Dr. F. Douglas Powe, Jr.

Clergy and laity from churches across South Carolina and beyond will gather at Claflin University in early February to discuss evangelism in the 21^st century.

The annual Granville Hicks Leadership Academy for Laity and Clergy will be held on the Claflin campus from Thursday, Feb. 4, to Saturday, Feb. 6.

The theme for the 2010 leadership academy is “The Engaged Church: Evangelism in the 21^st Century.”

Workshop leaders will include Rev. Felicia Howell LaBoy, Dr. Jimmy S. Gallant, III, and Dr. Caesar R. Richburg who will focus on practical approaches to evangelism, evangelism in the world and urban evangelism. A complete schedule for the lecture series is available on the Claflin University Web site, http://www.claflin.edu/.

Rev. LaBoy, senior pastor of Maple Park United Methodist Church in Blue Island, Illinois, will also deliver the closing lecture to philosophy and religion majors, though the public is invited to attend. The lecture will be held on Saturday, Feb. 6, at 9:15 a.m. in the Elmore Chapel.

For registration and additional information, contact Dr. Daniel Hembree at (803) 535-5894 or dhembree@claflin.edu.

The 2010 Granville Hicks Leadership Academy for Laity and Clergy is sponsored by the Claflin University Center for Vocational Reflection and the Ethnic Local Church Concerns Committee and the African American Task Force of the South Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Dr. F. Douglas Powe, Jr. holds a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Emory University (2004) and a Master of Divinity degree Candler School of Theology, Summa Cum Laude (1998). He also directs the Evangelism Specialization and co-directs the Black Church Studies Specialization. Previously, Dr. Powe taught in the Religion and Philosophy Department at Spelman College (2002-2004).

Dr. Powe currently serves as the Minister of Evangelism at Wesley Heights United Methodist Church. Dr. Powe is active in a number of professional guilds. He was elected in 2005 to serve a six-year term on the steering committee for the Wesley Studies Group of the American Academy of Religion. In 2008, he became the book review editor for the Academy in Evangelism for Theological Study. Dr. Powe's current research focuses on helping declining congregations experience resurrection by seeking young adults and the non-churched.

The Rev. Felicia Howell LaBoy

The Rev. Felicia Howell LaBoy holds a B.S. in Marketing from Lehigh University, an M.B.A. in Marketing and Finance from Duke University, an M.A. in Christian Ministries from Indiana Christian University and a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Evangelism from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Additionally, she is a Ph.D. candidate at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

The annual Granville Hicks leadership Academy for Laity and Clergy is named in honor of the Rev. Dr. Granville A. Hicks, a 1957 Claflin alumnus, in recognition of his leadership as a pastor and district superintendent in the S.C. Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Established in 1992, the purpose of the Granville Hicks Leadership Academy is to equip laity and clergy for ministry and leadership within the church. The Academy empowers individuals with biblical knowledge, intellectual growth and theological reflection, thus enhancing church development, renewal and mission outreach. The Academy intends to unite laity and clergy; establish church leadership; increase awareness of Christian education's role within the church; offer cross-cultural experiences within the church; and enhance church/university relationships.