Speaker to discuss role of black churches in social change

The Rev. Dr. Sheila Elliott, pastor of Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church in Lake City, South Carolina, will discuss the role of the black church in social change as part of Spartanburg Methodist College’s observance of Black History Month.

Elliott’s talk will take place Thursday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. in Davis Mission Chapel on the SMC campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Elliott is a 2008 graduate of Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta. She is a native of Columbia, South Carolina, and the first tenured African-American professor at Columbia College. She received an undergraduate degree in history and political science from the University of South Carolina.

As an undergraduate, Elliott’s focus was American politics and international affairs. She earned her Ph.D. degree in international relations, specializing in African studies and women in the developing world. Elliott’s other areas of research have centered on women’s studies, the African diaspora and African studies, with a concentration in Southern Africa, social justice education, leadership studies and faith and health.