Trevecca Nazarene University will launch the J.V. Morsch Center for Social Justice March 23, with classes beginning fall 2009.

The J. V. Morsch Center for Social Justice is named in honor of the Rev. James V. Morsch, a former pastor of First Church of the Nazarene in Nashville, a lifelong church leader, and the founder and national volunteer liaison coordinator for Nazarene Disaster Response.

With the formation of the Center, Trevecca is also fulfilling the dream of its founder, J. O. McClurkan. More than one hundred years ago, McClurkan established a college to prepare graduates to serve a needy world. The Morsch Center for Social Justice will equip the next generation of servant-leaders to work in the places of human need—from urban communities to global catastrophes. Through this Center, Trevecca will offer the world highly skilled, biblically rooted, compassionate servant-leaders who will change the world in positive ways.

Today, McClurkan’s dream lives on through the leadership of Jamie Casler, director, and Amy Sherman, senior founding consultant. Casler will serve as an assistant professor in the program as well as director. He is a graduate of Eastern Nazarene College, Nazarene Theological Seminary, and the University of Kansas, where he earned a master’s degree in social welfare. Sherman is a graduate of Messiah College and the University of Virginia. She is the author of five books and more than 70 published articles. She is the editorial director for FASTEN, a capacity building project for faith-based organizations and is a frequent speaker at church conferences, training events on community ministry, and Christian colleges. Additionally, she provides consulting services to congregations and para-church ministries to strengthen their community influence; is the founder/former executive director of Charlottesville (Virginia) Abundant Life Ministries, an evangelical nonprofit assisting low-income, inner-city families; serves as a senior fellow for the International Justice Mission, a Christian human rights agency; and is a member of the Christian Community Development Association Advisory Board.

A series of events is planned for the launch of the J. V. Morsch Center for Social Justice March 23-25. Nashville area community and church leaders have been invited to attend specific events during the launch.

For a schedule of events, visit www.trevecca.edu/info/events?id=3573.

For more information, contact the Center's director Jamie Casler at jcasler@trevecca.edu.