About Us: Origin

The Board of Governors of Wesley Theological Seminary established the Lewis Center for Church Leadership in 2003. The Center is named for G. Douglass Lewis, who retired as President of Wesley Seminary in 2002 following twenty years of outstanding leadership. The seeds for the Center were planted over twenty years ago in Dr. Lewis's inaugural speech and nurtured in conversations between seminary and church leaders over the past two decades.

In July of 2003, Dr. Lovett H. Weems, Jr. came to Wesley as the Director of the Lewis Center. A past president of Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Missouri, Dr. Weems is a successful pastor, seminary leader, teacher, and writer. Weems has been at the forefront of making church leadership a higher priority for theological studies. His books are textbooks in many seminaries. Dr. Weems is also a member of Wesley's faculty, serving as Distinguished Professor of Church Leadership.

Many friends and graduates of Wesley helped to create the Center by contributing to a start-up fund in honor of President Lewis. The Center is a wholly owned and operated subsidiary of Wesley Theological Seminary. Support for the Center comes from gifts and grants.