WILSON, N.C. — February 8, 2024 — Barton College is pleased to present the annual Thedford G. and Woodrow W. Sprinkle Lecture and the E. G. Purcell, Jr. Bible Conference Lecture on Monday, Feb. 26. The spring lectures will be held in Howard Chapel on the Barton campus, and the community is invited to attend.
The Sprinkle Lecture, beginning at 2 p.m., will feature the Reverend Lee Hull Moses, Director of the Proclamation Project for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), headquartered in the Office of the General Minister and President (OGMP) of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Indianapolis, Ind. Her lecture topic will be “These Ancient Words: Preaching so the Bible Can Speak.”
At 3:15 p.m., the E.G. Purcell, Jr. Bible Conference will feature Dr. Francisco Lozada, Jr., Vice President for Faculty Affairs and Dean of the Faculty, Professor of New Testament Studies at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Ind. His lecture topic will be “From Exegete to Cultural Observer: An Exercise in Biblical Interpretation.”
About the Speakers —
In her current role, Reverend Lee Hull Moses leads the Proclamation Project, a new initiative to equip and support Disciples preaching. She previously served as Vice President and Chief of Staff in the Office of the General Minister and President (OGMP) of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). From 2009-2019, she was the Senior Minister of First Christian Church in Greensboro, N.C., and previously served First Christian Church in Falls Church, Va. She is the author of “More than Enough: Living Abundantly in a Culture of Excess” and the co-author of “Hopes and Fears: Everyday Theology for New Parents and Other Tired, Anxious People.” Her writing has also appeared in the pages of the Christian Century magazine. She has served in leadership on a number of ministry boards, including the Christian Board of Publication (Chalice Press), the North Carolina Council of Churches, and the Disciples Divinity House at the University of Chicago. She is a graduate of Albion College and the Disciples Divinity House at the University of Chicago Divinity School. She makes her home in Indianapolis with her husband, Robert, and their two children.
Dr. Francisco Lozada, Jr., joined Christian Theological Seminary as the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty, effective July 1, 2023. Prior to joining CTS, Dr. Lozada served at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas, as the Charles Fischer Catholic Professor of New Testament and Latinx Studies and the Director of the Borderlands Institute and Latinx Studies Program, where he directed several webinars on the topic of immigration and co-led a number of travel seminars to the southern border. Dr. Lozada brings extensive leadership experience to his new role. His is a leading voice in addressing hermeneutical and theological implications regarding how the Bible is employed and deployed in ethnic/racial communities. He serves on the board of the Hispanic Summer Program, guiding its efforts to shape the next generation of Latinx theological and ecclesial leaders. He also has experience advising the Board of Pathways Theological Education, an online program affiliated with the United Church of Christ, and serving as a member of the CPE Professional Advisory Group at Baylor Scott and White Health All Saints in Fort Worth, Texas. In addition, he has also served extensively in leadership roles for the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL). Dr. Lozada holds a Ph.D. in New Testament and Early Christianity from Vanderbilt University, an M.T.S. from Vanderbilt Divinity School, and a B.A. in Religious Studies from John Carroll University. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Puerto Rican parents and is Catholic with a commitment to strong ecumenical and interfaith relationships.
About the Endowed Lectures —
The Thedford G. and Woodrow W. Sprinkle Lectures were established in 1981 by Dr. Stephen V. Sprinkle, a graduate of Barton College, Yale Divinity School, and Duke University. The lectures were named in honor of his father, Thedford G. Sprinkle and his uncle, Woodrow W. Sprinkle.
The Purcell Bible Conference was established in 1984 with an endowment given by family, colleagues, friends, students, and parishioners to honor the life and ministry of Eugene G. Purcell Jr. A graduate of Duke University and Duke Divinity School, Purcell joined the faculty of Barton College in 1957 and served 27 years in the Department of Religion and Philosophy.
For additional information about these events, please contact Dr. Rodney A. Werline, Marie and Leman Barnhill Chair in Religious Studies at Barton College, at rawerline@barton.edu.
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