School of Theology Celebrates End of “On a Mission” Campaign by Surpassing Goal
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Kimberly Macdonald
Marketing & Communications Manager
617-358-1858
kmacd@bu.edu
BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY CELEBRATES END OF
“ON A MISSION” CAPITAL CAMPAIGN BY SURPASSING GOAL
Boston, MA – October 7, 2019 – Boston University School of Theology (BUSTH) is pleased to announce the completion of the first-ever Boston University capital campaign. BUSTH raised $29.4 million for its own “On a Mission” campaign, after the 2010 campaign goal of $15 million was revised to $25 million in 2015, and surpassed in 2018.
On Saturday, September 21, the greater University joined together to celebrate the campaign’s end with a special event at Agganis Arena, which included all 17 schools and colleges at Boston University. BUSTH faculty members Dr. Dana Robert, Truman Collins Professor of World Christianity and History of Mission, and Dr. Walter Fluker, Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Ethical Leadership provided a historical background of the University and spoke to the crowd of more than 2,000 people about its commitment to inclusivity, respectively. Dr. Walter Fluker addressed the audience by offering sentiments from the University’s first president, William Fairfield Warren, that Warren insisted the University’s education should be open “to all comers, without respect to creed or race or sex.” That night the University announced that it set a record-breaking fundraising milestone with $1.85 billion raised during the campaign, revising its goal to $1.5 billion in 2015 after the initial goal of $1 billion was surpassed.
BUSTH raised more than $29.4 million in gifts and pledges over the course of the campaign, and was able to fund two new faculty chairs, one faculty scholar position, 19 newly endowed scholarships, six newly named scholarships, two student housing funds, LEED Gold certified renovation of the lower level into a Community Center, three centers, three programs, two communities of learning, and one newly named lectureship. Of the total, $7.4 million builds the School’s endowment.
“For STH, this campaign was always about participation, and our alumni, friends, faculty, staff, and even current students all stepped up,” said Raymond Joyce, BUSTH Assistant Dean of Development and Alumni Relations. “Donations of every size – including pledges through 2023 and bequest intentions – made this milestone possible. While continued support of the STH Annual Fund will always be important, this is a time of thanksgiving for the many sacrificial gifts received and committed. Thank you to our donors for all that you do for the STH community.”
Rev. Dr. Mary Elizabeth Moore, Dean of the Boston University School of Theology, is abundantly grateful for generous donors and the lasting mark they have made on the School. “They support students and faculty in vital teaching and learning, and they generate significant research and rich contributions to faith communities and the larger society. Thank you for helping make our mission – to pursue knowledge of God, to cultivate leaders for communities of faith, to enrich the academy, and to seek peace with justice in a diverse and interconnected world – possible for our students who are committed to changing the world.”
###
Since 1839, Boston University School of Theology has been preparing leaders to do good.
A seminary of the United Methodist Church, Boston University School of Theology is a robustly ecumenical institution that welcomes students from diverse faith traditions who are pursuing a wide range of vocations – parish ministry, conflict transformation, chaplaincy, campus ministry, administration, non-profit management, social work, teaching, justice advocacy, peacemaking, interfaith dialogue, and more. Our world-renowned faculty and strong heritage help students nurture their academic goals and realize any ministry imaginable. For more information, please visit www.bu.edu/sth.