9:00 am
Bible Hour
Dr. Andrew Walton
Andrew is originally from Emmaus, PA, but has also lived in Massachusetts and now in New York. He grew up in a Christian household where the foundations of faith were laid early, but it was during his time at Houghton College that he first sensed a distinct calling to a life of teaching the Bible. There, he not only fell in love with Scripture, but also discovered a deep enduring desire to help others see the grand story of the Bible and to recognize that they are called to be a part of it. That calling was further affirmed and refined during his theological training at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he earned his master’s degree and at Harvard University, where he completed a PhD in Hebrew Bible. While pursuing his doctoral studies, Andrew served as a youth leader for twelve years and as an interim pastor for one year. He is now an ordained minister in the Wesleyan church. Andrew now serves as a Professor of Bible at Houghton University where he lives with his wife and four kids.
10:45 am
Discipleship Hour
Shirley Mullen
Shirley Mullen served 15 years as President of Houghton College, Houghton, N.Y., retiring in May 2021. She has spent four decades in the work of faith based liberal arts education. Prior to becoming Houghton’s president, she served at various times as a classroom professor, chief academic officer and residence life director. She is an avid life-long learner with earned doctorates in both history and philosophy, focusing in her studies on the Enlightenment period and its complex impact on the Modern World, on liberal learning, and on our understanding of the human condition. As President Emerita, she continues to speak, write, and consult, as well as to encourage and develop the next generation of leaders through mentoring, board service, and project work with the Lilly Network of Church-Related Colleges and Universities. Over the years she has served as the board chair of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities, Jericho Road Community Health Center, and Fuller Seminary. She continues to serve on the board of the National Association of Evangelicals and the First Amendment Partnership. Her latest book, Tried and True: The Countercultural Virtues of Christian Leadership, co-authored with Margaret Diddams, is forthcoming in August 2026 from IVP Academic. This new book reflects her continued engagement in the work of the “Courageous Middle” described in her 2024 book, Claiming the Courageous Middle: Daring to Live and Work Together for a More Hopeful Future [Baker Academic].
7:00 pm
Service
Bishop Mike Lowry
John Michael (“Mike”) Mike Lowry was raised in a nominally Methodist home in Northern Illinois. At the beginning of his senior year in High School, the family moved to Taipei, Taiwan where Mike graduated from Taipei American School in 1968. Returning to the United States, he enrolled at Earlham College (a Quaker related school) in Richmond, Indiana. His sojourn with a vague agnosticism was ended by a road to Damascus experience while taking a required course in Christian Beliefs. Mike began his ministry with the Society of Friends (Quakers) sharing in pastoral leadership for Rich Square Friends Meeting in the Spring of 1972. He graduated from Earlham in 1972 with B. A. in Political Science and Religion. His intention to go to law school was interrupted by a reluctant enrollment in Seminary at Perkins School of Theology where in graduated with a Masters in Theology (M. Div.) in 1976. He received his Doctor of Ministry from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 1985. Shortly after graduating from Perkins, he married Jolynn Darland. They celebrated their 46th anniversary in 2022. They have a son Nathan & daughter-in-law Abigail and grandsons Simon and Adam; daughter Sarah & son-in-law Steven and grandchildren Grace and Sam. Mike was elected to the episcopacy of the United Methodist Church at the South Central Jurisdictional Conference in July, 2008. He served for 13½ years as the Resident Bishop of the Central Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. During his tenure Bishop Lowry has served the larger connection of The United Methodist Church on the Executive Committee of the Council of Bishops (2012-2016), Presiding Bishop for Path One New Church Development (Discipleship Ministries 2009-2016), and President of the South-Central Jurisdiction College of Bishops (2010-2011). He provided leadership on a variety of institutional boards including serving as a member of the United Theological Seminary Board of Trustees, the Texas Methodist Foundation Board, the Texas Wesleyan University Board of Trustees and the Texas Health Resources Board of Directors. Past service includes the United Methodist Publishing House Board of Directors, the Perkins School of Theology, S. M. U. Executive Board, the Board of Trustees for Southwestern University, and the Methodist Children’s Home Board of Trustees among others. At the time of his election and consecration as bishop in July 2008, he was serving as executive director of New Church Development and Transformation in the Southwest Texas Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Prior to that, he was senior pastor at University United Methodist Church in San Antonio which grew from 4,800 to 5,700 members during his tenure. His previous appointments include United Methodist Churches in Austin, Corpus Christi, Harlingen and Kerrville and, while a student, serving Plymouth Park in Irving, Texas. Prior to his election, Mike Lowry has held numerous offices including Chair of the Board of Ordained Ministry, Chair of the Board of Global Ministries’ Committee on Church Extension, and Chair of the Council on Church Revitalization and Church Extension. While serving at the Executive Director for New Church Development and Transformation in the Southwest Texas Conference, he led a successful conference capital campaign to fund new church starts. Bishop Lowry was awarded the B’nai B’rith Award in Social Ethics by Perkins School of Theology (1976) and the Harry Denman Evangelism Award from the Central Texas Conference- Foundation for Evangelism (2015). Churches under his leadership have received numerous awards and recognitions including the Habitat for Humanity Award (2004), the President’s Award from Huston-Tillotson University (2004), the Churchmanship Award from the San Antonio Community of Churches (2003) and the Moore Award Evangelism Award three times. He was a delegate to the General Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1996, 2004, and 2008, as well as a delegate to the South-Central Jurisdictional Conference of United Methodist Church in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008. Upon retirement January 1, 2022, Bishop Lowry became the Bishop in Residence at United Theological Seminary where he currently serves. He and his wife Jolynn moved to the Eastern panhandle of West Virginia to be near family. Mike Lowry joined the Global Methodist Church at its inception as Bishop Emeritus. He now serves on the Transitional Leadership Council of the Global Methodist Church. He has a passion for Christ and for the transformation of the church as mission post of the advancing Kingdom of God. He often encourages people to greater faithfulness to Jesus Christ by reminding them (and himself) in the midst of trials to “breathe deep, Jesus is still Lord!” And that is a very good thing!!