Which Global Methodist Seminary Would I Recommend?

October 29, 2026

AI Disclosure: This article was written by David Donnan with the assistance of artificial intelligence for grammar, spelling, and formatting. The opinions, experiences, and recommendations are my own.

I’ve recently had the privilege of talking to two different men considering seminary. I wanted to share some information about the Global Methodist Church’s approved seminaries and offer my recommendations.

A Few Disclaimers

First, here is a disclaimer from me. I am totally biased by my experience. What might work for one person might be totally different for another individual.

My background is that I completed one year of seminary at Gordon-Conwell, taking distance learning classes, classes in Jacksonville, and classes in Charlotte. I graduated from Asbury’s now-closed Florida Dunnam campus while also taking classes in Wilmore, KY, and online. I earned my doctorate from Asbury Theological Seminary.

Second, if you are planning to be ordained in the Global Methodist Church, you must take the required courses from an approved Global Methodist school. There will be some who can finish at a school no longer approved, but for those starting in 2027, you have to attend one of these schools:

Global Methodist Church Approved Schools

For the latest list, visit the Global Methodist Church’s Approved Educational Institutions page.

My Recommendations for Someone from South Georgia

If someone were to ask me, “David, I am from South Georgia and considering getting a master’s degree. What are your recommendations?”

Here are the ones I would consider for someone from South Georgia.

Beeson Divinity School at Samford University

Beeson Divinity School is located close to South Georgia.

While at Gordon-Conwell, I took a distance learning class that used Dr. Timothy Tennent’s lectures for World Missions. He is now at Beeson. I think it would be great to take classes with him.

Wesley Biblical Seminary

Wesley Biblical Seminary is an outstanding seminary.

President Andy Miller III and Dr. Matt O’Reilly are some of the top thought leaders in Methodism. South Georgia pastor Don Adams has also taught some at Wesley Biblical.

We have had several students from South Georgia take distance learning classes there.

Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University

Who doesn’t want to go to a seminary with a big-time football team?

The real draw would be to study with Dr. Jason Vickers. I had Dr. Vickers as a lecturer in my doctoral work at Asbury. I have also been a longtime admirer of his writing. He may be the leading academic in Wesleyan theology.

While at Asbury’s Florida Dunnam campus, I had a couple of classes with now-Truett professor Dr. Ángel Santiago-Vendrell. He serves at Truett as the Professor of World Christianity and Witness. He was great/

Then there is the greatest single repository of practice, history, and church knowledge in Methodism, Bishop Scott Jones, who will be teaching at Truett in his very active retirement.

Asbury Theological Seminary

All roads lead to Wilmore!

Asbury is my number one choice for its outstanding leaders, such as Dr. David Watson, Dr. Jessica LaGrone, Dr. Brian Russell, Dr. Thomas Tumblin, Dr. Tesia Mallory, and South Georgia’s own Dr. Ken Meyers. These are just some of the great people.

Wilmore is a special place to work, live, and study. While I was only there for intensives, I am jealous of those who get to spend their full time there.

If you want to meet leaders across Methodism and the Wesleyan world while getting an outstanding education, then you should take a trip to this holy place.

Your List?

Who would be on your list?

Help me out with these other schools. What knowledge do you have of them?

Posted by David

Filed in Uncategorized ·Tags: Bible, Christianity, Faith, Jesus, theology

Three Insights from Luke Timothy Johnson’s The Mind in Another Place

October 28, 2026

AI Disclosure: This post was written by myself with AI assistance for grammar, formatting, and clarity. The ideas, reflections, and opinions are my own.

I recently read Luke Timothy Johnson’s The Mind in Another Place: My Life as a Scholar. Last year, I read Thomas Oden’s A Change of Heart: A Personal and Theological Memoir. Oden’s book gave me an appreciation for how little I know about the people whose commentaries and books I read.

Recently, I also discovered Brad East through his writing about the life of a scholar on his blog. This has only deepened my appreciation for and intrigue with scholars.

Here are three insights from The Mind in Another Place: My Life as a Scholar.

1. Luke Timothy Johnson (LTJ) Is a Lay Catholic Scholar

I had heard of LTJ as a famous scholar from several of my colleagues who attended Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Surprise! Not only was he not Methodist, but he also spent years living as a monk before going to Yale for studies and work.

Johnson has a winding and unusual journey which was enlightening and engaging to read about.

2. Jobs of Work and Works of Love

LTJ was a voracious reader and writer. He contributed a large number of articles and books across theology and biblical studies. He also differentiated between jobs of work and works of love.

I thought this was a helpful distinction for any job. There are aspects of any job that might simply be responsibilities we have to fulfill, while other aspects are things we pursue because of our love for the work itself.

3. The Pressure on Scholars

The final takeaway is that scholars seem to feel immense pressure to come up with something new. Part of completing a PhD is contributing to the field of study. LTJ makes it clear: If you want to become a scholar for study alone, that is not enough. He wants scholars to be bold, creative, and think outside the box.

There is a need for this. However, one could see how this could also be less helpful. This is in contrast to Oden, who wanted to contribute nothing new but instead to recapture Classic Christianity.

Should You Read It?

If you are curious about the life of a scholar, I would start with Oden. However, if you want to learn about another important scholar from the past 30 years, you would probably enjoy it. Or, if you want to hear how someone tries to faithfully balance work and care for family, you will gain some insight.

Posted by David

Filed in Uncategorized ·Tags: Bible, books, Christianity, Church, David, david donnan, Donnan, Faith, Global Methodist Church, god, Leadership, Methodist

General Conference 2026 Archive

October 27, 2026

I was blessed to serve as an alternate delegate to the 2026 General Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. Part of my experience was creating content for the South Georgia Conference.

This page serves as a repository for all those resources.