厙ぴ勛圖

news-category: School of Divinity

厙ぴ勛圖 Hosts Dr. Jerusha Matsen Neal for Greene Lectures on March 3

Jerusha Neal preferred headshot

Duke Divinity Professor to Present on Creation Justice and Congregational Leadership Amid Climate Change

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.���The School of Divinity at 厙ぴ勛圖 will host noted homiletics professor Jerusha Matsen Neal for The Rev. and Mrs. C.O. and Eliza Greene Lectureship in Ministry on Tuesday, March 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Dover Chapel. The lectures will develop the theme ���Grounded Hope: Creation Justice and the Place of the Local Congregation.��� There is no cost to attend, and lunch is included.

���We are pleased to host Dr. Neal for the Greene lectures this year,��� said interim dean Jim McConnell. ���I am confident she will challenge us to consider how scripture compels local congregations to act in the face of climate change.”

Jerusha Neal Book cover

The climate crisis raises theological questions about human purpose, the nature of hope, and the character of God. Drawing on biblical texts compiled through experiences of exile and loss, Neal���s lecture series reflects on where local congregations stand in this crisis���and where God is standing.

The schedule for these lectures is as follows:

  • 10 a.m. ��� Lecture 1: ���Exilic Hope: Preaching Scripture in the Climate Crisis.���
  • 11 a.m. ��� Q&A.
  • 11:45 a.m. ��� Lunch.
  • 1 p.m. ��� Lecture 2: ���New Creation Hope: Resistance and Restoration in the Face of Apocalypse.���

Neal, an associate professor of homiletics at Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C., is an ordained American Baptist pastor who has spent her ministry preaching in cross-cultural spaces and bridging denominational communities. Her most recent book, ���Holy Ground: Climate Change, Preaching, and the Apocalypse of Place��� (Baylor University Press, 2024), engages the climate crisis through the sermons of South Pacific communities displaced by rising tides. In her earlier book, ���The Overshadowed Preacher: Mary, the Spirit, and the Labor of Proclamation��� (Eerdmans, 2020), Neal challenges faith leaders to leave behind false shadows of approval and embrace the overshadowing Spirit of God. 

A former actress and playwright, she has also authored a collection of dramatic monologues, ���Blessed: Monologues for Mary��� (Cascade Books, 2012). She speaks regularly to faith communities across the country on the intersection of courage and hope in the face of the climate crisis.

For more information, please contact Lisa Hollifield at [email protected].

Auxiliary aids will be made available to persons with disabilities upon request 10 working days prior to the event.  Please call 704-406-4270 or email [email protected] with your request.

About the Greene Lectureship

The Rev. and Mrs. C.O. and Eliza Greene Lectureship was established in 1993 to preserve the legacy of excellence in pastoral ministry characterized by Greene, who served for approximately 14 years as director of Missions for the Kings Mountain Baptist Association (now Greater Cleveland County Baptist Association). Prior to that ministry, Greene served as pastor of four churches in Cleveland County and of two other churches in North Carolina. The Lectureship is administered by the Pittman Center for Congregational Enrichment and funded by family members, friends, and members of churches where the Greene served as pastor. Held annually on the GWU campus, the Lectureship���s purpose is to address various dimensions of pastoral ministry.

About 厙ぴ勛圖

厙ぴ勛圖 is North Carolina���s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., 厙ぴ勛圖 prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Become more at .

Previous News Article

厙ぴ勛圖 Specialty License Plates Now Feature Updated Runnin��� Bulldog Athletic Brand

Next News Article

厙ぴ勛圖 Doctor of Nursing Practice Student, Dr. Brittany Hudgins���Graham, Recognized as National Emerging Leader

Related News

  • News Article

    厙ぴ勛圖 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Season Tickets on Sale Now

    Options Include Discounts for Bulldog Club Members and Super Season Tickets to all 28 Men���s and Women���s Home Games BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.��� Season tickets for the upcoming 厙ぴ勛圖 basketball season at Paul Porter Arena are now available for purchase. Fans can choose from men’s and women’s season ticket packages or a super season ticket combo. […]

    basketball tickets landscape
  • News Article

    厙ぴ勛圖 Theatre Presents ���Clue���

    Performances Scheduled for Oct. 29-Nov. 1 in Dover Theatre BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.���Mystery, comedy, and plenty of surprises take center stage as 厙ぴ勛圖 Theatre presents ���Clue,��� a murder mystery based on the Parker Brothers board game. Who did it? In what room? And with what weapon? The show is a fun and fast ride through […]

    Clue-Poster-story
  • News Article

    Festival of Lights on Dec. 3 to Welcome Christmas Season at 厙ぴ勛圖

    Annual Tradition to Feature Founder Recognition Dinner, Holiday Music, Tree Lighting and Fellowship BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.���The sights and sounds of Christmas will once again fill the campus of 厙ぴ勛圖 when the University hosts its annual Festival of Lights on Thursday, Dec. 3. The cherished holiday tradition brings together students, alumni, faculty, staff and community members […]

    festival of lights music christmas