Wake Forest University School of Divinity is pleased to launch the Community Engagement Fellows program and to name its first Fellows for the 2012-2013 academic year. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, the School of Divinity established the initiative to build on its commitment of forming leaders for ministry in the church and the world who are committed to engaging their communities through social justice.
The purpose of the Community Engagement Fellows Program is to strengthen campus wide engagement in the world, by identifying and encouraging talented community leaders to enter divinity school, by encouraging and supporting students who have a strong service background to continue their engagement while in school, by providing students with networking opportunities and financial support to deepen their engagement, and by convening students from seminaries around the country to work together on issues and programs that engage the church in the world. The program director for the Community Engagement Fellows program is Rev. Christopher Copeland, assistant director of leadership development at the School of Divinity.
“Community engagement and social justice are part of the ethos and DNA of the School of Divinity,” says Copeland. “The Fellows program gives our students the opportunity to think holistically about ministry shaped by community engagement, to encourage wider participation in Jesus’ call to social justice, and to live out their call to minister with those on the margins of society.” The program will provide stipends for summer internships and a cohort of supportive colleagues.
The Fellows are working to facilitate and promote the work of social justice in the School of Divinity community with a commitment to transforming the world through community engagement. In March 2013, the Fellows will host a conference for theology students in an effort to birth a movement of seminary students to do this transformative work.
The 2012-2013 Community Engagement Fellows are:
The School of Divinity is a graduate, professional school that is Christian by tradition, Baptist in heritage, and ecumenical in outlook. Consistent with Wake Forest’s commitment to academic excellence and in the spirit of the University, Pro Humanitate, the School of Divinity prepares leaders informed by a theological understanding of vocation. Through imaginative courses and diverse programs of community engagement, students are equipped to be agents of justice, reconciliation, and compassion in Christian churches and other ministries.
The Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree stands at the center of the School of Divinity’s degree offerings. It prepares students from diverse church experiences and theological perspectives for religious leadership. Students study the rich histories and traditions of Christianity, to understand the changing social and religious landscape and to gain practical ministry experience in local and global contexts. The School of Divinity also has three joint degree offerings in law, bioethics, and counseling with other schools of the University.
Media Contact: Mark Batten | 336.758.3748
Categories: Academics, Community Engagement, Current Students, News