Dr. Timothy Tennent, President of Asbury Theological Seminary, and Dr. Steve O’Malley, John T. Seamands Professor of Methodist Holiness History, received the Pastor-Preacher-Scholar Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award respectively at the Wesleyan Theological Society (WTS).

“I am humbled to receive this award from the Wesleyan Theological Society and am grateful for the honor that this brings, not only to me, but to Asbury Seminary,” Dr. Timothy Tennent, President of Asbury Theological Seminary, said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have hosted WTS on our campus this year and the access to scholarly discussion these meetings and presentations afforded our students.”

The Pastor-Preacher-Scholar Award is granted on a periodical basis to note outstanding leaders in the Wesleyan/Holiness tradition. The Lifetime Achievement Award honors career achievement in Wesleyan/Holiness Scholarship and service to the society.

“The awards presented to Dr. Tennent and Dr. O’Malley evince the significance of Asbury Theological Seminary’s leadership in theological education to the church and academy and show the admiration that Wesleyan-Holiness evangelicals have for the institution and for them personally,” Steve Hoskins, Promotional Secretary for WTS and Associate Professor of Religion at Trevecca Nazarene University, said. “Honoring their lives and work is indicative of the important role that Asbury Seminary has played in the work and history of the Wesleyan Theological Society, and adds their names to the list of legendary leaders of the society from Asbury like Wilbur Dayton, J.C. McPheeters, and Melvin Dieter.”

More than 200 scholars and theologians gathered on Asbury Theological Seminary’s campus for the 52nd annual Wesleyan Theological Society (WTS) meeting, March 3-4. This year’s theme was “The Church, The People of God,” with keynote speakers, Dr. Sondra Wheeler (Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington D.C.) and Dr. Phil Meadows (Nazarene Theological College, Manchester, UK).

The WTS is an international fellowship of scholars, pastors, friends and students that comes together annually to discuss the work of John Wesley and related topics. WTS meets on a college, seminary or university campus in order to afford students the opportunity to engage with the Wesleyan movement. The Society also publishes a scholarly journal twice a year and seeks to encourage scholarship among younger theologians, pastors and laity. The WTS annual meeting has been held at Asbury Seminary in 2003, 1989 and 1981.