The Black Catholic Theological Symposium was initiated in 1978 by Rev. Thaddeus Posey, O.F.M. and sponsored by the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus as an occasional conference. The proceedings of the first conference were published as Theology a Portrait in Black.
A second meeting occurred in 1979 around the theme of the Nguba Saba...but those papers were never published and the symposium did not meet again until it was re-convened in 1991 by Dr. Jamie T. Phelps, O.P. The participants of this meeting agreed that the Symposium should become a national Roman Catholic interdisciplinary theological society which meets annually. The Symposium, with one exception, has met annually since 1991.
In 1992 Dr. Phelps, who is an Associate Professor of Theology at Loyola University of Chicago and the former Associate Director for the Degree Program at the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University in New Orleans (1994-2000), was elected Convenor of the BCTS and served in that capacity until 2001. Dr. Phelps currently serves as Past Convenor.
Currently, the BCTS Executive Committee is comprised of:
Convenor:
Reverend Dr. Bryan Massingale
Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
E-Mail: bryan.massingale@marquette.eduAssociate Convenor:
Dr. Vanessa White
Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, Illinois
E-Mail: tolton@ctu.eduPast Convenor:
Dr. Kimberly Flint-Hamilton
Stetson University, DeLand, Florida
E-Mail: kflintha@stetson.eduTreasurer:
Dr. Robert Bartlett
Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA
E-Mail: Robert.Bartlett@mail.ewu.eduSecretary:
Dr. Shawnee Daniels-Sykes, SSND
E-Mail: smsykes@juno.comEditor and Archivist:
Dom. Cyprian Davis, OSB
St. Meinrad Archabbey
E-Mail: cdavis@saintmeinrad.edu
Timeline:
1978 - First Meeting of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium
1979 - Second Meeting of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium
1991 - The Atlanta University Complex, Atlanta Georgia
1992 - Duquesne University, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
1993 - The Mexican American Cultural Center, San Antonio Texas
1994 - Mt. Vernon, Hotel, Baltimore Maryland
1995 - St. John University, New York City. Met in conjunction with ACHTUS
(Academy of Hispanic Theologians in the United States)
1996 - The University of San Diego, San Diego, California
1997 - No meeting
1998 - Marquette University, Milwaukee Wisconsin
1999 - University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana
2000 - Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
2001 - University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio
2002 - Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington
2003 - Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia
