F. Dale Bruner, Timothy George, and Karen Petersen Finch to lead 36th annual Whitworth Institute of Ministry

F. Dale Bruner

Beloved Whitworth theology professor emeritus F. Dale Bruner, noted divinity school leader Timothy George, and current Whitworth theology professor Karen Petersen Finch will lead the 36th annual Whitworth Institute of Ministry July 11-15 on the Whitworth campus, in north Spokane. WIM provides clergy, laity, and their spouses and children with a week of spiritual encouragement, equipping for ministry, and inspiring worship.

UPDATE: To listen to podcasts from WIM 2011, please visit http://www.whitworth.edu/podcast/index.aspx.

Throughout the week, Bruner, George, and Petersen Finch will lead worship services, Bible hours and workshops. One of the university's counselors, Suzette McGonigal, also will lead a workshop for spouses.

The public is invited to attend the institute's worship services Monday-Thursday at 7 p.m. in Seeley Mudd Chapel. Admission to the services is free.

Pre-registration and payment are required for those who wish to participate in other WIM programming, including Bible hours, convocation hour and afternoon workshops. For complete WIM details, a schedule of events, and to register, please contact the WIM program coordinator at (509) 777-4345 or visit www.whitworth.edu/wim.

During Whitworth's weeklong institute, programs will be available for children of participants. Art, music and recreational activities are planned for all age groups, including a teen program for junior- and senior-high youth. Trained caregivers will be present to care for infants and toddlers. Accommodations in residence halls and on-campus dining services will be available for Institute of Ministry participants.

F. Dale Bruner taught at Whitworth for 22 years as the George & Lyda Wasson Professor of Religion, retiring in 1997. His passion for teaching the biblical narrative, for scholarship and for church renewal made him one of Whitworth's most influential professors. He also spoke and taught at hundreds of churches across the country, becoming a highly sought-after speaker in the Presbyterian Church (USA), through which he continues to have a vital teaching ministry.

Bruner is the author of A Theology of the Holy Spirit: The Pentecostal Experience and the New Testament Witness (Eerdmans, 1970) and Matthew: A Commentary (2 volumes; revised and expanded edition, Eerdmans, 2004). His commentary on John's Gospel is scheduled for publication by Eerdmans this year. He also co-authored, with William Holdern, The Holy Spirit: Shy Member of the Trinity (Augsburg, 1983). He now is working on a commentary on Romans.

Timothy George

Timothy George has been the dean of Beeson Divinity School at Samford University since its inception in 1988. In addition to his administrative responsibilities, George teaches church history and doctrine. He serves as a senior editor for Christianity Today, and serves on the editorial advisory boards of First Things, Harvard Theological Review, and Books & Culture.

George has written more than 20 books and regularly contributes to scholarly journals. His most recent books are The Mark of Jesus: Loving in a Way the World Can See, Is the Father of Jesus the God of Muhammad? and Amazing Grace: God's Pursuit, Our Response. His Theology of the Reformers is the standard textbook on Reformation theology in many schools and seminaries. He is an ordained minister in the Southern Baptist Convention, and he has served churches across the country. He holds degrees from Harvard Divinity School (M.Div.) and Harvard University (Th.D.) as well as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (A.B.).

Karen Petersen Finch

Karen Petersen Finch serves as an assistant professor of theology at Whitworth. She has been an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) since 1994, and she holds a B.A. in English literature from Pomona College, an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Gonzaga University. Her teaching interests are Reformed theology (Calvin), Roman Catholic theology (Lonergan), ecumenical dialogue, the doctrine of God, and pneumatology (the doctrine of the Holy Spirit).

Finch is currently focused on presenting and revising her dissertation, in which she examined current issues in the dialogue between Roman Catholic and Reformed Christians. She also teaches in Whitworth's lay ministry training programs.

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The university, which has an enrollment of nearly 3,000 students, offers 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Contacts:

Toni Sutherland, program coordinator, Whitworth Institute of Ministry, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4345 or tsutherland@whitworth.edu.

Emily Proffitt, public information officer, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or eproffitt@whitworth.edu.