An e-newsletter
June 2019
Congratulations to Hood Theological Seminary's 2019 graduates and
to our gifted faculty who helped them reach their goal!
Fourteen Doctor of Ministry degrees, twenty-one Master of Divinity degrees,
and two Master of Theological Studies degrees
were conferred at this year's commencement program.
2019 Commencement Speaker

HTS was very fortunate to have have Bishop Paul L. Leeland , Resident Bishop of the Western NC Conference of The United Methodist Church, as commencement speaker at this year's graduation on May 18!

Enjoy his engaging address here .
2019 Honors Awards and Closing Convocation

Congratulations to those honored and thanks to Dr. Michael Gehring for his sermon inspired by the Book of Haggai. Gehring told the graduates, "The God who has called you to this place will see you through and will be with you... God has blessed you, God has anointed you, and God is sending you forth."
Scenes from Graduation 2019
To view more and to order photos, click here .
Honorary Degrees Awarded during the 2019 Graduation Program

Congratulations to the recipients of honorary degrees conferred at this year's graduation ceremony on May 18:

Mrs. Doris Robinson Asbury (top left)
Mr. Reginald W. Brown (top right)
Bishop Paul L. Leeland (bottom)

Read more about these distinguished recipients on our website .
Three Alumni & Prospective Student Gatherings Coming Soon - Please Join Us!

North Carolina UMC Annual Conference
Thursday, June 13, 2019
12:00 - 1:30 p.m.
Hilton Hotel, Carolina Ballroom - C
207 SW Greenville Blvd., Greenville, NC

AME Zion Virginia Annual Conference
Thursday, June 13, 2019
5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Table 250 Hilton Hotel & Spa
12042 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA

Please RSVP by Friday, June 7 to c harper@hoodseminary.edu

Western NC UMC Annual Conference
Thursday, June 20, 2019
5:30 p.m.
Foundation for Evangelism
125 N. Lakeshore Drive, Lake Junaluska, NC

Please RSVP by Friday, June 14 to c harper@hoodseminary.edu
SAVE THE DATE!

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Hood Theological Seminary Alumni & Prospective Student Fellowship

WH&OMS Quadrennial Convention - AME Zion Church
6:00 pm
Café Osceola, Rosen Shingle Hotel
9939 Universal Blvd., Orlando, FL 32819

Please RSVP by Friday, July 12  charper@hoodseminary.edu



Prepare-Enrich Facilitator Training, led by HTS alumnus Dr. Keith Copeland, will be held June 24th from 9 am - 3 pm at the NC Synod Office, 1988 Lutheran Synod Dr., Salisbury. Contact Dr. Copeland at DrKCopeland@thegoldenmoment.org for registration details (deadline 6/13). Click here for information on the program.
Awaiting a New Lease on Life

Brittany Dancy Caro, daughter of Dr. Regina Dancy, HTS CFO, is facing a major health challenge - interstitial lung disease/ pulmonary fibrosis. This condition has led to a decrease in her lung function and her quality of life, and to the need for supplemental oxygen, a devastating setback in her young life. Following a week-long evaluation by a team at Johns Hopkins, Brittany has been approved as a candidate for a double lung transplant, and has been placed on a watch list.

Please pray for Brittany, her husband, Reuben, and the whole family. Visit Brittany's campaign page on the National Foundation for Transplants website to read more and learn how you can help.
Bishop James Walker Hood Awards

Congratulations to this year's Bishop James Walker Hood Award winners: Rev. Edward Spence, Jr. , '07, and F&M Bank, Salisbury, NC.

The awards were presented at the annual Bishop Hood Donor and Scholarship Recognition Dinner on May 16.

Representing F&M Bank were Carrie Hennemen and Janet Haynes. Also pictured are President Vergel Lattimore and Board member Charlie Davidson. Read more here .
The Hood's Herald - Spring 2019

Read the latest edition now available online! This annual publication includes highlights of the past year, articles of interest, and the Honor Roll of Donors for 2018.
The United Black Fund, Inc. , is sponsoring a National Essay Contest and offering cash prizes to promote discussion about, and solutions for, the pandemic of violence plaguing our communities. The deadline has been extended to June 19, 2019. Read more here .
RECRUITMENT NEWS

Prospective students and alumni are invited to visit our booth at the following conferences coming up in June & July:

June 11-14: North Georgia Conference UMC, Athens, GA, The Classics Center

June 12-15: North Carolina Conference UMC, Greenville, NC, Greenville Convention Center

June 20-22: Virginia Conference UMC, Roanoke, VA, Berglund Center

June 20-23: Western North Carolina Conference UMC,  Lake Junaluska, NC: Lake Junaluska Retreat and Conference Center

July 15-17 : Association of Professional Chaplains, Lake Buena Vista, FL, Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
The Doctor of Ministry with a Specialization in Homiletics and Preaching will be offered beginning with the Fall 2019 semester.

This new specialization is designed to provide educational opportunities for pastors, church staff, missionaries, and church leaders who seek advanced theoretical and theological reflection on preaching the good news. 

The degree is a thirty-three-hour program comprised of three major components: seminars, academic advisement, and a ministry project in the area of homiletics and preaching.

For more information, please contact Dr. Jim Wadford, Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program, at 704-636-6487 or jwadford@hoodseminary.edu.
ALUMNI NEWS
For all Alumni, especially the Class of 2019

Dr. Vergel Lattimore, President of HTS, received this offer for our graduates from Bob Pritchett, President of Faithlife: a free online book,  Start Next Now , "full of blunt, funny, practical advice on how to get ahead. It’s the kind of book that can advance your career before you even finish reading it."

Read Pritchett's invitation to access the book online.
Resources for Alumni and Students

Check out this new eBook from Church Executive with e xpert advice for using technology to identify, engage & cultivate first-time givers.

Church Executive magazine offered this helpful article on Partnering with Patient Advocates.

These resources have been added to our website under the Alumni & Friends tab on the home page. Additional resources will be added periodically.
In Their Own Words

Hood Theological Seminary (HTS) alumni have been making a difference in the world for over 100 years in diverse communities and settings. Meet one of Hood’s accomplished alumni who is living out the Seminary’s mission to prepare women and men for bold and creative leadership for the Christian church for a diverse world .

We celebrate all those who have come to HTS seeking excellence in theological education.
"Hood Theological Seminary, with its world class faculty and diverse student body, provided a stimulating educational experience for me. Further, I even thought of repeating the program of study. My patients have also benefited from Hood Seminary since I am now able to provide spiritual counseling on various theological topics which positively impacts healing."

Clemmie Palmer, III, MD, M.Div. 2016
African Methodist Episcopal
Psychiatrist and author of “God, The World and Me”
FACULTY AND STAFF NEWS
Dr. Vergel Lattimore , President , will attend the 97th Annual Hampton University Ministers' Conference in Hampton, VA, on June 5 & 6, 2019. He will visit the N.C. Conference of The United Methodist Church (UMC) in Greenville, NC, on June 13, 2019
and the New York Annual Conference of the A.M.E. Zion Church in Terrytown, NY, on June 20, 2019.

Dr. Lattimore will participate in a Gathering of the presidents of the six Historically Black Theological Institutions (HBTIs) hosted by InTrust Center for Theological Schools in Philadelphia, on June 26 & 27, 2019.

President Lattimore will be the keynote speaker for the KAA-MaCC Black History Celebration, focusing on "African Americans in the Military" at Kannapolis Middle School., Kannapolis, NC, on June 29, 2019.
The End-of-Fiscal Year Annual Fund Drive is underway.  Please help us close out the year with a contribution to the  Firm Foundation Annual Fund !

Make a secure online donation through our  website . Or mail your check, postmarked by 6//30/2019, to Office of Institutional Advancement, Hood Seminary, 1810 Lutheran Synod Drive, Salisbury, NC 28144.

Your gift to the Annual Fund is essential in promoting the mission of the Seminary and in helping keep tuition as low as possible for our students. Every  gift, small and large, is greatly appreciated and stewarded responsibly.
The entire Hood community joins together in prayer for and offers sincere condolences to the family and friends of:

Wife of Dr. André Resner
Salisbury, NC
May 23, 2019

Sister of Rev. Thomas Grinter
Louisville, KY
June 4, 2019
SHOW YOUR HOOD PRIDE!

Get your Hood gear online! Shirts, jackets, hats, etc. available.
Create Your Legacy with a Planned Gift
~ Do you have an IRA?

~ Are you at least 70 1/2 years of age?

~ Would you like to help HTS in its mission to prepare women and men for bold and creative leadership for the Christian church for a diverse world ?

If you answered ''Yes" to all three questions, please consider an IRA Charitable Rollover.

In an IRA Charitable Rollover, the distribution of up to $100,000 annually made directly from the IRA custodian to a qualifying public charity, such as HTS, is excluded from gross income and counts toward the required minimum distribution.

For more information, contact John Everett at jeverett@hoodseminary.edu or (704) 636-6545, or visit our Planned Giving website for lots of helpful information.
PLANNED GIVING

Create your legacy through a planned gift by remembering Hood Theological Seminary in a bequest or will with gifts of stocks and bonds, real estate or personal property, life insurance, charitable trust, retirement funds/IRA or life income gifts. By making a planned gift, you will become a member of the  Hood Legacy Society. 

Visit the Planned Giving website for helpful information and valuable resources to help you determine the ideal planned giving option for you. For more information contact John C. Everett, Director, Institutional Advancement, at 704-636-6545 or jeverett@hoodseminary.edu. 
WEBSITE      ABOUT    ACADEMICS      CAMPUS LIFE      DONATE      CONTACT US