Hood Theological Seminary is celebrating the Holy Season of Advent on Friday, Dec. 4 through the observance of the Service of Lessons and Carols.

This moving service originated at King’s College in Cambridge, England in the early part of the 20th century and is observed widely today. The service is open to the public and will begin at 6 p.m. in the Aymer Center on the campus at 1810 Lutheran Synod Drive in Salisbury.

Dr. Mary Love, adjunct professor of Christian Education, will deliver the homily at the service. She holds an M.R.E. from Wesley Theological Seminary, a B.S. from Mississippi State University and a D.H.L. from Livingstone College/Hood Theological Seminary.

Love enjoys exploring subjects creatively with a focus on enabling learning to occur and be used in ministry settings. Hood Seminary honored her as one of two recipients of the first Teaching Excellence and Service Award in 2015. She was selected as one of the Christian Educators included in the “Christian Educators of the 20th Century” project hosted by Talbot School of Theology and funded by the Lilly Foundation.

As a member of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Love also develops Sunday School curriculum for all ages. The world of ecumenism is familiar to Love as she currently serves as administrative secretary for the Pan-Methodist Commission which coordinates the Consultation of Methodist Bishops. Within the National Council of Churches, she serves as co-convener of the Christian Education, Educational Faith Formation and Leadership Development Convening Table and a member of the Committee on the Uniform Series.

Her publications include Learning Through Symbolism and Celebration, An Annotated Bibliography of Afrocentric Resources; FLEX: Focus on Learning for Effective Educational Ministry for Christ; and Stones of Promise: Celebrating the African American Family (Leader’s Guide).

Hood Theological Seminary, sponsored by the A.M.E. Zion Church, is a graduate and professional school where intellectual discourse and ministerial preparation occur in tandem within the framework of a community of faith. Its student body currently comprises persons from many different denominations. Hood’s purpose is to educate and prepare its students for leadership in various ministries and vocations to which they feel called of God. As a theological seminary, it provides for the church an educational community in which Christian maturity and ministerial preparation take place together.