KELLY MILLER SMITH INSTITUTE ON
BLACK CHURCH STUDIES
Vanderbilt University Divinity
School
411 21st Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37240
615-936-8453
ABOUT THE INSTITUTE
The Kelly Miller Smith Institute on Black Church Studies was established in honor of the late Kelly Miller Smith, Sr., Assistant Dean of the Vanderbilt Divinity School from 1968 until his death in 1984. The Institute perpetuates his legacy of theological and academic excellence and prophetic witness. The African American church remains the primary institution in the African American community committed to the liberation of persons and groups who suffer from racial and social oppression. The work of the Kelly Miller Smith Institute brings together the African American church community and African American educational institutions, as partners with the Vanderbilt Divinity School to study and research issues important to the practice of faith and ministry in the African American church.
See also information about the Certificate in Black Church Studies Program
OUR MISSION
The liberation theme of the gospel and the human struggle for justice have been the primary concern of the African American church community. The African American church stands at a critical juncture in its history, theology, and practice of Christian ministry. The basic mission of the Kelly Miller Smith Institute is to enter into partnership with the African American church community to reflect on the liberating elements of African American religion and to assist in defining a future for oppressed peoples, shaped by the prophetic vision of God's justice on earth. The Institute is a vehicle for generating scholarship on the single most important institution in the African American community, sharing that research through conferences and workshops, and enriching research opportunities through a dialogue with lay and clergy leaders in America's African American churches.
As a center for research and praxis on issues of theology and ministry in the African American church tradition, the Institute focuses on:
- the education of clergy and laity for leadership in ministry,
- the promotion of dialogue between African American theologians and African American church leaders,
- the development of research materials on the history of African American religion in America, leadership in African American churches, and African American church theology, and
AFRICAN AMERICAN CHURCH PRAXIS
The praxis emphasis of the Institute provides opportunities to work with the African American church community in sponsoring study forums, clergy and laity study retreats, and conferences for the purpose of examining the critical social ministry needs of the African American community. It is our aim to disseminate the latest in African American theological thought and to provide settings in which the leading African American theological thinkers can hear from and can be engaged critically by those who lead the congregations, lay, and clergy. Through the African American church study forums, the Institute seeks to generate a dialogue that will yield a new African American praxis, one that will enliven the church for Christian social ministry. Conferences sponsored by the Institute in the past have highlighted various liberation themes and praxis goals.
RESEARCH
The Institute is a center for research on issues of theology and ministry in the African American religious tradition. Scholarly research during the past decade has documented the historical, theological, and social importance of the African American church as the foundation of African American culture. The current research focus of the Institute is the legacy of African American religious leadership. The Institute has made an important beginning in developing a research base as a result of the acquisition of the papers of the late Kelly Miller Smith. The gift of the Smith Papers provides the Institute with the opportunity to research the particular ecclesiology and theological perspectives of an important African American church leader. Because of the expansive volume of the Smith Papers and the various leads and links to other significant church leaders, civil rights leaders, and other social activities, the Institute's goal is to develop a comprehensive research archive on African American religious leaders. Over the past two decades valuable research has been done on the historical, theological, and social importance of African American churches. This research has revealed the theological impact and leadership qualities of African American church leaders.
PREPARATION FOR MINISTRY IN THE BLACK CHURCHES
As a part of the Vanderbilt Divinity School, the Institute is an important resource for bridging African American church studies and theological education of African American laity and clergy for leadership in ministry. The Institute participates in the shaping of curricular offerings in African American religious tradition. The Institute has launched a five-year program to reshape its African American studies curriculum. This reshaped curriculum will be designed to prepare a generation of African American leaders to effect institutional and community change toward humanization and justice in oppressed urban centers. In 1985, the faculty established the Kelly Miller Smith Scholarship for Ministry in the African American Church. This scholarship is awarded to one entering student who plans to enter ministry in the black church.
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Last Updated:
August 14, 2007
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