One of 13 seminaries of the United Methodist Church, the Candler School of Theology is one of the nine academic divisions of Emory University. Candler was formed in 1914 and is named for Warren Akin Candler, onetime President and Chancellor of Emory University. A seminary is a specialized university-like institution for the purpose of instructing students in religion, often in order to prepare them to become members of the clergy. ... The United Methodist Church is the largest Methodist, and the second-largest Protestant, denomination in the United States. ... Emory University is an undergraduate, graduate, and research institution in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Emory is one of the most prestigious large private universities in the country according to yearly rankings by US News & World Report. ...
The World Methodist Evangelism Institute is a joint project with the World Methodist Council. The World Methodist Council is a group composed of most of the worlds Wesleyan / Methodist denominations, working toward mission and unity. ...
Deans
Eight men have held the deanship at the Candler School of Theology:
Plato T. Durham (1914 - 1919); Franklin Nutting Parker (1919-1937); Henry Burton Trimble (1937 - 1953); William Ragsdale Cannon (1953 - 1968) later Bishop Cannon; James T. Laney (1969 - 1977), later President of Emory University; James Waits (1978 - 1991); R. Kevin LaGree (1991 - 1999); Russell E. Richey (2000 - );
Nestled next to the Pitts Theology Library on Emorys lush green quad, the CandlerSchool of Theology stands prominently across from Bowden Hall and the Michael C. Carlos Museum.
Hundreds of students walk past the imposing presence of the CandlerSchool of Theology daily without even contemplating life as a theologian or minister.
Theology and other ecclesiastical occupational fields are overshadowed by more status oriented professions such as business, law, and medicine.