Nazarene Theological Seminary

On April 18, Nazarene Theological Seminary hosted Dr. Bonnie Miller-McLemore as the lecturer for the Joy and Mary Latham Lectures for the Church's Ministry in Early Childhood.  Dr. Miller-McLemore  challenged listeners to see the Christian formation of children as a “two-way” street, stating, “Children form us spiritually and developmentally as much as we form them.”  In attendance were NTS students and faculty, in addition to  denominational editors, local children’s pastors, and the Board of Directors of the Nazarene Children’s Leadership Network (NCLN).  NCLN is the denominations’ leadership team tasked with ongoing professional development of children’s leaders in local congregations.

Dr. Miller-McLemore, the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of Pastoral Theology at the Divinity School and Graduate Department of Religion of Vanderbilt University, writes extensively on child and parental spirituality in the midst of active, busy lives.

Miller-McLemore noted that children create problems for conventional models of spirituality: "For those who seek the divine in solitude and silence or in organized worship, children—their noise, demands, and distractions—seem like an impediment. Children also baffle those who define mature faith around the progressive acquisition of adult reason or knowledge. Models of spirituality shaped by these two views of quiet space and linear growth over time often exclude children and those who care for them.”

Miller-McLemore challenged ministers to see spirituality as inclusive of both inner connection and outward expression (in play, worship, and even the messiness of daily living). She also invited children’s leaders to serve as advocates for child spirituality, helping adults move beyond traditional categories of developmental stages, so that children can be seen as important people in their own right based on the gifts they have at their particular age. In the afternoon session, Miller-McLemore drew from her recent publication, In the Midst of Chaos: Caring for Children as Spiritual Practice, to discuss various daily practices parents can use with children to cultivate a deeper knowledge of God.

The Joy and Mary Latham Lectures for the Church’s Ministry in Early Childhood is a one-day lecture series designed to help ministers and other Christian workers understand the importance of the first few years in relation to the later life of the individual; to discover how foundations of faith are laid in these years; and to plan ways to enlist and equip local church laity for ministry to and with young children.

Dr. Dean Blevins, Director of the NTS Master of Arts in Christian Education Degree Program, noted that NTS has the unique privilege of offering two strategic lectureships in children’s ministry. “The Latham Lectures were made possible particularly through the efforts of Joy Latham's sisters, Mary and Ruby Latham, and NTS remains the beneficiary of their desire to lift up children’s ministry. This series, as well as the Miriam Hall Lectures, allows NTS to not only resource our students, but also children’s leaders. The presence of key editorial leadership from our publishing house, and our partnership with the NCLN, reflect a commitment to take seriously the role of children at NTS."

To listen to Dr. Miller-McLemore's lectures, please visit http://www.nts.edu/chapel or listen to them via NTS' Chapel Podcast on iTunes.