MSH Academics
MSH offers graduate-level seminary courses at an affordable cost taught predominately by Black field specialists with terminal degrees and ministerial experience. MSH provides synchronous distance education. Tamaharis (students) can attend all classes via live streaming and obtain their sahafi (degree) fully online. Programs offered are the Tamahare Dersat (TD) and Sahafe Haymanot (SH). If taken full-time the TD can be completed in as little as 6 months and the SH in 3 years. MSH partners with NAIITS: An Indigenous Community to offer the Sahafe Haymanot (MDiv) degree program in which tamaharis will receive an accredited MDiv degree. Please contact admin@meachum.org for more information about the MDiv program and how to apply.
Cost
$135/credit hour (for certificate)
$50/credit hour (for audit)
MDiv with Meachum @ NAIITS - $1,000 per class
Mamhers (Faculty)
Mamher Vincent Bacote (Haymanot)
Mamher Lori Banfield (Ujamaa, Black Church Worship)
Mamher Lori Banfield (Ujamaa, Black Church Worship)
Vincent Bacote (Ph.D., Drew University) is Professor of Theology and the Director of the Center for Applied Christian Ethics at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL. Publications include the books Reckoning with Race and Performing the Good News: In Search of a Better of a Evangelical Theology (2020) and The Political Disciple: A Theology of Public Life and he has contributed to books including Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues (2019), The Church’s Social Responsibility (2015), and Black Scholars in White Space (2015). He has been an assistant theology editor for Christianity Today and has been a columnist for Comment (wrf.ca/comment) and has also had articles appear in magazines such as The Banner, Books and Culture, Christianity Today, Think Christian and re:generation quarterly and journals such as The Journal of Markets and Morality, Christian Scholars Review, Urban Mission and the Journal for Christian Theological Research. An avid tennis player, occasional bass guitarist and incessantly curious person, he lives in Glen Ellyn, IL with his family.
Mamher Lori Banfield (Ujamaa, Black Church Worship)
Mamher Lori Banfield (Ujamaa, Black Church Worship)
Mamher Lori Banfield (Ujamaa, Black Church Worship)
Rev. Dr. Lori (Lo) Banfield is a native and resident of Philadelphia, PA, with interdisciplinary expertise in psychology and practical theology. She is a graduate of Saint Joseph’s University (B.S., Psychology), Palmer Theological Seminary (Master of Theological Studies), and Eastern University with a Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy. Lori grew up surrounded by a host of gifted, community-focused, faith-driven relatives. Her lineage is steeped with trailblazing atmosphere changers, spiritual and physical chain breakers, and truth tellers like her great-grandmother, Bishop Lena Thomas. With a love for studying and enhancing the sacred human experience, Dr. Banfield has dedicated her life, research, and service to fostering spiritual resilience and liberation paths in marginalized communities, especially those returning home from incarceration. Over the years, she has honed her skills as an instructional designer, curriculum, and program developer consistently lauded for her transformative classroom practices and a pedagogy rooted in capacity scaffolding and sacred space setting. Dr. Lo has a blossoming career in higher education as a Lecturer of Psychology at Eastern University, Assistant Director of Instructional Design for Palmer Theological Seminary and College, and Mamher of Practical Theology at Meachum School of Haymanot. An attachment-narrative clinician and clergyperson, she remains dedicated to local service as an Associate Elder at Word Formed Church in Drexel Hill, PA. As a scholar she has authored the spiritual formation book "Walking Worthy of My Calling: Journey Back to the Likeness of God," many academic journal articles, and a contributing author of multiple books, blogs, and magazines across the disciplines of psychology, theology, and social justice. She currently serves on the Editorial Review Board of Urban Ministries, Inc (UMI), a Locked In Solidarity member of Christian Community Development Association (CCDA), and is the executive director at Redemption Housing - Reentry Services (501c3). A wife and mother of two children, Dr. Lo endeavors to build atmosphere changers and restore sacred space within and beyond church, school, and prison walls. She reminds us, "Though we are prone to wander, we have been called to walk; keep walking in peace and resurrection power.”
Mamher Luke Bobo (Old Testament, Ujamaa)
Mamher Lori Banfield (Ujamaa, Black Church Worship)
Mamher Luke Bobo (Old Testament, Ujamaa)
Dr. Luke Bobo serves as Director of Bioethics/Assistant Professor at Kansas City University (Kansas City, MO). Dr. Bobo worked for 15 years in the marketplace as an engineer before pursuing an M.Div. and Ph.D., and eventually serving as the executive director of the Francis Schaeffer Institute at Covenant Seminary. He also enjoyed a seven year stint at Lindenwood University (St. Charles, MO), where he was the Department Chair and Associate Professor for the Christian Ministry Studies program. After re-locating to Kansas City, MO, he landed a Director of Curriculum and Resources position with Made to Flourish (Overland Park, KS). Eventually, Luke was promoted to Vice President of Networks at Made to Flourish. Luke is a visiting instructor of contemporary culture at Covenant Seminary. He co-edited Stories, Statistics, Solutions: Toward Understanding and Including People With Disabilities in Faith Communities (2023). He is the author of Living Salty and Light Filled Lives in the Workplace, A Layperson’s Guide to Biblical Interpretation: A Means to Know the Personal God, and Race, Economics, and Apologetics. He also co-authored, Discipleship With Monday in Mind and Worked Up: Navigating Calling After College. In addition to a M.Div. and Ph.D., Dr. Bobo has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering. He enjoys teaching, mentoring, writing, speaking, traveling, coffee, and practical theology.
Mamher Erika Brown (Hebrew)
Mamher Erika Brown (Hebrew)
Mamher Luke Bobo (Old Testament, Ujamaa)
Erika Brown is a multi-talented individual with a passion for archaeology and a commitment to sharing her knowledge with the world. Currently pursuing her Ph.D. in archaeology at Lipscomb University's Lanier Center for Archaeology, Erika specializes in the intriguing area of ancient Israelite sexual practices. Her work delves into a lesser-explored facet of the past, offering fresh perspectives on the lives of those who lived long ago.
Beyond the classroom, Erika has gained practical experience through participation in archaeological excavations at Tel Gezer and Tel Burna and the Karnak Epigraphic project. Her fieldwork has allowed her to unearth history and contribute valuable insights to her field.
Erika's dedication to archaeology doesn't stop at research. As an active member in her community, she's been an advocate for biblical archaeology, introducing the subject to those around her and fostering a deeper understanding of our shared history. As the creator and host of "Just So You Know," a thriving social media project, Erika has a significant impact on presenting biblical archaeology to a wide audience. With thousands of followers and viewers, she's making history accessible and engaging to any and everyone.
Erika's journey is as diverse as it is impressive. She's not only a dedicated scholar but also an Army veteran, demonstrating her resilience and discipline. In her personal life, she's celebrated 20 years of marriage to Lonnie Brown and is a loving mother to their two sons.
Erika Brown's life is a testament to her commitment to education, her pioneering research, and her desire to bridge the gap between social media and academia. She continues to make history relevant and exciting for all who have the privilege of learning from her.
Mamher Dennis Edwards (New Testament)
Mamher Erika Brown (Hebrew)
Mamher Dennis Edwards (New Testament)
Rev. Dr. Dennis R. Edwards is Associate Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary (Lisle, IL) and the author of 1 Peter in the Story of God Bible Commentary series. Dennis has served as a pastor in Minneapolis, MN, Washington, DC, and Brooklyn, NY. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering (Cornell University) and has been a high school science and math teacher. He also earned a Master of Divinity degree in Urban Ministry (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) as well as Master of Arts and PhD degrees in Biblical Studies (Catholic University of America). Dennis is married to Susan Steele Edwards and they are the parents of four children. Dennis enjoys playing his flute and saxophone, as well as weightlifting, cycling, and playing racquetball and as much as possible.
Mamher Ernest Gray (Dersat)
Mamher Erika Brown (Hebrew)
Mamher Dennis Edwards (New Testament)
Ernest Gray Jr. is an Assistant Professor of Bible at the Moody Bible institute. He is a graduate of the Institute with a degree in Pastoral Ministries, and a graduate of Wheaton College with a Master’s Degree in Biblical Exegesis. He completed his PhD coursework at McMaster Divinity College and is currently completing his thesis within the corpus of 1 Peter. Mr. Gray teaches undergraduate students in the areas of Hermeneutics, first year Greek Grammar, General Epistles, the Gospel of John and Senior Seminar. It is Mr. Gray’s hope to impact the African American through scholarship. Teaching has been one way that God has blessed him to live this out.
Mamher Rechab Gray (Greek)
Mamher Tyran Laws (Interim Ohene (President), Dersat)
Mamher Rechab Gray (Greek)
Rechab Gray is the pastor of preaching and spiritual formation at New Creation Fellowship in Orlando, a brand new church plant in the downtown area. He has been preaching the Gospel since 2012. Rechab has a Bachelor’s of Engineering from Temple University and a Masters of Theological Studies from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; he is currently pursuing a Ph. D in Biblical studies through Meachum School of Hayamount. He has been married to Brittany since 2009, and they have four children —Aaron, Zipporah, Jonathan, and Hadassah.
Mamher Jessica Janvier (Ubuntu)
Mamher Tyran Laws (Interim Ohene (President), Dersat)
Mamher Rechab Gray (Greek)
Jessica Janvier is a writer and academic whose focus crosses the intersections of African American religious history, church history, and theology. She obtained her Ph.D. from Columbia International University, holds a Master of Divinity from Nyack College’s Alliance Theological Seminary, and a Master of Theology in Church History from Princeton Theological Seminary.
Her publications include “Santeria as Resistance” in Majority World Theologies: Theologizing from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Ends of the Earth (2018); “The Black Church & the Missionary Dei: Christianizing Christians” in Journal of the Evangelical Missiological Society (2022); “African American Missiological Use of Hebrews: From the Antebellum Period to the Twentieth Century” in Reading Hebrews Missiologically; “Rahab in the Epistle of James: A Paradigm for a Missiological Corrective” in Reading James Missiologically (2024). She is coeditor of the upcoming multi-volume work for William Carey Publishing, Black Missionary Legends: 1700s to Present. She has had the pleasure of working in the Department of Intercultural Studies at Columbia International University and the Department of Bible and Theology at Nyack College.
Jessica has served as an associate pastor within the United Methodist Church since 2019 and pastored at Butler Memorial United Methodist Church in the Bronx, NY since 2020. In addition, she now works with the Global Methodist Church and has served on their transitionary leadership council for the northeast division of the United States.
Born in Columbia, SC, she now resides in Harlem, NY with her loving husband, Marck.
Mamher Tyran Laws (Interim Ohene (President), Dersat)
Mamher Tyran Laws (Interim Ohene (President), Dersat)
Mamher Tyran Laws (Interim Ohene (President), Dersat)
Tyran T. Laws (Ph.D.) is a Professor of New Testament at Prairie College. He has been teaching in higher education intermittently since 2012. HE currently serves as the Interim Ohene (President) of Meachum School of Haymanot. Additionally, he has over 22 years of pastoral ministry experience. He holds a B.A. in Religious Studies from Samford University, a M.A. in Biblical Exegesis (Greek and Hebrew) from Wheaton College, in a Ph.D. from Wheaton College in New Testament Biblical Studies.
Dr. Laws is an editor of a multi-contributor project recently submitted to Wipf and Stock, entitled, Whom the Son Sets Free: Liberating Perspectives in the Evangelical Church (forth coming).The project is an interdenominational work from Evangelical scholars who are seeking to mediate liberating socio-theological conversation between Evangelicals and critical scholarship in the area of Biblical and Theological studies. He has also served as an editor for the book Black Church Empowered: Examining Our History, Securing Our Longevity, by Isaiah Robertson (2020). He has been blessed to co-author a book The Round Table: A Christian’s Conversation with Marginal Beliefs, Affecting the Black Church Experience(2016), a book written to millennials as an apologetic to some of the questions that Black millennials are asking in regards to the Christian faith and its intersection with racism.
Mamher Cleotha Robertson (Old Testament)
Mamher Jaclyn Williams (Preaching)
Mamher Tyran Laws (Interim Ohene (President), Dersat)
Rev. Cleotha Robertson is a native New Yorker, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He received his early Christian nurture at Cornerstone Baptist Church. He was licensed and ordained to Christian ministry under Dr. Harry Wright. Rev. Robertson has earned a Bachelor of Arts (Dartmouth College), Master of Divinity (Gordon- Conwell Theological Seminary), Master of Science (Brooklyn College), Doctor of Philosophy (New York University), and Doctor of Ministry (Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia). Rev. Robertson previously worked as Minister of Youth and Christian Education at Cornerstone Baptist Church. Rev. Robertson also served as the Director of Urban Ministry Programs at the New York City Mission Society, one of New York’s oldest private social service agencies. Rev. Robertson is also an Adjunct professor for New York Theological Seminary, Hartford Theological Seminary and Eastern Baptist Seminary. Since August 2004, he is the Assistant Professor of Old Testament at Alliance Theological Seminary in New York City. Since 1994, Rev. Robertson has served as Senior Pastor of Sound View Presbyterian, one of the larger and most active Presbyterian churches in the Presbytery of New York City. During his tenure as Pastor at Sound View, the Church as grown both spiritually and numerically. Rev. Robertson sees his role as Pastor of Sound View Church to continue to preach the Good News of Christ Jesus and to continue to facilitate the role that Sound View Church has played in the Bronx since 1924. This role is to provide for the spiritual, physical and emotional welfare of those in need. Dr. Laws is an editor of a multi-contributor project recently submitted to Wipf and Stock, entitled, Whom the Son Sets Free: Liberating Perspectives in the Evangelical Church (forth coming).The project is an interdenominational work from Evangelical scholars who are seeking to mediate liberating socio-theological conversation between Evangelicals and critical scholarship in the area of Biblical and Theological studies. He has also served as an editor for the book Black Church Empowered: Examining Our History, Securing Our Longevity, by Isaiah Robertson (2020). He has been blessed to co-author a book The Round Table: A Christian’s Conversation with Marginal Beliefs, Affecting the Black Church Experience(2016), a book written to millennials as an apologetic to some of the questions that Black millennials are asking in regards to the Christian faith and its intersection with racism.
Mamher Leopoldo Sanchez (Haymanot)
Mamher Jaclyn Williams (Preaching)
Mamher Jaclyn Williams (Preaching)
Dr. Leopoldo A. Sánchez M. is the Werner R.H. Krause and Elizabeth Ringger Krause Professor of Hispanic Ministries and professor of Systematic Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He served as director of the Center for Hispanic Studies (2006-24) and has been a faculty member since 2004.
He received his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from Concordia Seminary (2003) and his Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind. (1999). He holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in theology from Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon (1995).
Sánchez’s published work includes “T&T Clark Introduction to Spirit Christology” (T&T Clark, 2021); “Sculptor Spirit: Models of Sanctification from Spirit Christology” (IVP Academic, 2019); “Receiver, Bearer, and Giver of God’s Spirit: Jesus’ Life in the Spirit as a Lens for Theology and Life” (Pickwick Publications, 2015); “Immigrant Neighbors among Us: Immigration across Theological Traditions” (Pickwick Publications, 2015), which he co-edited with M. Daniel Carroll R.; “Escatología: La esperanza Cristiana” (Concordia Publishing House, 2020); “Teología de la santificación: La espiritualidad del cristiano” (Concordia Publishing House, 2013); and “Pneumatología: El espíritu santo y la espiritualidad de la iglesia” (Concordia Publishing House, 2005)
Sánchez teaches regularly in the United States and abroad. He has delivered courses, workshops, and lectures in New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Uganda, Ethiopia, Brazil, Cuba, India, Ghana, Chile, Panama, Argentina and Venezuela. He has served as a guest lecturer for the Mekane Yesus Seminary and the Meachum School of Haymanot.
In the community, Sánchez is principal double bass player with the St. Louis Civic Orchestra and an ensemble player with Di Kamer Kapelye. He also enjoys swimming and international cooking. Sánchez and his wife Tracy have two children, Lucas and Ana.
Mamher Jaclyn Williams (Preaching)
Mamher Jaclyn Williams (Preaching)
Mamher Jaclyn Williams (Preaching)
Jaclyn is a preacher, teacher, chaplain, and actor. The connecting point in all of these endeavors is the living and sharing of the story of God, creation and humanity. Jaclyn graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity, and is currently pursuing her PhD in Theology and Religion from the University of Birmingham (UK). Her dissertation research focus is embodied preaching methodology. She is an ordained American Baptist minister and a Board-Certified Chaplain. Jaclyn also performs as an actor, director, and playwright, having completed a BA in Theatre from the University of Houston, as well as an MFA in Acting from the Professional Actor Training Program at the University of Washington. In addition, she serves as an Adjunct Instructor in Preaching for Fuller Theological Seminary.