Washington Adventist University Religion Professor Olive J. Hemmings Recognized as Notable Person of Honor
Takoma Park, MD (February 19, 2016) Washington Adventist University Religion Professor Olive J. Hemmings, PhD, has been recognized by the Columbia Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church as a “Notable Person of Honor.” The award is part of the conference’s annual recognition of an individual who has advanced the mission of the church.
The recognition is largely for Hemmings’ work in the area of women in ministry. She was awarded the honor by Columbia Union Conference President Dave Weigley and Elder Rob Vandeman, who also serves as the conference’s Vice President for Administration.
Hemmings is author of the book “Sacred Texts and Social Conflict,” which was published in 2013 and addresses women’s ordination in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She is also a professor of religion at Washington Adventist University, where for the past 13 years she has taught both undergraduate and graduate programs in the areas of the Bible’s New Testament; world religions; social, biblical and theological ethics and dogmatic theology. Prior to that, she taught for 15 years at Northern Caribbean University (then known as West Indies College).
Hemmings earned her doctorate in Theology, Ethics and Culture from Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California, and her master’s degree in New Testament and Biblical Languages from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan.
In addition to her role as a professor, Hemmings currently serves as president elect of the Adventist Society of Religious Studies. The organization, established in 1979, encourages scholarly pursuits in all religious studies disciplines, particularly with reference to Seventh-day Adventist tradition.
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Washington Adventist University is Montgomery County’s only four-year private college. Part of the Seventh-day Adventist system of higher education, Washington Adventist University has been educating college students since 1904 on a 19-acre campus in suburban Takoma Park, close to the nation’s capital. Approximately 1,100 students of all faiths participate in the university’s nine graduate and 31 undergraduate programs. The 2014 edition of U.S. News & World Report ranked Washington Adventist University among the best regional colleges in the north.
Media Contacts:
Angie Crews, 301-891-4134, acrews@wau.edu
Donna Bigler, 240-286-1169, dbigler@wau.edu