Phillips Seminary News | June 13, 2025
TULSA, Okla. — Phillips Theological Seminary announces a new partnership with the Oklahoma Conference of the United Methodist Church to host the Center for Black Faith, Leadership & Transformation on its Tulsa, Oklahoma, campus, beginning July 1.
The collaboration, formalized in a three-year agreement, connects Phillips to this important work by the Oklahoma Conference. The center will serve as a hub for cultivating African-American leadership within the United Methodist Church and beyond, led by its inaugural director, Gwendolyn Collins-Derrick.
Phillips President F. Douglas Powe Jr.
“The launch of the Center for Black Faith, Leadership & Transformation reflects our shared commitment to justice, leadership development, and faith in action,” said Phillips President F. Douglas Powe Jr. “We are energized by the possibilities this partnership brings to our campus and our broader community.”
Phillips will provide office space and campus access for the center’s administrative operations which will also foster shared learning and initiatives.
“The Oklahoma Conference is excited to work with President Powe and Phillips Theological Seminary as we begin this new work in the Tulsa area,” said the Rev. Dr. Derrek Belase, connectional ministries director with the Oklahoma Conference of the United Methodist Church. “Our mission and ministry will be strengthened in ways that today we cannot even envision.”
The center’s mission is to strengthen and expand the United Methodist Church’s presence and witness within African-American communities across Oklahoma. Key areas of focus will include:
- community engagement
- leadership development
- coordination of events and ministry initiatives
- collaboration with institutional partners.
The seminary and the center expect to engage in meaningful conversations and collaborative projects that support and elevate African-American congregational leadership.
“We are honored to welcome this new chapter in our ongoing work of theological education and public witness,” said President Powe. “Together with Oklahoma United Methodists, we seek to serve the church and the world more faithfully.”