Through classes and public events, the BU School of Theology highlights the significance of poverty to Christian witness. As reported by Dr. Pamela Lightsey, the School’s liaison to the Campaign, the following examples indicate how the School aligns with the Campaign.

Course: "Urban Ministry Models for the 21st Century: Creative Ministry in Context" — A significant part of this course was spent in site visits to urban congregations in New England who were engaged in one or more of the following: ministry with those in recovery from addictions, the poor, and a variety of immigrant populations. A number of the course readings focused on the impact of globalization and immigration on urban ministry in the United States.

Class session of "Practicing Faith” course - a pastor from Texas visited to share the work he and his congregation are doing with the public schools and children’s sports teams in Houston, seeking to improve the human quality of these critical child-serving institutions.

Course: "Rural Maine Travel Seminar" — This travel seminar will take students to sites in central and northern Maine who are addressing not only spiritual needs, but issues of access to adequate housing, health care, and other issues of concern for the poor in rural contexts. We will also be exploring the impact of displacement of native peoples in their contemporary contexts.

“Justice for the Poor” – Panel and Discussion with Dr. Keith Magee (visiting scholar), Dr. Chris Evans (Professor of History of Christianity and Methodist Studies), and Dr. Diana Swancutt (visiting Associate Professor of New Testament)to investigate the potential in our theological, ecclesial, and biblical traditions to eradicate poverty. Dr. Swancutt has formed the Boston Poverty Consortium. [April 2014]