Carl Dudley, Hartford Institute colleague, passed away Wednesday April 22, 2009.

Professor of Church and Community

M.Div. (Union Theological Seminary); D Min (McCormick Theological Seminary)
Specialization:
Faith-Based Social Ministries, Social Action, Small Churches, Churches in Changing Communities

An Essay How to Fight Back 1-7-08

Bio. and interests
Curriculum Vitae
Online Writings
Courses Taught

"As congregations increasingly are faced with the need to adapt in a wide variety of changing neighborhoods, Nancy Ammerman and I developed an array of practical exercises and refection procedures, published as Congregations in Transition: A Guide for Analyzing, Assessing, and Adapting in Changing Communities. I also have tried to help congregations update social programs to reflect political, social and economic shifts throughout the country, in Community Ministries: Proven Steps and New Challenges to Faith-Based Initiatives. And at this late time in my career I have returned to an early love with a new look at Effective Small Churches In The 21st Century: Carrying Faith Into The Future."

Biographical Sketch and Interests
Carl S. Dudley joined the faculty of Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1993 as Professor of Church and Community and from 1993 until 1999 was Co-director of the Seminary's Hartford Institute for Religion Research.

Before joining Hartford Seminary, Dudley served on the faculty of McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, where he also directed the Center for Church and Community Ministries.

Dudley's professional and personal interests focus on the application of the sociology of religion to the everyday needs of communities. His expertise in congregational studies, ministries of social justice, leadership development and the mission areas of evangelism, stewardship, social action and world mission, for example, inform his work with local churches and small congregations. Dudley was nationally known for his work in mobilizing local churches for community ministries, and is recognized for his long history of working for such causes as the peace movement, civil rights for the incarcerated and housing reform. In addition, he actively supported legislation on such issues as employment, food stamps, welfare, abortion and the rights of homosexuals.

Dudley was born in Baltimore in 1932 and graduated from Cornell University in 1954 with a bachelor of arts in psychology and sociology. In 1959 he earned the master of divinity at Union Theological Seminary, New York, and in June of 1974 received the doctor of ministry degree from McCormick. He did graduate study at the New York School of Social Work, Harvard-MIT Urban Institute, Saul Alinsky's Industrial Areas Foundation and Washington University in St. Louis.

Following his ordination, Dudley served as assistant pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Buffalo and as pastor of Berea Presbyterian Church in St. Louis. Prior to entering seminary, Dudley was a group social worker and youth employment specialist at the Manhattanville Community Center in New York City.

He was a past president of the Religious Research Association, a fellow of the Case Study Institute, and a member of the Association for the Sociology of Religion, and the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion.

Dudley is the author of several books, including: Basic Steps Toward Community Ministry (Alban Institute, 1991); Affectional and Directional Orientations to Faith (Alban Institute, 1982); Where Have All Your People Gone? (Pilgrim Press, 1979) and Making the Small Church Effective (Abingdon Press, 1978).

Books Dudley co-authored and/or edited include: With Sally A. Johnson, Energizing the Congregation: Images that Shape Your Church's Ministry (Westminster/John Knox, 1993); with Jackson W. Carroll and James P. Wind, Carriers of Faith: Lessons from Congregational Studies (Westminster/John Knox, 1991); with Douglas Alan Walrath, Developing Your Small Church's Potential (Judson Press, 1988); with Earle Hilgert, New Testament Tensions in Contemporary Churches (Fortress Press, 1987). Dudley also co-authored and edited Building Effective Ministry: Theory and Practice in the Local Church (Harper & Row, 1983) and the Handbook for Congregational Studies (Abingdon Press, 1986).

His column on "Field Notes" appeared regularly in Christian Ministry, and his articles and reviews have appeared in such publications as: Christian Century, Theology Today, A.D., Presbyterian Outlook, New Conversations, JED Shared Approaches, Covenant Quarterly, Seminary Quarterly, Review of Religious Research and the Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences.

He was an associate editor of the Review of Religious Research.

Courses Taught:

Effective Small Churches in the 21st Century view the Fall 2003 syllabus
D.Min. Colleague Seminar II
New Testament Tensions and Contemporary Ministry
Congregational Studies Reading Seminar Series
Churches as Communities in Communities
Stories and Their Power for Religious Renewal
Developing Community Ministry
Mobilizing Congregational Culture