Mission: The mission of Perkins School of Theology is to equip persons for faithful leadership and Christian ministry in a changing church and society; to educate those seeking a deeper understanding of the Christian faith; and to strengthen the church, academy, and world through service, scholarship, and advocacy.

Context: Perkins, a community devoted to theological education and research in the service of the church of Jesus Christ, is Wesleyan by tradition, United Methodist by affiliation, inclusive of diverse Christian expressions, and welcoming of all. The oldest graduate professional school at Southern Methodist University, the School of Theology embraces its setting in the southwestern United States while seeking to make theological education accessible, through in-person, hybrid, and distance learning, to students from the region, the nation, and around the world.

Perkins School of Theology is one of the 13 seminaries of The United Methodist Church, one of only five university-related United Methodist theological schools, part of Southern Methodist University since the university’s founding, growing out of the work of a commission led by Bishop James Atkins to establish a theological school west of the Mississippi River. With the opening of the university in the following year, the school of theology began its work as the church’s official theological school for the western half of the United States.   

The faculty and staff of Perkins are committed to our mission of preparing women and men for faithful leadership in Christian ministry. Students study with a faculty, diverse both culturally and in theological perspective, in the school’s graduate degree and certificate studies programs. Practical internships integrate classroom learning with hands-on ministry, and the world-renowned Bridwell Library offers students and scholars theological resources for pastors and scholars unrivaled in the United States. Faculty and practicing clergy also work together to offer continuing education for clergy and laity, as well as other programs such as the United Methodist Church’s Course of Study school for local pastors.