Contact: Jo Brosius, Director of Communications            FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Telephone: 859.858.2309

Email: jo.brosius@asburyseminary.edu

 

ASBURY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY DEDICATES NEW STUDENT HOUSING

WILMORE, Ky. (November 1, 2012) — Asbury Theological Seminary will dedicate new student housing on its Wilmore, Kentucky campus on November 13, 2012 during its fall meeting of the Board of Trustees. The ceremony marks the completion of two single student residence halls, Bettie Morrison Hall and Sundo Kim Hall, and officially opens The Ira and Sally Gallaway Village.

The two new residence halls are the first of four to populate Gallaway Village on E. College Street in Wilmore. The state-of-the-art residence halls each feature 11 bedroom suites (bedrooms, dens, kitchen/dining areas and living rooms) clustered around a large community space, two study rooms and a laundry facility. By 2014, 188 theologically minded men and women will live in four residence halls clustered in Gallaway Village. The new halls are amenable to the rich student life and residential community that are a hallmark of theological education at Asbury Seminary.

With the extraordinary generosity of Bill and Carol Latimer, Asbury Seminary has restated its commitment to residential theological education and is currently in a housing renaissance. Phase I of Kalas Village, a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood of 100 new townhomes for married students and their families, opened in January 2011 just north of campus. Phase II is currently underway featuring 50 new townhomes, green spaces and recreational amenities. Seminary officials hope to have Phase II of Kalas Village open by January 2013 and Phase II of Gallaway Village open by 2014.The housing renaissance is the largest construction expansion in Asbury Seminary’s history and has coincided with the Pedestrian Mall and Streetscape Improvement Project for the City of Wilmore.

Asbury Seminary President, Dr. Timothy C. Tennent, said, “These residence halls are not only dwellings for students but a symbol to us of God’s loving care and of our life together as a family. It seems only appropriate that we pause in this month of Thanksgiving to thank God for His favor and our donors for the generosity that moved the Gallaway Village from blueprint to reality.”

The Ira and Sally Gallaway Village is named in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Ira Gallaway. In the United Methodist Church, Dr. Gallaway served as district superintendent, president of the National Council of Evangelism, and as the General Secretary of the General Board of Evangelism. He has also served as a pastor and the minister of leadership develoment with the Four Corners Native American Ministry. Dr. Gallaway served as the chair of the Board of Trustees at Asbury Seminary for six years (1982-1988), and still serves as a trustee today. The Ira and Sally Gallaway Village honors the work and wisdom Dr. Gallaway and his late wife, Sally, contributed to Asbury Seminary and generations of theological students.

Bettie Morrison Hall houses 47 women. It is named after Elizabeth (Bettie) Morrison, the wife of Asbury Seminary’s first president, Henry Clay Morrison. Mrs. Morrison was involved in shaping the plans for Asbury Seminary. She signed the school’s original Articles of Incorporation, adopted in 1931, and served on the original Board of Trustees. A longtime editor of The Pentecostal Herald, she was known affectionately as “Aunt Bettie” to thousands of Herald readers and by the students of Asbury Seminary. The first “Bettie Morrison Hall” was dedicated in 1949 and razed in 2011.

Sundo Kim Hall houses 47 men and is named after Bishop Sundo Kim. Rev. Dr. Sundo Kim pastored Kwanglim Methodist Church in Seoul, South Korea for 30 years. Under his guidance and leadership, the church grew to be the largest Methodist church in the world. Bishop Kim joined the Board of Trustees at Asbury Seminary in 1996. In 2005, Asbury Seminary dedicated the Bishop Sundo Kim Chair of Evangelism and Practical Theology. Asbury Seminary honors his extraordinary life of ministry by naming the new men’s residence hall the Sundo Kim Hall. A delegation from South Korea will be in attendance at the ceremony.


About Asbury Theological Seminary:           

With multiple campuses, Asbury Theological Seminary is an interdenominational graduate school of theology committed to teaching the unchanging truth of historic Wesleyan Christianity through the most dynamic means available. Asbury Seminary offers a variety of degrees, including the master of arts, master of divinity, master of theology, doctor of ministry and doctor of philosophy in intercultural studies, biblical studies. Total current enrollment nears 1,600 students, representing 91 denominations and 44 countries. For more information, please visit asburyseminary.edu.

 

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