Dr. Hilary Dow Ward is an Episcopalian and has worked in an Episcopal Church or School in some capacity for over 20 years. After graduating from MTS in 2011, she earned two more graduate degrees: another masters degree in education followed by a doctorate degree in education administration, leadership, and policy.
Most recently, Dr. Dow Ward has served university communities in several capacities, as the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at the University of the South, Sewanee, where she still works as a visiting assistant professor in the School of Theology. Today, Dr. Dow Ward is the Director of Development and Alumni Relations for Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education and Human and Organizational Development. Dr. Dow Ward is also a trained teaching artist, having studied at Lincoln Center Education at The Juilliard School in New York City.
+ Tell us a little about your relationship with MTS.
I entered as a student at MTS in the fall of 2009. I worked toward my MAR degree while serving as a school chaplain as well as the director of family and youth ministry at a church in midtown. I enjoyed having the opportunity to serve both the church house and school house in this position.
My MTS degree has paved the way for not only a successful career, but for opportunities that I would not otherwise have imagined. My MTS degree has been with me as a New York City school house educator. It’s been with me as a leader in a large arts nonprofit in Philadelphia. And it’s with me when I teach in the seminary at the University of the South or in my daily conversations at work as the Director of Development and Alumni Relations at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College. There are so many touchpoints this education provides to help navigate working with other people. Every day I do my work remembering things I learned on the second floor of Cumberland Hall at the corner of Union Avenue and East Parkway.
+ What’s something you learned at MTS that you carry with you today?
I’m a big advocate for a seminary education. I use my degree daily and not just while preaching or teaching but with every bit of conversation, through empathy and compassion I learned from my classmates and from lectures and panels by our faculty. MTS professors weren’t just teaching us the Gospels or the history of our faith, they were helping us learn how to build and be part of a community of people that regardless of personal preferences for formation or worship style were able to dwell together in unity (Psalm 133).
I think about that often. We had hard conversations. I didn’t always agree with my classmates, but I appreciated their ability to hold passion and conviction for their faith and bring it to the table for us all to learn from and grow in faith together. This is an important disposition that I think of and use daily with the interactions I have personally and professionally with others.
+ Why was it important to you to serve on the Board of MTS?
I think service and giving back in general is important in a healthy society today. We can become so siloed in our work, have tunnel vision towards one population of people, and I think it’s important to remember to look around, and help others. I’ve been given a tremendous gift through my education at Memphis Theological Seminary, and I hope to help others have a positive experience that will similarly help them have career opportunities and opportunities to be in service to others.
+ Why would you encourage other alumni and community members who are considering supporting MTS?
Luke 12:48 says , “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked”. Having the opportunity to earn a college degree is a privilege, earning a graduate and or professional degree goes beyond that. Earning an advanced degree is a lot of work, yes, but at MTS, we are also given great support and encouragement in a way that sometimes happens in a faith community.
Harkening back to Luke 12:48, this verse conveys the idea that if someone has been given significant resources, talents, or opportunities, there is a greater expectation for them to use those gifts responsibly and to benefit others. Some graduates are able to give back with time and talents, but we also need to be giving of our financial resources, regardless of amount, whenever possible to ensure the seminary continues to serve generations of students to come. If we want to continue to have strong faith communities through our churches, we must also have a strong faith community through our seminaries, it’s the place our clergy and lay leaders go to learn after all.
After I left MTS, I earned two more academic degrees, but MTS will remain a funding priority as a donor. I will continue to give to MTS through a monthly annual fund gift in thanks for all it has given me. I hope others will be inspired to do the same. It feels good, and while it seems small in the scheme of things, I know every gift helps make something better for the MTS community.
Thank you, Hilary! For more about Dr. Dow Ward, check out our previous alumni spotlight at this link.