Susanna Southard

Interim Director of Supervised Ministry, Chaplain, and Instructor in Ministry Studies
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Originally from Kansas, the Rev. Susanna Weslie Southard remains an ordained elder in the Great Plains Conference of the United Methodist Church. In 2007 she moved to Tulsa, OK and joined the faculty of Phillips Theological Seminary, where her current titles are Interim Director of Supervised Year in Ministry, Chaplain, and Instructor in Ministry Studies. Susanna holds a Bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis, an MDiv from Perkins School of Theology at SMU and an MA in passing from Vanderbilt University, where she studied Hebrew Bible. Her roles at Phillips have shifted over the years as needed. In addition to leading our Supervised Year in Ministry (field education) Program and overseeing the seminary’s worship life, Susanna currently teaches introductory practice of ministry courses and theological reflection groups. Susanna loves the church and feels passionate about helping others discover and appreciate the rich resources available through the Hebrew Bible for undergirding Christian faith and action. Therefore, she regularly teaches Sunday School classes for Tulsa area churches. She takes a reader-oriented, feminist approach toward Hebrew narrative with a specialty in the Five Festival Scrolls associated with Jewish holidays: Ruth, Esther, Song of Songs, Lamentations, and Ecclesiastes.

Selected Publications

Attentive to God

“Case by Case” series in Christian Century

“The Citizens Forum on Integration: ‘Underground Methodist Response in New Orleans to the Brown Decision”

 

Education and CV

MDiv Perkins School of Theology, SMU

MA Vanderbilt University

BA Washington University, St. Louis

CV:
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Fun Fact

Susanna is named after the mother of John & Charles Wesley. However, her father thought she would appreciate having a more feminine-looking middle name. So, instead of Susanna Wesley, she is Susanna Weslie. As far as she knows, she is the only one with that spelling of the name.