Rev. Dr. Andrew Wymer to Join the Faculty as Assistant Professor of Liturgical Studies
April 13, 2020
Beginning July 1, 2020, Rev. Dr. Andrew Wymer will join the faculty of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary as assistant professor of liturgical studies. A doctor of philosophy graduate of Garrett-Evangelical, the seminary community is delighted to welcome Wymer back to campus. His research engages liturgical and homiletical theory and practice with attention to race, social justice, and ecology.
Wymer returns to Garrett-Evangelical from New Brunswick Theological Seminary in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where he served as the assistant professor of preaching and worship, director of the chapel, and assistant dean of doctoral studies.
“Garrett is an institution that has profoundly shaped my scholarship and teaching,” said Wymer. “I am deeply appreciative of Garrett’s progressive commitments to public theology and to equipping leaders to share the transforming love of Jesus Christ. It is a delight and honor to be invited to join this special community of learning in this role.”
Rev. Dr. Gennifer Brooks, the Ernest and Bernice Styberg Professor of Preaching at Garrett-Evangelical, served as the search committee’s chairperson. When asked about Wymer she said: “Dr. Andrew Wymer is one of a limited number of liturgical scholars who stand solidly in the fields of both worship and preaching within the area of liturgical studies. His scholarship, with its focus on social justice as intrinsic to ecclesiology and specifically his intentional calling out of whiteness and white supremacy as contrary to Christian principles, sits solidly within the ethos of Garrett and aligns with the trajectory the seminary has identified in its mission. His experience in teaching in multicultural settings fits the Garrett community that was part of his own formation and from which he ventured forth to pursue his teaching career. We are blessed to have Andrew as a full member of the Garrett faculty.”
Wymer holds ordination in the Rochester Genesee Region of the American Baptist Churches USA. Previously, Wymer served as the Styberg Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow in homiletics at Garrett-Evangelical. He also regularly teaches for the Association of Chicago Theological Schools (ACTS) Doctor of Ministry in Preaching Program.
Wymer holds a master of arts in worship studies from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and he studied liturgy and homiletics at Drew University Theological School. He earned a doctor of philosophy in liturgy and homiletics from Garrett-Evangelical in 2016.
He is the author of articles in Worship, Practical Matters, and the International Journal of Homiletics. Recently he guest-edited an issue of Liturgy on liturgy as protest and resistance. His first book, Revolutionary Preaching: A Homiletical Ethic for the Twenty-First Century, is under contract.
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, a graduate school of theology related to The United Methodist Church, was founded in 1853. Located on the campus of Northwestern University, the seminary serves more than 450 students from various denominations and cultural backgrounds, fostering an atmosphere of ecumenical interaction. Garrett-Evangelical creates bold leaders through master of divinity, master of arts, master of theological studies, doctor of philosophy, and doctor of ministry degrees. Its 4,500 living alumni serve church and society around the world.