Director’s Message

Embrace

A few years ago, a new statue called "The Embrace" was unveiled in Boston Common to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It depicts the arms of Dr. King and his wife, Coretta, embracing upon his acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. About 100 yards away is the starting point for the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile red brick line winding through Boston’s streets to connect 16 historic sites telling the story of the American Revolution and the founding of our nation.

The proximity of these two famous sites creates a startling juxtaposition. From the start of the Freedom Trail, one can look back toward "The Embrace" and remember that the freedom fought for in the American Revolution was not extended to the millions of enslaved persons living within its borders nor their descendants. Standing at "The Embrace," a visitor can look in the direction of the Freedom Trail and feel as Dr. King did nearly two centuries after our nation’s founding: the goal of freedom close enough to see but still just out of reach for African Americans.

I have been thinking about these sites as the semiquincentennial year for the United States of America begins, with Martin Luther King Jr. Day this month and Black History Month in February. I’m especially thinking of this passage in Dr. King’s 1963 Letter from a Birmingham Jail:

"[T]he goal of America is freedom . . . Before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. Before the pen of Jefferson etched the majestic words of the Declaration of Independence across the pages of history, we were here. For more than two centuries our forebears labored in this country without wages; they made cotton king; they built the homes of their masters while suffering gross injustice and shameful humiliation—and yet out of a bottomless vitality they continued to thrive and develop. If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail. We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands."

Often, celebrating historical moments risks glossing over troubling realities. This is true both in American history and in the Christian tradition. Faithful education requires telling the whole story, not select parts. I hope that as you make your plans for lifelong learning this winter and spring, you’ll add two March lectures at PTS to your calendar. First, on March 3, the Albright-Deering Lectures will celebrate the 70th anniversary of women being granted full clergy rights in the Methodist tradition, while noting the resistance and rejection of women in church leadership both then and now. Then, on March 12, the Rev. William H. Lamar IV, pastor of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., will present the Kelso Lecture, "For the Joy Set Before Us: Reflections on the Source of Resistance and Liberatory Praxis." Both lectures encourage us to examine history more completely, so that we are better informed as we strive for justice today and tomorrow. I hope you’ll embrace these learning opportunities with us!

Peace,
The Rev. Erik Hoeke
Director of Continuing Education and Executive Director of Ignite at PTS
McNaugher 211
412-924-1346
ehoeke@pts.edu

2026 Albright-Deering Lectures

Called and Ordained: Celebrating 70 Years of Women’s Ordination in the Methodist Tradition

With the Rev. Stephanie York Arnold and the Rev. Dr. Emily Nelms Chastain

March 3, 2026, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Arrival and refreshments beginning at 9:00 a.m.

In Person and Online

Join us for our annual Albright-Deering Lectures! This year, we will explore the past, present, and future of women’s leadership in Methodist ministry. From the early pioneers who preached without permission to the complex realities faced by clergywomen today, the series traces how the Holy Spirit has moved—and continues to move—through the lives and leadership of women called to serve. Through historical analysis, theological reflection, and constructive visioning, these lectures invite the church and academy alike to consider how women’s ordination has shaped Methodist identity and how it will continue to form the church’s witness in the decades ahead.

Free and open to the public. Co-sponsored with the Western PA United Methodist Conference.

Register now!

2026 Kelso Lecture

For the Joy Set Before Us: Reflections on the Source of Resistance and Liberatory Praxis

March 12, 2026, 6:00 p.m.

In Person and Online

Co-sponsored by the Metro-Urban Institute at PTS.

Justice organizers in certain traditions ask a key question: “What makes you angry?” Anger can motivate us to co-create with the Divine a more just and beautiful world, yet it is often more suited to tearing down than building up. If anger is the sprinter in the struggle for shared flourishing, joy is the marathoner. This lecture will explore the tradition of joy and how it energizes and sustains the transformation of our world.

Register now!

Watch: What Kenneth Bailey Taught Us About Mission—And What’s Next

During the 2025 W. Don McClure Lecture this past fall, historian Michael Parker presented the lecture "The Life and Thought of Presbyterian Missionary and New Testament Scholar Kenneth E. Bailey." Afterward, there was a panel discussion addressing "The End of Mission? What’s Next for U.S. Denominations in a Post-colonial World?" Watch the lecture and panel discussion by clicking the images above.

Neighborhood Theology Video Series

How do we love our neighbors faithfully amid polarization, fear, and deep disagreement? In the latest episode of Neighborhood Theology—a series by the Seminary’s Neighborhood Collaborative—the Rev. Bala Khyllep, director of the World Mission Initiative at PTS, speaks with Monica Ruiz, executive director of Casa San José. Together, they reflect on practicing Christian hospitality in a divided world, exploring love over tolerance, building relationships across difference, and the spiritual grounding needed to stand for justice while refusing to dehumanize one another. Their conversation invites churches and individuals alike to imagine practical, hopeful ways of loving our neighbors that are life-giving for whole communities.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to check out future videos!

PTS News and Resources

Lent Devotional and Worship Planning Kit Coming Soon

Read or listen to daily devotionals and access our free Worship Planning Kit with additional Lent and Easter materials. Coming soon!

Continuing Education is part of the PTS Neighborhood Collaborative, which includes the Center for Adaptive and Innovative Ministry, Continuing Education, Faith Forming Families Network, Kelso Museum of Near Eastern Archaeology, Metro-Urban Institute, Miller Summer Youth Institute, and World Mission Initiative. Together, in their respective and collective work, these programs foster vocational discernment, co-learning, and transformative action for the common good by connecting diverse neighbors locally and globally.