Dean of Esperanza College to Deliver 2017 Barton Lecture

DALLAS (SMU) – Dr. Elizabeth Conde-Frazier, Vice President of Education and Dean of Esperanza College at Eastern University, will deliver the annual Barton Lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 6, in the Great Hall of Highland Park United Methodist Church.

 A dinner prior to Dr. Conde-Frazier’s lecture, titled “Latin@ Jovenes: Children of the Reign of God,” will begin at 6 p.m., followed by a 6:45 p.m. musical performance by Ubunto Kids, an afterschool violin program serving students at Ignacio Zaragoza Elementary in east Dallas. Also, headsets will be provided for an onsite simultaneous Spanish translation of the lecture for persons whose primary language is Spanish.

The purpose of the Barton Lecture is to disseminate knowledge of Hispanic/Latin@ theology and ministry for the benefit of the academy, the church and the wider public. Through the lectures, participants have heard from the leading Hispanic/Latin@ scholars in theological education and church leaders who have made a significant impact on the Hispanic/Latin@ church and community.

Dr. Conde-Frazier holds a Ph.D. from Boston College, a Master of Divinity from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary and a bachelor of arts from Brooklyn College, City University of New York.

As Dean of Esperanza College, Dr. Conde-Frazier is responsible for setting the vision, the strategic direction, and providing leadership and management for the programs and faculty. Previously, she was professor of religious education at the Claremont School of Theology and taught Hispanic/Latino/a theology at the Latin American Bible Institute, in California.

She has mentored Latino/a students and wrote in the areas of multicultural education, Latina feminist theology, the spirituality of the scholar and issues of justice as they relate to education. And as founder of the Orlando E. Costas Hispanic and Latin American Ministries Program at Andover Newton Theological School, Dr. Conde-Frazier also has developed programs for the development of ministers and lay leaders including youth. She has more than 10 years of experience as an ordained pastor and has been a bilingual teacher.

The Roy D. Barton Lectureship was established in 1995 to honor Dr. Barton for his distinguished service to the seminary and his equally distinguished service to the Hispanic United Methodist Church. Dr. Barton served as the founding director of the Hispanic/Latin@ Ministries Program (then called the Mexican American Program) and Associate Professor of Practical Theology in Perkins School of Theology from 1974 until his retirement in 1995.

Participants interested in the dinner and lecture, which cost $25, may register at https://www.regonline.com/thebartonlecture

More information: http://www.smu.edu/Perkins/PublicPrograms/MAP/The-Barton-Lecture-2017

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Perkins School of Theology, founded in 1911, is one of five official University-related schools of theology of The United Methodist Church. Degree programs include the Master of Divinity, Master of Sacred Music, Master of Theological Studies, Master of Arts in Ministry, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Pastoral Music as well as the Ph.D., in cooperation with The Graduate Program in Religious Studies at SMU’s Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.