William L. Self Preaching Lectures
February 10-11, 2025
This year we are delighted to welcome Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Hinson Hasty, Professor of Theology and Ethics at Union Presbyterian Seminary, to deliver the William L. Self Preaching Lectures at Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology.
The event is free to local seminary students, but registration is required.
Schedule of Events
Monday, February 10, 2025
4:30pm Lecture 1: The Sacredness of Chaos
The Sacredness of Chaos – This lecture draws upon Dr. Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty’s research related to individuals and families affected by serious mental illness and explores ways congregations nurture communities of belonging by creating space for neurodiversity. In this lecture, Dr. Hinson-Hasty will invite participants to challenge the idea that doing things decently and in order is the only way to create an atmosphere of sacredness.
7:00pm Lecture 2: Claiming Your Story in the Pulpit
This lecture will explore the interpretation of scripture and preaching in light of our society’s process of disablement. It will cover themes related to dominant notions of the “good” family, healing, and the God who creates out of chaos.
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
11:00am Lecture: The Ethics of Preaching in an Era of Political Polarization
This lecture will focus on the ethics of preaching amid political polarization. A key theme will be how we think about competing views of freedom and the distinctive nature of Christian freedom for the sake of others.
Rev. Elizabeth Hinson Hasty, PhD
Professor of Theology and Ethics
The Rev. Dr. Elizabeth L. Hinson-Hasty is Professor of Theology and Ethics. She frequently preaches and speaks on matters of faith and public life to congregations, non-profits, colleges, universities and seminaries. She serves the church through her preaching, teaching, and advocacy work; she remains committed to ecumenical and interfaith dialogue. She is currently a member at large of the PC(USA) Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment. Other contributions to the connectional church include serving on the Advocacy for Women’s Concerns, chairing the Design Team for the Churchwide Study of the Status of Women, and as a research consultant for the World Council of Churches’ North American Regional Forum and Hearings on Poverty, Wealth, and Ecology (2010-2014). A prolific author, she often writes about affluence, social justice, ethics, and mental illness. Her scholarship and teaching has received several awards and honors, including a Catholic Press Association 2018 first place award for a book related to Catholic Social Teaching, an Award of Excellence for a Bible Resource from the Associated Church Press for Reconciling Paul the 2014-2015 Horizons Bible Study (2015), serving as a Fulbright Scholar (Hungary 2010), the Wilson Wyatt Faculty Fellowship for excellence in teaching and scholarship (2010), and a Kentuckiana Metroversity Award for Instructional Development for her course on Theology from the Margins (2008).
She is married to the Rev. Dr. G. Lee Hinson-Hasty, Senior Director of Theological Education Funds Development for the Presbyterian Foundation. They are proud parents of two children, Garrison Douglass Hinson-Hasty, a graduate of Case Western Reserve University, and Emmeline Dunbar Hinson-Hasty, a senior at DuPont Manual High School.
The William L. Self Lectureship at Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology was established in order to promote the practice of faithful and effective preaching of the gospel.
The lecture series is named in memory of Dr. William L. Self, Pastor Emeritus of Johns Creek Baptist Church,
Alpharetta, who was nationally recognized as a gifted preacher, pastor, author, lecturer, motivational speaker, and innovator in church growth. Dr. Self achieved considerable acclaim by leading Wieuca Road Baptist Church, Atlanta, to a place of prominence in Georgia and the nation. As pastor of Johns Creek, his leadership and influence brought the church to the vanguard of fast-growing churches.
The purpose of the lectureship is to enlighten and inspire those whose calling is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. The lectures seek to instill in students and pastors a passion for better preaching by providing worthy models and by offering seasoned instruction and encouragement. Each year the lecture series features a nationally recognized preacher.