Divinity school developing urban ministry program
By Jennifer Long
Contributing Reporter

The Rev. Douglass Bailey, ’60, will join the Divinity School’s faculty next month bringing with him an urban ministries program that he started during his 23 years as Reverend of Calvary Episcopal Church in Memphis, Tenn. His program will become the Center of Urban Ministries at the Divinity School.

Bailey will come to the university to teach and develop urban ministries with students and churches throughout the United States.

In May 2002, the Divinity School will sponsor the Conference on Urban Ministry College of Preachers in Washington, D.C. The conference will bring together scholars and people who work in urban ministries across America and will involve a wide variety of multiracial and multiethnic leaders.

Bailey will be an assistant professor of Urban Ministry at the Divinity School. He will teach a 1-credit course this Spring called Jesus and Justice, which will examine church and community ministry in an urban setting with a focus on Jesus’ ministry to the poor.
During Bailey’s 23 years in Memphis, his Episcopal Church organized 10 non-profit urban ministries programs. Such programs include a prison ministry and an AIDS burial program providing funding for funerals and burials for families whose loved ones have died of AIDS and cannot afford to pay for funeral services.

Bailey also started a program in Memphis for homeless people who were mentally ill and substance abusers. This program is unusual in the fact that it was a ministry to both the mentally ill and substance abusers. Typically, urban ministries programs help one group but not both combined.

Additionally, Bailey founded a kindergarten through sixth grade charter school in Memphis in an urban housing project. He also began the only urban ministries childcare center in Memphis.

Bill Leonard, the dean of the Divinity School, said he is excited about Bailey joining the faulty.

“I preached during Lent last year at Bailey’ church and was amazed by what the Episcopal Church does,” Leonard said. “It is one of the most impressive programs I’ve seen.”

Bailey graduated from the university in 1960, and recently received the university’s 2001 Distinguished Alumni Award in recognition of his lifetime of public service. He earned his master of divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1964. Bailey will come to the university after having served since 1978 as rector at Calvary Episcopal Church in Memphis.