Nazarene Theological Seminary

NTS held its 63rd commencement on Sunday, May 10, at 4:00pm at Kansas City (MO) First Church of the Nazarene. The Class of 2009 consisted of 53 graduates, receiving degrees as follows: 31 Master of Divinity; 5 M.A. in Christian Education; 4 M.A. in Intercultural Studies; 13 M.A. in Theological Studies. Five students earned an additional diploma or certificate along with their degree and five students earned certificates only. This class represented five countries: Brazil, Canada, Germany, Korea, and the United States.

Earlier on Sunday morning, also at KC First Church, Rev. Joshua T. Johnson represented his class by preaching the Corlett Senior Sermon entitled Embracing the Cost of Mercy: 2 Peter 3:1-15. The late Mr. Eric A. Mabes, a prominent Kansas City Realtor, established the Corlett Senior Sermon Award in the interest of developing an incentive for more effective preaching. He sponsored the award from 1945 to 1966. In 1966, Dr. and Mrs. L. T. Corlett assumed the sponsorship of this award as a symbol of their continuing interest in the future ministry of the church. The award is now sponsored by R. Wesley Blachly.

Dr. T. Scott Daniels, Senior Pastor of Pasadena First Church of the Nazarene, delivered the commencement address. Dr. Daniels received his B.A. degree from Northwest Nazarene College and received both the M.Div. and Ph.D. from Fuller Theological Seminary, focusing his study in Christian Ethics and Theology. In addition to serving as Senior Pastor at Pasadena First Church of the Nazarene, he is Adjunct Professor of Practical Theology and Preaching at Azusa Pacific and Point Loma Nazarene Universities. Before moving to California, Dr. Daniels was a Professor of Theology for seven years at Southern Nazarene University and Senior Pastor for four years at the Church of the Nazarene in Richardson, TX. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena and the Board of Directors for Bresee Foundation and Coral Center/Neighborhood Urban Family Center in Pasadena. Dr. Daniels has contributed to several books, journals, and magazines. His most recent publication, Seven Deadly Spirits: The Message of Revelation’s Letters for Today’s Church, was released by Baker Academic Press in February 2009. He is a frequent guest speaker on college campuses, in churches, camp meetings, and for various lectures. Scott and his wife, Debbie, have four children: Caleb, Noah, Jonah, and Sophie. They love to vacation together as a family, and they participate in many sports and music activities.

In addition to the commencement ceremony which filled the KC First Church sanctuary to capacity, the weekend was full of various graduation events, including a special graduate chapel on Saturday morning and an all-seminary banquet on Saturday night. Graduates were also inducted into the NTS Alumni Association on Friday afternoon at a special lunch held in their honor. Members of the NTS Classes of 1959, 1979, 1984, and 2004 were also honored at a reunion lunch on Saturday.