Meet Ben: Changemaker, Leader, Saint Paul Alum

Ben Boswell is a dynamic preacher, passionate pastor, thoughtful author, dedicated educator, and inspirational social justice leader who has courageously led anti-racist spiritual formation work for people racialized as white and white-dominant organizations. His journey to this transformative work includes service as a U.S. Army Officer and academic excellence at Campbell University (B.A., cum laude), Duke Divinity School (M.Div., magna cum laude), and right here at �ԹϺ�����, where he earned his D.Min. with distinction.

Throughout his meaningful 20-year ministry career, Ben has touched countless lives as Senior Pastor of three different congregations and as an active interfaith community leader. For nine years, he served as the Senior Minister of Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC, where his leadership inspired deep community engagement.

We couldn’t be prouder of how Ben has put his Saint Paul education into action! During his doctoral studies with us, he developed “Confronting Whiteness,” a groundbreaking nine-week spiritual formation course for anti-racism work. Following George Floyd’s murder in 2020, Ben began offering this transformative program to his community. What started as a local initiative has blossomed beautifully – today, more than 1,000 people across 15 states and three countries have participated in the program! The work has grown into an annual conference drawing over 250 attendees and nurtures a community of more than 700 people committed to becoming anti-racist in their spheres of influence.

Ben has also shared his wisdom through two essential books: For the Facing of this Hour: Preaching that Resists White Christian Nationalism (2022) and Confronting Whiteness: A Spiritual Journey of Reflection, Conversation, and Transformation (2022).

In 2021, at just 40 years old, Ben received Charlotte’s prestigious Martin Luther King Jr. Medallion – the city’s highest honor for those promoting racial equality, social justice, and community service. Through it all, Ben’s most significant source of pride is being a father to his wonderful 15-year-old daughter.

The Distinguished Graduate Award: Celebrating Excellence

Each year at Commencement, we honor one outstanding alum who embodies Saint Paul’s mission and values through their ministry. Recipients like Ben live out our commitment to being centered in Christ. They demonstrate the power of intentional relationships and formation for innovative ministry through rigorous academic life, deep exploration of Scripture and tradition, and diverse, contextual experience.

Our Distinguished Graduates, like Ben, bring to life our core values by being:

• Christ-centered, prophetic, and evangelistic
• Formed in justice, integrity, and faithful experience
• Contextual, diverse, relevant, and inclusive
• Committed to both intellectual excellence and faithful practice
• Builders of community in challenging contemporary contexts
• Champions for peace and justice through theological dialogue
• Innovators using multiple approaches to ministry

Celebrate With Us!

We invite you to join us for Commencement on Friday, May 16, at 11:00 AM CT. You can participate online via or join us at our Kansas or Oklahoma campus. Together, we’ll celebrate our Class of 2025, enjoy an inspiring message from keynote speaker Bishop Laura Merrill, and honor Ben with his much-deserved Distinguished Graduate Award.

To RSVP for Commencement and explore other Commencement Week activities, please visit /commencement/.

We hope to see you there as we celebrate Ben’s remarkable achievements and the positive difference he continues to make in our world!

Bishop Merrill began her assignment as bishop of the Arkansas Conference in January 2023 and was assigned to the Oklahoma and Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conferences beginning in September 2024. Her election to the episcopacy in November 2022 was historic, as she was elected alongside the first Black woman bishop in the South Central Jurisdiction and the first Native American bishop in the denomination.

With deep roots in Methodist ministry—both her father and grandfather were United Methodist pastors—Bishop Merrill’s journey in service began early. Her commitment to mission work led her to Chile during the final days of the Pinochet dictatorship and to border ministry work in Arizona. She has demonstrated dedication to building bridges between communities and fostering church vitality throughout her career.

Bishop Merrill’s extensive experience includes roles as local church pastor, district superintendent, Executive Director of the Mission Vitality Center, and Assistant to the Bishop and Director of Clergy Excellence for the Rio Texas Conference. Her service on numerous denominational committees, including the National Plan for Hispanic Ministry and the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, reflects her commitment to the broader mission of the United Methodist Church.

We invite you to join us for Commencement on Friday, May 16 at 11:00 AM CT as we celebrate the Class of 2025 and hear Bishop Merrill’s address. Guests may attend in person at either our Kansas or Oklahoma campus or participate virtually via our Facebook livestream at .

For those planning to attend in person, please RSVP by April 30 at spst.edu/commencement. We also welcome guests to participate in other Commencement Week activities—full details for all events can be found at spst.edu/commencement.

Join us for this momentous occasion as we celebrate our graduates and welcome Bishop Merrill to �ԹϺ�����.

Leawood, KS — �ԹϺ����� will host the traveling exhibit “Exploring Human Origins: What Does It Mean to Be Human?” after the seminary was selected through a national competition offered by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) and the American Library Association (ALA).��

“Saint Paul is very excited to be one of just six theological seminaries in the country to be selected to host this unique and fascinating exhibit,” said seminary Exhibit Coordinator Dr. Nancy Howell. “No one will want to miss seeing the seminary transformed into a science museum, and we have an impressive line-up of programs planned, with offerings for students, clergy, teachers, and other adults. Visitors of all ages are invited to tour the exhibit, and the seminary welcomes school groups. We hope everyone will join us in a conversation about what it means to be human.” ��

In addition, scientists and other experts from the NMNH Human Origins Program will visit the Saint Paul Kansas Campus to host events on campus and online for the community, including a science program, educator workshop, community conversations, clergy tour, and more. To register for events, visit spst.edu/special-events/.����

Through panels, interactive kiosks, hands-on displays, and videos, “Exploring Human Origins: What Does It Mean to Be Human?” invites viewers of all ages to explore and learn about the milestones in the evolutionary journey of becoming human. The traveling exhibit encourages a public conversation that invites multiple perspectives on what it means to be human — one that embraces the ideas and beliefs of non-scientists and fosters a greater appreciation of the complexity of the science of human evolution.����

The exhibit will open at �ԹϺ����� on February 4, 2025, and close on May 14, 2025.��

�ԹϺ����� Kansas Campus is located at 13720 Roe Ave, Building C, Leawood, KS 66224. The exhibit is free and open to the public daily – please visit the website for exhibit hours.�� We are happy to offer group tours to schools, churches, and other interested parties. Please get in touch with Dr. Nancy Howell (howellnr@spst.edu) to schedule your group’s visit. For more information on exhibit hours and a schedule of events, visit spst.edu/special-events/ or call 913-253-5000.��

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Exploring Human Origins: Promoting a National Conversation on Human Evolution is administered by ALA’s Public Programs Office in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s (NMNH) Human Origins Program.��

Following a twenty-two-year career in the Kansas Army National Guard, Bishop Williamston enrolled at �ԹϺ�����, earning her Master of Divinity degree in 2007, specializing in Evangelism and Black Church Ministries.�� Ordained as an elder in the United Methodist Church in 2010, she served Kansas churches in Mentor, Quayle, and Independence.�� She then assumed responsibility as a district superintendent for districts including Hays, Salina, and Hutchinson in various configurations from 2014 until 2021.�� �� Her next assignment led to the office of the Director of Clergy Excellence and Assistant to the Bishop, positions she held when elected to the episcopacy last year.�� On January 1, 2023, she began her term as Bishop of the Louisiana Conference.

We are proud to call Bishop Williamston an alumna of Saint Paul and look forward to her keynote address at this year’s Commencement celebration. For those who would like to attend Commencement on campus or online, please register at by April 30.

Rev. Dr. Sharon Betsworth began her new role as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean at �ԹϺ����� on July 1. After teaching at Saint Paul since 2009, she says she looks forward to becoming even more immersed in the Saint Paul community.

��“I have the opportunity to work with all members of our community: students, faculty, staff, administrators, trustees, and alumni.”

Betsworth will help us welcome students, faculty and staff back to Saint Paul as the featured speaker for this year’s Opening Convocation on August 16. Starting at 11 a.m. Central, the Convocation celebrates the new academic year. It is available by live stream on Facebook.��

As she begins her first academic year in her new job, Betsworth is also focused on the priorities that will guide the success of our seminary in a world of rapid change. Those include preparing graduates to minister to diverse communities and finding innovative ways to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Prioritizing Diversity��

Creating a diverse student body is one of our strategic priorities at Saint Paul, Betsworth says. That means recruiting students from a variety of backgrounds in terms of race, geography, career interests and religious traditions.��

“Students from diverse contexts create a vibrant learning community,” Betsworth observes, “in which students are exposed to cultures and experiences different from their own.”��

With respect to seminary education, learning in a diverse setting informs our students’ ministry in their church and community settings, she explains.��

Racial and ethnic diversity in the U.S. alone is rapidly increasing, according to the . During the 2021-22 academic year, just over 71% of Saint Paul students were white and 12.7% were African American, with the remaining students identifying as Multiracial, Asian or Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latino or Unknown. Another 4.9% of students came to seminary from countries outside of the United States.��

One of the benefits of diversity is that when they work with peers from a variety of cultures and backgrounds. By committing to a pluralistic approach to teaching and learning, Saint Paul prepares faith leaders for ministry in the context of a vibrant, worshipping Christian community.��

Encouraging Innovative Ministry��

Betsworth’s vision for the seminary is to fully live into our mission statement “to be an intentional community centered in Christ and rooted in the Wesleyan tradition. Our mission statement further commits us to innovative, creative ministry.”

That mission is in faithful response to the call of Jesus Christ to preach the Good News, to care for those who are in need of healing, and to set at liberty those who are oppressed.��

Creative ministry is essential for serving the church and the community during times of rapid change and conflict. Today’s faith leaders must be prepared to live and work in the context of the ecumenical church, as well as with those from other religious traditions, in order to address the many challenges facing our world.��

For example, the Covid-19 pandemic has forced all of us to evolve in our thinking and practice both at the seminary and in our ministry contexts. “Adaptive and innovative thinking allows us to see and act upon the new visions and opportunities that God is creating in our midst,” Betsworth says.

Ministry should be characterized by prophetic vision, caring presence and inclusive evangelism. By reinventing theological studies, Saint Paul equips students for effective ministry through an integrated curriculum that incorporates real-world experience and deep reflection on important concepts. Our graduates are leaders who rely on the power of Jesus Christ to renew the church and transform the world.

We look forward to Betsworth speaking at this year’s Convocation, and to her continued service to Saint Paul in her new role. If you would like to watch the celebration via live stream, we invite you to join us on at 11 a.m. on August 16.

That’s Dr. Stan Copeland’s mission in his role as the Senior Pastor of Lovers Lane United Methodist Church in Dallas, a position he has held since 1998.

Throughout his career, Dr. Copeland has worked to create an environment for people from all walks of life to experience the love of God and connect with fellow worshippers. That’s why we are proud to welcome him back to �ԹϺ����� as our 2022 commencement speaker and Distinguished Graduate Award recipient. The award will be presented during our upcoming commencement ceremony on May 13, starting at 11 a.m. Central time. Participants may register for .��

Dr. Copeland views the United Methodist Church as a life-giving and life-sustaining community of faith, intentionally global and others-oriented. He emphasizes the pursuit of justice and mercy, along with a commitment to ministry that includes all people as sisters and brothers in Christ.��

Under his leadership, has blossomed as a vibrant and diverse congregation. Membership, worship, attendance and giving have all increased, and the church offers a number of ministries that enrich people’s lives, both internally and in the broader community.��

Nurturing a Welcoming Faith Community

The vision statement for Lovers Lane reads, “One diverse community, passionately engaging the Bible, uplifting Jesus in worship and loving service and challenging in Love that which divides.”

The church boasts one of the most diverse congregations in the Dallas area, including worshippers from 14 different African countries. A variety of ministries also serve the needs of deaf members, special needs families, LGBTQ persons, formerly incarcerated persons and those recovering from substance use disorders.��

During Dr. Copeland’s tenure, Lovers Lane UMC has conducted four capital campaigns totaling over $50 million. The campaigns enabled the church to add new acreage and over 100,000 square feet of building space to serve the needs of its growing congregation.��

Sharing God’s Love with the World

Dr. Copeland has also overseen the creation of several nonprofit corporations owned by Lovers Lane. Through these ministries, the church uplifts the lives of people in the surrounding community. Here are just a few of the ways Lovers Lane is sharing God’s love with others:

• has served over 900 addicted persons and is one of 75 recovery groups to meet at the Center for Spiritual Develoment on the Lovers Lane Campus.
• is a school that serves children ages 6 months to 6th grade. It opened in the fall of 1998 and has an enrollment of around 450 students.
• SEEDS Deaf Academy provides education and services for deaf children, youth and adults. Activities include Sunday School, ASL-signed worship services, special events and mission trips.

Honoring a Lifetime of Ministry

Dr. Copeland’s ministry began when he preached his first sermon at the age of 16. Born and reared in the First United Methodist Church in Chandler, Texas, he was inspired by his parents and grandparents, who were also United Methodists. Others who influenced his faith journey include Doctors Tex Sample, Susan Vogel and William H. “Bill” Hinson, and Bishops Woodrow Heam, Rhymes Moncure and Janice Huey.��

In 1986, while serving as Associate Pastor at First United Methodist Church in Henderson, Texas, Dr. Copeland was diagnosed with leukemia, at the age of 26. Later that same year, he was appointed Associate Pastor of First United Methodist Church in Houston, where he received treatment at the world-renowned medical center in that city. Eventually, he was declared cured, with the help of experimental drug treatments and the prayers of his family, friends and congregation.

Dr. Copeland served as the Senior Pastor at Pollard United Methodist Church in Tyler Texas from 1993 to 1998. At Pollard, he oversaw a major building program and growth in membership, attendance and giving.��

His education includes a degree from �ԹϺ����� and has covered a wide range of subjects including Biblical preaching and teaching, pastoral care and political and social issues. Dr. Copeland has also earned a Doctor of Ministry from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana and an Associate of Arts in Sociology from Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, Texas.��

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Dr. Copeland has dedicated his life to sharing the Good News and changing lives in a world full of need. We look forward to honoring him and to celebrating our 2022 graduating class at this year’s commencement at Saint Paul.��

We invite you to to attend this free event via Zoom. If you have questions, please contact us at 913-253-5000.

That’s the advice of Dr. Amos Yong, Professor of Theology and Mission, and Dean of the School of Mission and Theology, at Fuller University.��

Dr. Yong will share his vision with the Saint Paul community during an upcoming lecture entitled “The Holy Spirit and People of Other Faiths: Relational Christian Witness in the 2020s.” Sponsored by the �ԹϺ����� Evangelical Society, the event takes place via Zoom on February 15 at 11 a.m. Central Standard Time. Those wishing to participate may .��

Interreligious dialogue, , involves intentionally seeking positive interactions between people from different faith communities. It includes sharing and respecting diverse perspectives while pursuing common goals. Interreligious dialogue has also been instrumental in achieving social justice throughout history. The U.S. Civil Rights Movement, as well as the fight to end apartheid in South Africa, included Christians, Jews, Muslims and members of many other faith traditions.��

Dr. Yong calls on Christians in the 2020s to lead with the Holy Spirit when engaging in interfaith conversations. This enables us to more effectively navigate through a world of increasing religious diversity. According to , 63% of U.S. adults identify as Christian, a decrease of 12 percentage points from 2011. At the same time, those identifying with no faith tradition have increased to 29% of the adult population. This group includes atheists, agnostics and those with no specific beliefs in particular. Another 6% identify with a religion other than Christian, including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism.��

Born in Malaysia as the son of a Pentacostal preacher, as a Malaysian Chinese American Christian coming of age in an interreligious setting. He reminds us of how the Acts 2 narrative teaches that the Body of Christ is already constituted in many languages and cultures throughout the world.��

Dr. Yong’s message has increasing relevance as we find ourselves interacting with the religious other in our day-to-day lives. It is paramount for faith leaders and lay persons alike to acquire the language, theological understanding and spiritual skills for engaging in meaningful interactions with those of different faiths and those with no faith.��

We look forward to hearing from Dr. Yong and encourage you to join us for this engaging presentation. You may . Call us at 913-253-5000 if you have questions about this or other upcoming activities at Saint Paul.

And what is the role of faith leaders in determining the answer?

Dr. Eboo Patel will lead an online session on this critical issue during this year’s Harrington Lecture at �ԹϺ�����. The lecture takes place Tuesday, September 21 at 6 p.m. Central time. Participants can .

The founder and president of , Dr. Patel seeks to help faith leaders develop the knowledge and skills they need to build an America where people of all identities can thrive. His forthcoming book, , slated for a May 2022 release, promotes constructive collaboration across religious boundaries for positive social change. The book features stories of American civic heroes like Jane Addams, Robert Moses and Ella Baker. Dr. Patel hopes readers will be inspired to “develop their own ideas for institutions to build that will strengthen our diverse democracy.”

Today’s faith leaders are called to address a range of interlocking challenges in a time of historic change for the United States. The found that non-Hispanic whites make up less than 60% of the population for the first time ever. Among those under 18, no racial or ethnic group holds a majority. Religious diversity is also growing. Although 70% of Americans identify as Christian, that number drops to just 54% among ages 18-29, according to the .��

Dr. Patel warns that our biggest challenge right now comes from those “who seek to destroy pluralism.”

To answer this challenge, it is essential that we facilitate a dialogue that centers shared values, such as hospitality and compassion, over doctrinal disagreements. He calls upon faith leaders to have a “radar screen for religious diversity.”��

Dr. Patel is guided by his experience as an American Muslim navigating a landscape of increasing religious diversity. He urges us to embrace the idea of religions as a “.”

As a former member of President Obama’s , he has worked extensively with government officials, nonprofit organizations, college students and others to make interfaith cooperation a social norm. He and his colleagues at Interfaith Youth Core have built a team of over throughout the U.S.

Based on his experience, Dr. Patel calls attention to the interfaith cooperation that’s happening all around us every day. “Consider the typical American hospital,” he says. “You have people of all faiths cooperating to heal people.

“There’s a version of that happening amongst teachers in schools,” he continues, “people involved in social services and athletes on sports teams.”

We are excited to welcome Dr. Patel as he shares his exciting vision with the Saint Paul community. This year’s Harrington Lecture will help prepare current and future ministers for creative service to a changing world, within faith communities and beyond.

To join us for this engaging evening, we encourage you to . If you have questions, please call us at 913-253-5000.

Virtual Visits are available on February 22, March 15, March 29, April 5, and April 19.�� When you’re ready to book your virtual tour, you can .��If you have questions about the seminary, admissions, or any of our degree programs, you can contact Director of �ԹϺ����� Shannon Hancock via email at admiss@spst.edu or call (913) 253-5084.

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�ԹϺ����� is a seminary of the United Methodist Church offering graduate courses online and on-campus. Our Oklahoma campus thrives in a collaboration with Oklahoma City University in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and, in partnership with the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, our Kansas Campus serves the Greater Kansas City Metro Area in Leawood, KS.

Students learn from dedicated faculty, experienced pastors, and community leaders about best ministry practices. Our graduates leave with the tools and first-hand experience necessary to meet the needs of a changing world.

Where Theology Meets Life