverend Lorena M. Parrish, PhD, as the Dirk Romeyn Professor of Metro-Urban Ministry effective immediately. Dr. Parrish's new role will include teaching courses in Metro-Urban Ministry and transformational leadership. She will also serve as the Director of the Doctor of Ministry program and the new Master of Arts in Ministry and Community Leadership.
Dr. Parrish most recently served as Director of Ministry Studies and Assistant Professor of Theology & Practice at Andover Newton Theological School and as adjunct professor at Union Theological Seminary. A native New Yorker, Dr. Parrish is ordained in the American Baptist Churches, USA, and has served for more than 15 years in urban congregations including the Fort Washington Collegiate Church in upper Manhattan, Trinity Baptist Church in Brooklyn, and The Riverside Church in New York City.
"We are privileged to welcome Dr. Parrish to the NBTS faculty. Our Metro-Urban Ministry specialization prepares students to meet the highly demanding work of ministering to urban communities," said
Rev. Dr. Willard W. C. Ashley, Sr
., Dean of the Seminary and Associate Professor of Practical Theology.
NBTS' Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degree with a concentration in Metro-Urban Ministry is offered in collaboration with Rutgers University's Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. The Master of Theological Studies and Master of Divinity degrees also offer an urban concentration.
"I'm honored and blessed to join NBTS, an institution committed to equipping leaders to successfully engage urban congregations," said Dr. Parrish. "Ministering is more than preaching; it means improving the quality of life for urban parishioners, finding a way for individuals to hold on to hope in a challenging and ever-changing environment."
Dr. Parrish received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from New York University. She jointly earned a Master of Science in Social Work degree and a Master of Divinity degree from Columbia University School of Social Work and Union Theological Seminary respectively. Dr. Parrish continued her theological education at Union Theological completing both Master of Philosophy (Theology and Culture) and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Dr. Parrish is currently working on her first book project which explores what she deems the anatomy of "a legacy of a theology of prosperity" and its implications for the Black Church.
