Instructors

Allison grew up in Lindsay, Oklahoma, where she received her call to ministry at the age of fifteen. She is a proud life-long United Methodist and graduated from Perkins School of Theology in 2017 with her Masters of Divinity. She has served in various pastoral roles since her ordination in 2019 and is currently appointed Pastor of Modern Worship at First United Methodist Church, Richardson. She loves preaching and teaching, building relationships within the church and the community, and helping people find new ways to connect with God. Allison currently lives in Dallas with her husband of eight years, Cameron, and their two-year-old, Calvin. She is a fan of standup comedy, a well-brewed cup of coffee, and finding new ways to make her son laugh.

Allison teaches UM Studies which is a core course required for individuals seeking certification in The United Methodist Church.

Amy Shores grew up in Haughton, Louisiana where she graduated from Haughton High School and went on to earn a BA in Elementary Education from Louisiana College and a Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. She has served in the ministry/church/non-profit world since then, working for Habitat for Humanity, serving as the Director of Pastoral Care at Methodist Family Health, and various campus and church-based youth ministries. She currently serves as the Wesley Foundation Director at the University of Central Arkansas, as a staff member at FUMC Conway. Amy has a Volunteer Management Certificate from UALR, is Certified Trainer in both Youth and Teen Mental Health First Aid, and is currently working to earn a Spiritual Direction Certificate from SMU.

Amy is married to Sam and has a step-daughter named Elizabeth (and an English Mastiff named Freya.) Amy and Sam are active at church, where they serve in the youth and college ministries. Amy also volunteers with Ozark Mission Project, the Arkansas Conference Council on Youth Ministries, and is on the Board of Directors for The Mayfly Project. In her free time, Amy enjoys kayaking, being outdoors, crafting, baking, reading, and is a huge board-game fanatic!

Amy co-teaches Developmental Stages as part of the Ministry with Children, Ministry with Youth, and Faith Formation specializations.

Beth Johnson lived early years near beaches in Tampa, Florida before moving to Flower Mound, TX. Later, she earned a Bachelors degree at Baylor University and a Master of Divinity at Truett Seminary. Over the past 15 years, she has been directing ministry with diverse groups of youth and college students. For 10 of those years, she stayed serving one local church, continually evolving her understanding of youth and family ministry. Now she serves at University Park UMC in Dallas, Texas, overseeing Family Ministry. Beth loves the humor, meaningful life questions, and overall perspectives of youth. Her youth ministry philosophy revolves around presence before programs. When not doing youth ministry, she enjoys spending time with her husband and new son. They especially enjoy the outdoors! She looks forward to the opportunity of coming alongside others looking to be present and share life with young people. 

Beth teaches Ministry with Youth, as part of the Ministry with Youth specialization. 

Reverend Bonnie Osteen, an ordained Elder of the Texas Annual Conference, began serving as the Coordinator of Intentional Interim Ministry for the Texas Annual Conference in July 2015. 

In 2014, Rev. Osteen received the national recognition of Approval status from General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) as an Intentional Interim Minister.  She currently serves as the past-president on the national Board of Directors -Transitional/Intentional Interim Ministry Specialists Association (TIIMSA) and serves as the registrar for the National Gathering of TIIMSA.  Rev. Osteen is a national trainer for individuals desiring to take ‘Intentional Interim Training’.  This calling is one which she approaches with passion.  “God uses me in a particular way at each of these churches and I am thankful for the time on the journey with each congregation.”

Rev. Osteen received her Master of Divinity from SMU - Perkins School of Theology in 2003.  She received her teaching certification and Bachelor of Science, Education from Stephen F. Austin University in 1990.  

Bonnie teaches the courses for the Transitional/Intentional Interim Ministry Specialists Association. 

Dr. Brittney Schrick is Assistant Professor and Family Life Specialist for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service where she curates, composes, and coordinates family life programming for distribution through Arkansas’ 75 county extension offices. Additionally, she oversees four grant-funded professional development programs for childcare professionals around the state. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and her master’s and doctoral degrees in Human Development and Family Studies from Texas Tech University. Dr. Schrick lives in Conway, Arkansas, with her husband, three daughters, three dogs, two rats, and a fish. 

Brittney co-teaches Developmental Stages as part of the Ministry with Children, Ministry with Youth, and Faith Formation specializations. 

El Dr. Elías López es el Codirector del Programa de Aprendiz y Director del Programa de Doctorado en Ministerio a la Escuela de Teología SMU Perkins. Es Ministro Ordenado en la Iglesia de Dios (Cleveland, TN); Pastor Principal de la Iglesia de Dios Filadelfia; Capellán certificado por la Junta de APC; Miembro del Comité Asesor de Atención Pastoral del Children's Medical Center, Parkland Health y Methodist Health System; Director de Educación del Instituto Bíblico Dallas. Sus especialidades docentes son en Teologías Hispanas/Latinas y Atención Pastoral. El Dr. Lopez recibió su Doctorado en Ministerio en el 2018 y su Maestría en Divinidad en el 2010 en la Escuela de Teología SMU Perkins.

 

Elías enseña el curso Cuidado Pastoral en el certificado de Caminos para el Ministerio través la programa CASA.

Rev. Dr. Geoffrey C. Moore is is an ordained elder in the North Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, and currently serves as the Lead Pastor of St. Stephen United Methodist Church in Mesquite, TX. He has over 30 years of experience in music, worship, discipleship and church leadership in various church contexts in North Texas. He graduated from Southern Methodist University with his Bachelor of Music in 1993, Master of Music in Choral Conducting in 2003, Master of Divinity in 2010 and Doctor of Philosophy in Systematic Theology in 2020. His work focuses on examining the intersection of music and theology, as well as on the Eucharist, and has led to invitations to speak at conferences in the United States, Canada and England. Geoffrey also serves as faculty for Perkins' Course of Study School, teaching Worship and Sacraments and Theological Heritage III: Medieval to Reformation. He is an active member of the North American Academy of Liturgy and the Order of Saint Luke, two organizations dedicated to liturgical and sacramental scholarship, education and practice. 

Geoffrey lives in Mesquite, TX with his spouse, Heather, and their two teenagers. He enjoys the opera and other live music, visiting National Parks and Forests, planning epic road trips and playing board games (especially Catan!). 

Geoffrey teaches the core course, Engaging Theology.

Dr. John R. (Jack) Levison (PhD, Duke University; MA, Cambridge University; BA, Wheaton College) is an internationally acclaimed scholar and award-winning author. He holds the W. J. A. Power Chair of Old Testament Interpretation and Biblical Hebrew at Southern Methodist University Perkins School of Theology. He previously taught at Duke Divinity School and Seattle Pacific University. Jack has the gift of connecting with popular audiences, with essays featured in the Huffington Post, Parade.com, Relevant.com, and Beliefnet.com. He is the author and editor of many books, including A Boundless God, which was a Christianity Today 2021 Book Award Winner.

Jack teaches the core course, Engaging the Bible.

Rev. Dr. Jan Nicholson-Angle, an ordained Elder of The North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church, currently serves on the Transitional/Intentional Interim Ministry Specialists Association (TIIMSA) Board. She completed her interim training and received approval status from General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) as an Intentional Interim Minister  in 2005. She served as Coordinator of Intentional Interim Ministry for the Intentional Growth Center. She is a leadership coach and also a national trainer for individuals desiring to take ‘Intentional Interim Training.’ Rev. Dr. Nicholson-Angle authored “Interim Minister Saddle Your Horse: A United Methodist Intentional Interim’s Story.” She is currently on loan to the Holston Conference where she serves in higher education and local church settings. When not engaged sharing her passion for transitional/interim ministry, she enjoys spending time with her husband and family in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. 

Rev Dr. Nicholson-Angle received her Doctor of Ministry from Wesley Theological in 2007, her Master of Divinity from Duke in 2000, and her Bachelor of Arts, double majoring in Religion and Psychology, in 1995. 

Jan teaches the courses for the Transitional/Intentional Interim Ministry Specialists Association.

Rev. Justin is co-founder of The Julian Way, an organization focused on education and empowerment with, for, and by persons of diverse embodiments. They seek to help places of faith and other cultural institutions achieve greater universal accessibility by fostering environments where persons of all embodiments can work for leadership and equity throughout the whole of human life together. Justin is a graduate of Perkins School of Theology with a Masters in Christian Ministry and an ordained Deacon in the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. Justin’s first book, The Julian Way: A Theology of Fullness for All of God’s People was published in 2018 and explores disability experience in the United States and in the history of Christian theology. In addition to their work, Lisa and Justin enjoy chasing after their toddler, watching any number of culinary competition shows, and geeking out over all things Star Wars.

Justin co-teaches the Disability Theology & Ministry specialization courses.

Rev. Laura Murray is an ordained pastor, author, speaker, and certified Spiritual Director. For close to 20 years she has worked closely with individuals and groups in the areas of leadership development and spiritual formation. As Pastor of Spiritual Formation at Highland Park Pres, she wrote devotion guides and studies, created and led worship services, and sought to deepen the prayer life of the church. One of her greatest joys is providing creative ways of strengthening the faith of others and their life with God. The most recent way is in the design and development of Digital Silent Retreats. Alongside a Masters Degree in Theology, she is currently working on her Doctorate in Leading Change at Fuller Seminary and is a Fellow for Fuller’s Center for Missional and Spiritual Formation. She is married to Craig, has two incredible children, an energetic pup, and lives in the Dallas area. She believes dessert is only dessert if it involves chocolate.

Laura teaches the core course, Adaptive Leadership.

Lindsey graduated from Ouachita Baptist University in 2014 with a BA in Biblical Studies, primarily studying Old Testament literature and the Hebrew language. She continued her studies in the ThM program at Dallas Theological Seminary, expecting to further her exploration in the Hebrew Bible and Semitic Languages. Before graduating from DTS, however, her research interests shifted from biblical studies to big questions about healthcare, the human body, and suffering. During her time in seminary, the progression of her incurable rare disease led her to the intersection of moral theology and healthcare ethics. As a PhD student at SMU, Lindsey’s work investigates that intersection and aims to think theologically about issues in biomedicine and biomedical ethics.

Outside of her research, Lindsey enjoys volunteering with rare disease advocacy organizations and patient communities. In her free time, she loves pretending she’s on the Great British Bake-off and perfecting the recipes that would make Paul Hollywood give her a high five. She also enjoys going to coffee shops with her husband and their dog, Phoebe, whom she believes is the most precious dog to ever exist.

Lindsey teaches the core course, Engaging the Bible.

Dr. Lisa Hancock is co-founder of The Julian Way, an organization focused on education and empowerment with, for, and by persons of diverse embodiments. They seek to help places of faith and other cultural institutions achieve greater universal accessibility by fostering environments where persons of all embodiments can work for leadership and equity throughout the whole of human life together. Lisa holds a Masters in Sacred Music and a Masters in Theological Studies from Perkins School of Theology and recently graduate with her PhD in Religious Studies from Southern Methodist University. Lisa’s research and writing explores the difference disability makes to our understandings of Christian doctrine, particularly the person and work of Jesus. In addition to their work, Lisa and Justin enjoy chasing after their toddler, watching any number of culinary competition shows, and geeking out over all things Star Wars.

 

Lisa co-teaches the Disability Theology & Ministry courses.

Lisa is a conflict resolution specialist and sought-after guest speaker whose work promotes dispute resolution, problem solving, team building, and decision making. In 2007 she earned a Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution from SMU.  Today, as Director of Restorative Communications, Lisa performs mediations, workshops, and Peacekeeping Circles for a variety of clients. She serves as an adjunct professor at SMU, El Centro College, and facilitates workshops at ACU’s Duncum Center for Dispute Resolution.  As a Certified Mediator under Sect 154.52(a) of the Texas Civil Practices and Remedies she works with organizations, companies, women’s groups, churches, schools, and families. 

Lisa teaches Family Systems as part of our Ministry with Young Adults, Adult Discipleship, Faith Formation, and Advanced Leadership specializations.

Marcus Jones is a native of Dallas, Texas, and serves as Pastor/Director of The Wesley Foundation of Arlington, a United Methodist college community. He is an alumnus of Huston-Tillotson University where he acquired a B.A. in Business Management with a minor in Marketing. Marcus furthered his studies to receive a Master of Divinity degree in Black Church Studies from Perkins School of Theology at SMU.

Marcus has served young students and young adults in the church and college setting for over 15 years as a youth pastor, college chaplain, and Wesley Foundation director. His book, Christ the Yard: A Guide to Christian Living and Ministry on the College Campus emphasizes the importance of discipleship and ministry to college students. His writing catalog contains articles relating to Church, pop culture, Christianity, religion and hip-hop. His ministry has focused on leading and guiding young people see the healthy balance between religious and secular engagement in hip-hop and arts, while educating older congregations on emerging generational engagement. Marcus is an avid reader, and when he is not reading books, he is writing for his blog, The Informed Scholar.

 

Marcus teaches College Ministry as a part of the Young Adult Ministry and Faith Formation specializations.

Paula Gradney-Garner, is the Director of Young Children and the Weekday Preschool, at Boston Avenue UMC in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Previously, she had over 18 years of experience in the Early Childhood Education field as a preschool teacher and director. She also serves as a lay representative to the Council Oak District Mission Strategy Team, and the Oklahoma Conference New Faith Communities Ministry Team. She holds a Special Needs Certification from Tulsa Technology Center, a Bachelor of Science in Human Services, Development and Management, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, Tulsa Campus. Additionally, Paula holds a CDA credential (national child care credential), a Certificate of Mastery in Early Education, a Platinum Level Oklahoma Director's Credential, and UMC dual certification in Christian Education and Children's Ministry through Perkins School of Theology.

Paula teaches the course Ministry with Children as a part of our Ministry with Children and Faith Formation specializations.

Priscilla Pope-Levison, award-winning author, historian, pastor, higher education administrator and professor, has a heart for the ancient yet contemporary Christian practice of evangelism. In her most recent, award-winning book, Models of Evangelism (Baker Academic, 2020), she gathers together her vast experience over several decades of teaching, speaking, and writing into a compelling and coherent one-stop shop for all things evangelism. In previous publications, she has unearthed the large cadre of North American women who engaged in evangelism across the country. These women and their accomplishments come to life in two award-winning books: Building the Old Time Religion: Women Evangelists in the Progressive Era (NYU Press, 2015) and Turn the Pulpit Loose: Two Centuries of American Women Evangelists (Palgrave Macmillan, 2004). Priscilla currently works at SMU/Perkins School of Theology as Research Professor in Practical Theology and Director of the Testimony HQ grant, funded by the Lilly endowment.

Priscilla teaches the Evangelism specialization courses.