Perkins at º£½ÇÖ±²¥ appoints Farris Blount, III, as assistant professor of practical theology
DALLAS (º£½ÇÖ±²¥) – Perkins School of Theology at º£½ÇÖ±²¥ has appointed Farris Blount, III, Ph.D., as Assistant Professor of Practical Theology, Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program and Director of the Perkins Black/Africana Church Studies Program, effective June 1.
Blount joins Perkins at an opportune time, able to support the Memphis Theological Seminary teach-out arrangement and will play a key role in supporting students as they transition to Perkins. Currently serving as the Tyrone Adam Burroughs Assistant Professor of Theology at Memphis Theological Seminary, Blount is widely known among Memphis students for his teaching, mentorship and pastoral leadership.
“Dr. Blount brings tremendous gifts to Perkins as we work to provide a teach-out to students of Memphis Theological Seminary,” said Bryan P. Stone, Leighton K. Farrell Endowed Dean of Perkins School of Theology. “He knows the Memphis students well and they love him. Dr. Blount will also bring strength to our Black Church studies that can build on the foundation laid by his predecessors in directing this program. Farris brings to Perkins a passion for the church, for forming leaders and for doing so in the struggle for justice and human flourishing.”
In addition to his faculty appointment, Blount will assume leadership of the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) Program and the Perkins Black/Africana Church Studies Program. His appointment comes at a time of transition for both programs and signals Perkins’ continued commitment to innovative theological education, pastoral formation and scholarship rooted in the lived experience of the Black Church.
Blount earned his Ph.D. in Practical Theology from Boston University School of Theology, where his research focused on Black Church ecclesiology and the spiritual lives of Black millennials. He holds a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with a minor in African & African American Studies from Stanford University.
His areas of expertise include Black Church Studies, practical theology, the life and teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr., ecclesiology, and theologies of race, gender and justice. His research explores the intersection of Church and society, with particular attention to cultivating communities of care, concern and human flourishing.
Beyond the academy, Blount brings extensive ministry experience. He served as Executive Pastor at Western Avenue Baptist Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and currently serves as Executive Pastor of Ministries at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee.
Blount expressed enthusiasm about joining Perkins during this important season of transition and growth.
“I am extremely excited to be joining the Perkins community to work with what I understand is a tremendous group of faculty members, staff and administrators. While it is most certainly bittersweet that my time at MTS is coming to an end, I am grateful for all my Memphis family who have been instrumental in helping me grow as a professor, researcher and leader. I also want to thank Dean Stone for his leadership and Dr. Gingles and Dr. Greene for all the work they’ve done as I step into these new roles,” Blount said.
Perkins School of Theology at º£½ÇÖ±²¥ remains committed to providing continuity and excellence for Memphis Theological Seminary students while equipping persons for faithful leadership and Christian ministry in a changing church and society.
Perkins School of Theology, 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 º£½ÇÖ±²¥'s Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.