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A Wesleyan Community of Women Leaders and Mentors.

“The summarizing word­–Wesley’s ultimate hermeneutic–is love.

-Dr. Mildred Bangs Wynkoop

About the Center

Mildred Wynkoop

Vision: To see women called by God to be affirmed, empowered, and equipped to serve the Church and the world through a variety of ministry professions, as well as to encourage advocates who desire and affirm gender parity in church ministry.

Mission: The Wynkoop Center for Women in Leadership exists to create space to imagine together the possibilities of women’s contributions, along with creative and innovative participation in the future of the church of Jesus Christ. The Center does this by providing opportunities, assistance, and resources to explore and encourage the giftings and callings of women in traditional and new frontiers of leadership, as well as support and encourage men who advocate for women and mutuality in ministry. In addition, the Center aims to help the Church of the Nazarene and the greater Church understand and embrace the biblical and theological basis for co-equal partnership in ministry.

The Wynkoop Legacy: Mildred Bangs Wynkoop (1905-1997) was an influential educator, missionary, and theologian whose work impacted the Church of the Nazarene and beyond.

Mildred began her ministry career with her husband, Ralph, whom she met at Pasadena College (now Point Loma Nazarene University). Both were ordained as Nazarene elders who spent their early careers as co-pastors, evangelists, and eventually as missionaries. Later, as Mildred’s ministerial call sought deeper expression in teaching and writing, they continued to affirm their joint calling as fully-fledged partners in ministry throughout their lives.

As an educator and prolific writer, she bravely sought new paradigms through her engagement with Wesley’s theology. One of her notable works, A Theology of Love, published in 1973, shaped a generation of pastors, teachers, and theologians. She taught at several institutions, including Western Evangelical Seminary (Oregon), Japanese Christian Junior College, Japanese Nazarene Theological Seminary, Trevecca Nazarene College (Nashville, TN), and as theologian-in-residence at Nazarene Theological Seminary (Kansas City, MO) from 1976-1980.

The Wynkoop Center was founded in 2003 as an initiative of Nazarene Theological Seminary through the generosity of the Ralph and Mildred Bangs Wynkoop estate. In 2002, Dr. Judi Schwanz (Director 2003-2020), NTS President Ron Benefiel (President 2000 – 2011), and Dr. Keith Schwanz, proposed creating this Center as a way to support women in the life of the Church. Founded initially as the Wynkoop Center for Women in Ministry, the Wynkoop Center for Women in Leadership will continue this legacy and expand its mission to support women in leadership, scholarship, and ecclesial ministry, as well as encourage men to work toward equity and gender parity in ministry.    

Events:

Check back for upcoming NTS webinars and events that affirm gender inclusive ministry.

Partnerships:

NTS and the Wynkoop Center partner with others through event sponsorships and shared initiatives which benefit and resource women leaders.

Nazarene Women's Clergy Council

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Conference Attendance Awards Open to Women and Men:

If you are a woman graduate student and have an accepted paper at a conference (e.g., WTS, SBL, AAR, etc.), you are invited to apply for a $500.00 (USD) conference award to help with the cost of registration, travel, and accommodation to your conference. If you are a male and have an accepted paper at a conference (e.g., WTS, SBL, AAR, etc.) which supports the work of women in ecclesial leadership, the academy, or a related research area, you are also invited to apply for a $500.00 (USD) conference award to help with the cost of registration, travel, and accommodation to your conference.

Complete the form below to apply. Applications are accepted July 1 to December 1 each calendar year.
Apply for a Conference Attendance Award

Research Awards:

If you are a woman graduate student working on a doctorate and are in the dissertation phase of research writing, you are eligible to apply for a $750.00 (USD) research award to help with expense towards the costs of research and travel associated with this stage of writing. If you are a male graduate student working on a doctorate related to women’s studies, and are in the dissertation phase of research writing, you are eligible to apply for a $750.00 (USD) research award to help with expense towards the costs of research and travel associated with this stage of writing.

Complete the form below to apply. Applications are accepted July 1 to December 1 each calendar year.
Apply for a Research Award

Academic Scholarships:

NTS has a number of scholarship funds designated to providing tuition assistance for women and men pursuing graduate theological studies. Contact the Enrollment Team at enroll@nts.edu to learn more. Begin your application here.

The website links below will help women and men gain a better understanding of women’s issues, women’s ordination, equality in ministry, and other resources related to women, as well as information on the works and writings by Dr. Mildred Bangs Wynkoop. 

Research on the Status of Women (from United Women’s Empowerment)

Appointments Project (United WE) works to empower women and strengthen communities by increasing the gender diversity of civic boards and commissions

Wynkoop Women in Ministry Video Collection (Hosted by the NTS Praxis Studio)

Wesleyan Digital Holiness Library: Works by Mildred Bangs Wynkoop

Wynkoop Center Resource: The Creation Mandate

Wynkoop Center Resource: Women in Leadership in the Old Testament

Wynkoop Center Resource: Women in Leadership in the New Testament

Wynkoop Center Resource: Difficult Passages in the New Testament

Women Thriving in Ministry: An Initiative of Asbury Theological Seminary

Christians for Biblical Equality

Podcast Episode: Evaluating a Global Covid-19 Response: An interview with Nell Becker Sweeden and Zekarias Asfaw

Single and in Ministry: Joy in the Journey by the Rev. Dana Preusch, (from Grace & Peace, Issue 20, Spring 2019, pages 32-33)

Catalyst Resources: The Biblical Basis for Ordination of Women in the Wesleyan Tradition

The Junia Project

Why I Believe in Women in Ministry by Nijay Gupta 

The Junia Project

How to Raise a Girl Today to be a Pastor Tomorrow by Elizabeth Graham, DMin

Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy (WHWC)

Current Course of Study class, Foundations for Women’s Ordination

Wynkoop Center Staff

Rev. Dr. DANA PREUSCH
Director
dpreusch@nts.edu

Wynkoop Center Advisory Council

janice-ballard
Rev. Janice Ballard
Staff Member Jesse Middendorf
Rev. Dr. Jesse Middendorf
Linda-Alexander
Rev. Dr. Linda Alexander
Rev. Christine Youn Hung
Rev. Christine Youn Hung
Rev. Dr. Nell Becker Sweeden
Rev. Dr. Nell Becker Sweeden
Hermina Esqueda Photo
Rev. Herminia Esqueda
Rev. Dr. Sarah Coleson-Derck
Rev. Dr. Sarah Coleson-Derck
Jenny Matheny photo
Dr. Jenny Matheny
Rev. Sheri-Lynne Martin
Rev. Sheri-Lynne Martin
Rev. Ashley Gage
Rev. Ashley Gage

Support the Wynkoop Center for Women in Leadership through a financial gift.

Make checks payable to:
Nazarene Theological Seminary
MEMO: Wynkoop Center for Women in Leadership
1700 E. Meyer Blvd.
Kansas City, MO 64131

“Love is the essential inner character of holiness,
and holiness does not exist apart from love.”

-Dr. Mildred Bangs Wynkoop

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