The Rev. Dr. Alyce M. McKenzie

Denomination: United Methodist Church (UMC)
Organization: Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX

The Rev. Dr. Alyce M. McKenzie is Professor of Homiletics at Perkins School of Theology. Ordained as an elder 1981, Dr. McKenzie is a member of the North Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Dr. McKenzie received her BA in the History of Religions from Bryn Mawr College (1977), her Master of Divinity degree from the Divinity School of Duke University (1980), and her Ph.D. in Homiletics from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1994. Dr. McKenzie has served several local congregations, in both associate and solo pastoral roles, in several churches in Central and Eastern Pennsylvania. From 1994-1998 she served as Visiting Lecturer in Homiletics at Princeton Theological Seminary and as Consultant in Preaching and Worship to pastors of the Central and Eastern Conferences, UMC.

Her special interests include preaching on biblical wisdom, preaching on the sayings and parables of Jesus, preaching on public, often controversial issues, and the role of imagination in crafting sermons. Her articles have appeared in a wide spectrum of periodicals: Quarterly Review, Word and Witness, Leaven, Interpretation, Journal for Preachers, Insights, The Living Pulpit, Circuit Rider, Proverbium, and Theology Today. Her sermons have appeared in a number of anthologies. Her article "Different Strokes for Different Folks: America's Quintessential Proverb," originally published in Theology Today in 1996, was chosen for inclusion in Cognition, Comprehension, and Communication: A Decade of North American Proverb Studies (1990-2000), Phraseologie und Paromiologie, the European Society of Phraseology, edited by Wolfgang Eismann and Peter Grzybek.

Dr. McKenzie enjoys writing books about preaching for pastors. She is the author of Preaching Proverbs: Wisdom for the Pulpit (1996), Preaching Biblical Wisdom in a Self- Help Society (2002) and Hear and Be Wise: Becoming a Teacher and Preacher of Wisdom (2004). Her book, Novel Preaching: Fiction Writing Strategies for Sermons, was published by Westminster John Knox in 2010. Her new book, co-authored with colleague Dr. John Holbert, is entitled What Not to Say: Practical Advice for

Provocative Preaching and will be published in the spring of 2011.

Dr. McKenzie also enjoys writing small group Bible studies for youth and adults. Her Matthew volume of the Interpretation Commentary Study Series was published by Westminster John Knox Press in 1998 and is now in its fourth printing. Her most recent book The Parables for Today was published in 2007 by Westminster John Knox and is not in its 3rd printing. She is currently working on a study of the Bible's wisdom entitled Save Your Receipt: Exchanging Fear for Faith.

Dr. McKenzie is a frequently featured preacher, Bible study leader and teacher at workshops, conferences, and worship services both in Texas and throughout the country. She and her husband Murry have three grown children, Melissa, Rebecca and Matt. They live in Allen, Texas where they are active in the life of First United Methodist Church of Allen. She sings in the chancel choir and, with her husband Murry, leads the JourneySunday School class. The McKenzies enjoy traveling, music, and spending time with friends and family. She is an avid fan of mystery novels and a student of yoga.

To read her blog at Patheos.com, click here.