“We deeply appreciate these donors investing in the expansion of SMU Perkins programs that empower students to benefit society across a wide array of areas.”
- Jay Hartzell, SMU President
Honoring Charles Millikan with endowed chair of spiritual care
Thanks to gifts totaling $3 million, SMU Perkins School of Theology will establish The Reverend Charles R. Millikan, D.Min., Endowed Chair of Spiritual Care, which will strengthen training for chaplains and other spiritual care professionals who serve in health care, congregational and other ministerial settings.
The endowment is funded through a collaborative commitment from the Permanent Endowment Fund of Moody Memorial First United Methodist Church, Houston Methodist Hospital and the Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation. The chair honors Charles R. Millikan ’71, an SMU Perkins alumnus and nationally recognized leader in spiritual care. Millikan recently retired after a distinguished career in ministry and hospital chaplaincy, including service as vice president of Spiritual Care and Values Integration at Houston Methodist.
“This gracious support furthers the exceptional work by SMU Perkins School of Theology to prepare students for meaningful careers in health care,” said President Jay Hartzell. “We deeply appreciate these donors investing in the expansion of SMU Perkins programs that empower students to benefit society across a wide array of areas.”
The investment builds on SMU Perkins’ long-standing commitment to preparing leaders for ministry and service in a changing world – and its partnership with Houston Methodist.
It also expands a range of collaborative possibilities. The faculty member who holds the endowed chair will be dedicated to teaching and cultivating partnerships with Methodist health care resources in Dallas, Houston and South Texas related to spiritual care education, chaplaincy formation and health care ministries.
“This new position will build on our historic strengths in pastoral care, contextual education and ethics at SMU Perkins,” said Bryan P. Stone, Leighton K. Farrell Endowed Dean of SMU Perkins. “It will take our chaplaincy training efforts to the next level as we seek to prepare chaplains, congregational leaders and other ministers engaged in holistic caregiving.”
“It will take our chaplaincy training efforts to the next level as we seek to prepare chaplains, congregational leaders and other ministers engaged in holistic caregiving.”
- Bryan P. Stone, Leighton K. Farrell Endowed Dean of SMU Perkins
Establishing The Reverend Charles R. Millikan, D.Min., Endowed Chair of Spiritual Care is part of a broader programmatic thrust by SMU Perkins to expand its resources for students to receive ministerial training in multiple sectors, including health care, prison, military, sports, higher education and workplace chaplaincies.
In the area of health care chaplaincies, especially, SMU Perkins is uniquely poised to build new collaborations given the strength of its faculty, the vast interdisciplinary research and teaching at SMU, and the robust Methodist health care resources throughout Texas.
“I’m deeply honored by this recognition, and most grateful for the partnerships and innovation this chair will foster among the church, SMU and Methodist hospitals across Texas,” said Millikan.
“I’m deeply honored by this recognition, and most grateful for the partnerships and innovation this chair will foster among the church, SMU and Methodist hospitals across Texas,”
- Rev. Dr. Charles Millikan
Millikan has also served as an adjunct professor at SMU Perkins and played an instrumental role in offering courses at the school’s Houston-Galveston extension at Houston Methodist, which allowed students to complete approved coursework from Houston.
“Dr. Millikan’s prophetic vision in launching the Houston-Galveston program transformed the trajectory of theological education,” said Cynthia Fierro Harvey ’99, SMU trustee and bishop of the Texas and Rio Texas Annual Conferences of The United Methodist Church, who championed the effort to establish the chair. “His work expanded the accessibility of an SMU Perkins education, strengthened its reach and reshaped how ministry is formed for generations to come.”
Impact and Future Growth
- Strengthens preparation for chaplains and spiritual care leaders serving in health care and ministry settings.
- Expands partnerships between SMU Perkins and Methodist health care institutions across Texas.
- Advances Perkins’ mission to prepare leaders for holistic caregiving and ministry in a changing world.
Permanent Endowment Fund of Moody Memorial First United Methodist Church in Galveston
Millikan spent eight years at Moody Methodist Church, focused on enlarging the church’s reach into the community. Through the church’s community-based programs and the financial impact of the Permanent Endowment Fund, he significantly expanded the scope and impact of the church’s ministry.
“We are happy to help create The Reverend Charles R. Millikan, D.Min., Endowed Chair of Spiritual Care at Perkins,” said the Rev. Bert Bagley, executive director of the Permanent Endowment Fund of Moody Methodist Church in Galveston. “Charles certainly expanded the spiritual reach of Methodist Hospital as the number of chaplains grew exponentially. His work and ministry advanced the care of people in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ.”
Houston Methodist
Founded in 1919, Houston Methodist is one of the nation’s leading health care systems and academic medical centers, with a central focus on treating the whole patient. Since 1967, the Houston Methodist Clinical Pastoral Education Program has skillfully trained hospital chaplains to walk beside and offer the light of faith to patients and their families.
“Dr. Millikan’s unwavering commitment to spiritual care has touched countless lives,” said the Rev. Stacy Auld, vice president of Spiritual Care and Values Integration at Houston Methodist. “His leadership throughout his career has served as a constant reminder of the profound impact compassion and faith can have in healing.”
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SMU Perkins School of Theology
Perkins School of Theology, founded in 1911, is one of five official university-related schools of theology of The United Methodist Church. Degree programs include the Master of Divinity, Master of Sacred Music, Master of Theological Studies, Master of Arts in Ministry, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Pastoral Music as well as the Ph.D., in cooperation with SMU's Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences graduate program in Religious Studies.
SMU
SMU is the nationally ranked teaching and research university in the dynamic city of Dallas, and a member of the prestigious Atlantic Coast Conference. SMU’s alumni, faculty and more than 12,000 students in eight degree-granting schools demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit as they lead change in their professions, communities and the world.