Dr. Judith Schwanz
Director of the Wynkoop Center

In 1985, I became a student at Western Evangelical Seminary (WES) in Portland, Oregon, to earn a degree in Christian Counseling.  Several of the faculty, upon learning that I was a Nazarene, asked if I knew Mildred Wynkoop who was a graduate of WES. I did not.

My second year in seminary, I took a course entitled “Theology of Christian Holiness” and one of our texts was Theology of Love by Mildred Wynkoop.  As a poor student, I tried to borrow textbooks if possible and, in this case, I borrowed the book from Dr. Richard Taylor who at the time was a member of our congregation. It was enlightening to read the comments he had written in the margins—he didn’t always agree. At the conclusion of the course, the professor told me that I had received the highest grade in the course. He expressed amazement that women, even “counseling types,” could do theology. Of course, he already knew that because he had chosen Dr. Wynkoop’s book as the text.

I went on to teach at Western Evangelical Seminary.  Mildred Wynkoop had taught there for five years.

Mildred and Ralph Wynkoop served as a pastoral team in several churches, one of which was the Brentwood Church of the Nazarene in Portland.  Mary Brown was a young woman in that congregation.  Mary didn’t grow up in a Christian home and considered Mildred to be her spiritual mother.  From 1992 to 2000, my husband pastored another church in Portland and I was his “unofficial” co-pastor.  Mary Brown, now retired, was a faithful member of our congregation.

In 2001, we moved to Kansas City so that I might join the faculty here at Nazarene Theological Seminary (NTS).  Mildred Wynkoop once served on the faculty here.

I seem to be following about 30 years behind her.  As I have talked to people who knew Mildred and Ralph Wynkoop, I have often thought of the song that says “may all who come behind us find us faithful.” I pray that 30 years from now, I will have lived up to their examples. I am honored to have been asked to direct the Wynkoop Center for Women in Ministry.

Last spring, Nazarene Theological Seminary received a major gift from the estate of Ralph and Mildred Wynkoop. The administrative leadership at NTS chose to designate the funds to support women in ministry in some way.   Many women and men have contributed to the development of the Wynkoop Center for Women in Ministry and its programs.  Many of you here have been involved in that process.  Thank you. Yet other programs will be developed in the future. 

We are developing a website, the address for which you will find in your program.  This website is designed to provide resources for local churches about women in ministry, including Bible study and worship resources. WynkoopCenter.org is for the scholar as well, with historical and academic materials.  When you leave the chapel today, you will find Writers’ Guidelines on the table. (They are also available on the website.)   We are seeking women and men to help in developing this valuable asset.

We also want to encourage scholars in graduate level research. If you are an NTS student anticipating writing a thesis next year, or if you have another major research interest, pick up the guidelines for the Research Awards Program, also in the back of the chapel and on the website. The deadline for applications in April 9.

As you came in you may have noted several people at the door wearing name tags.  These are NTS students who are involved in our Women In Ministry committee.  They will be available after the service if you’d like to know more about what is happening at NTS for women in ministry.

Today, we honor the memory of Ralph and Mildred Wynkoop and thank God for their generosity and planning which provided for this extension of their ministry after their deaths.

We also celebrate ministry partnership today. We are called to work together for the sake of the gospel, not to compete with one another. Those leading worship this morning are partners in a mutual ministry.

The Wynkoop’s demonstrated partnership in ministry.  As I have listened to stories about them from those who loved Ralph and Mildred Wynkoop, the word “partnership” has been mentioned often. May we continue to follow their example. In the words of the hymn we just sang, “the heirs of the kingdom shall answer his call.” May we all answer God’s call regardless of gender, race or nationality, and may we do everything we can to encourage our sisters and brothers as they respond to God’s call also.