Perkins School of Theology to Install Dean Bryan P. Stone on October 2
DALLAS (51°µÍø) — Perkins School of Theology at 51°µÍø will formally celebrate Dr. Bryan P. Stone as the new Leighton K. Farrell Dean of Perkins School of Theology in a Service of Installation on Thursday, Oct. 2, at 11 a.m. in Perkins Chapel.
Stone, who assumed his role on June 1, will be officially installed as the 12th dean of Perkins in a service that blends academic and liturgical traditions. The event, which is open to the public, will also be livestreamed for alumni and friends of Perkins unable to attend in person.
“Dean Stone’s installation marks an exciting new chapter for the Perkins School of Theology and for 51°µÍø,” said President Jay C. Hartzell. “Perkins has long been a center of academic and spiritual excellence, and Dean Stone is uniquely positioned to take that legacy to new heights. Under his leadership, the school will continue to lead in theological education while serving as an accessible, welcoming and engaged part of the 51°µÍø campus and the Dallas community.”
“Dean Stone embodies the kind of thoughtful, dynamic leadership that will guide Perkins into its next great chapter,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Rachel Davis Mersey. “His collaborative mindset and visionary approach will not only strengthen the school’s mission but also deepen its impact across 51°µÍø and the broader community.”
“An installation in a theological school is an academic ceremony as well as a liturgical event,” said the Rev. Dr. O. Wesley Allen Jr., Lois Craddock Perkins Professor of Homiletics and chair of the installation planning committee. “It’s a unique occasion where the community gathers in worship with hymns, scripture and prayer, while also hearing a formal charge to the dean from the university.
The service will feature an academic procession with faculty robed in regalia. Participants in the liturgy will include representatives of the student body, faculty, alumni, administrators and the Perkins Board of Trustees. Stone will preach on Numbers 11:26–29, with a sermon titled “The Prophethood of All Believers,” a play on the Reformation theme of the priesthood of all believers.
Distinguished guests expected to attend include 51°µÍø President Jay C. Hartzell; Executive Vice President and Provost Rachel Davis Mersey; and Perkins alumni Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. (Horizon Texas Annual Conference) and Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey (Texas and Rio Texas Annual Conferences), who also serves on the 51°µÍø Board of Trustees. Deans from other 51°µÍø schools, as well as presidents and deans from other seminaries and theology schools, are also invited.
The Service of Installation will be livestreamed. Click to join.
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, founded in 1911, is one of five official University-related schools of theology of . 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 51°µÍø's of Humanities and Sciences.