Methodist Theological School in Ohio

06/24/2026

Thank you to everyone who has already invested in MTSO's mission over the past year. Our recent graduates are the latest example of the important work you help make happen. If you haven't had a chance to give over the past 12 months, we invite you to do so before the end of our fiscal year June 30, ensuring that you'll be included in our 2025-26 Donor Honor Roll published in The Story Magazine and Annual Report. Give a recurring or one-time gift here: https://www.mtso.edu/alumni-friends/giving-to-mtso/

06/22/2026

Reserve your place now at Sunset on the Farm, an evening gathering on our 10-acre regenerative farm that includes hors d'oeuvres and live music. Sunset on the Farm will take place Sept. 10 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the MTSO campus. Get your ticket here: https://www.mtso.edu/theologicalcommons/sunset-on-the-farm/

06/19/2026

We've been happy to host WomanPreach!, Inc. on campus this week for the Jarena Lee Preaching Academy. This intensive experience, led by WomanPreach! faculty and staff, is designed to equip, empower and nurture preachers committed to justice and prophetic proclamation.

06/18/2026

Congratulations to all the MTSO alums and students who took significant steps in their ministry this year. We've compiled a list of those ordained or commissioned within conferences of the United Methodist Church or celebrating other ministry milestones within their faith traditions. You can see the list here: https://www.mtso.edu/about-mtso/news-publications/mtso-news-archive/mtso-recognizes-students-alums-celebrating-ministry-milestones/
This photo of Angela Cox being ordained as a United Methodist Elder is courtesy of the West Ohio Conference.

06/12/2026

When MTSO student Rosemary Maina (left) described a type of corn she ate with her family in Kenya, Farm Steward Laura Ann Bergman suggested they plant some at Seminary Hill Farm. Here's Rosemary and recent MTSO grad Angelique Nyampundu, originally from Rwanda, in the field planting a few varieties of corn native to African countries.

06/10/2026

Thanks to everyone who came out for our gathering at the Indiana Annual Conference last week. Here's where else we'll be this month:
• West Virginia Annual Conference: June 10.
• East Ohio Annual Conference: June 11.
• Desert Southwest Annual Conference: June 17-18.
Get all the details on how to meet up with us here: https://www.mtso.edu/alumni-friends/annual-conference-gatherings/

06/09/2026

MTSO has received a $400,000 grant through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to revert an engineered campus pond back to natural wetlands. The goal of the project is to reduce water pollution in Ohio and beyond - all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Read more about it here: https://www.mtso.edu/about-mtso/news-publications/mtso-news-archive/mtso-awarded-major-grant-for-wetland-restoration/

06/05/2026

Assistant Professor of Public and Practical Theology Kate Common was recently interviewed for The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast about evidence showing the origin of the Hebrew community was actually peaceful. That's at the heart of Common's recent book, "Undoing Conquest: Ancient Israel, the Bible, and the Future of Christianity". Use the link below to listen to the episode.

On today’s new episode of “The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast,” I speak with Kate Common on the nonviolent origins of the Hebrew community as she describes in her new book, Undoing Conquest: Ancient Israel, the Bible, and the Future of Christianity (Orbis).Dr. Kate Common is the Assistant Professor ...

06/03/2026

Congratulations to Gwyneth Hagerty, an AmeriCorps member serving as Seminary Hill Farm's agroecology practitioner and educator, who was recently awarded a grant from The FruitGuys to install a small "food forest" on campus. It's a method of intercropping edible plants with native perennials, which helps conserve soil, filter water, and grow food. She's planting raspberries, elderberries, persimmons, chokecherries, mushrooms and more.

06/02/2026

MTSO alum Caleb Pitkin, a pastor at First United Methodist Church in Knoxville, TN, is featured in this article for the humorous messages he posts on the church's sign each week. “There are a lot of serious things that are going on and if there is something that makes you smile and laugh or feel good about yourself, that has power," he said.

This story originally appeared in Shopper News on May 7, 2026. Reprinted with permission. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Rev. Caleb Pitkin spends his Sunday...