ATLANTA—Dr. Walter Brueggemann, professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, will present the 2003 William L. Self Preaching Lectures, Feb. 17-19, at the Mercer University McAfee School of Theology.

The lectures will be held in Cecil B. Day Hall on Mercer's Cecil B. Day Campus, 3001 Mercer University Drive, Atlanta. Conference registration is $55.

In addition to four lectures from Brueggemann, the conference includes workshops by faculty members Dr. Peter Jones, Dock Hollingsworth and Rachel Shapard. Brueggemann will also join Dr. Ron Grizzle, Dr. Gary Parker, Dr. William Self and Rev. Carolyn Hale in a panel discussion titled "Challenges of a Local Church."

The conference schedule is as follows:

• Monday, Feb. 17, 6:30 p.m., reception; 7:30 p.m., lecture.
• Tuesday, Feb. 18, 9:30 a.m., workshop; 11 a.m., lecture; 12:15 forum; and 7:30 p.m., lecture.
• Wednesday, Feb. 19, 9:30 a.m., workshop; 11 a.m., lecture.

Lunch will be provided at the Tuesday forum for an additional cost of $12. To register, call the McAfee School of Theology by Feb. 12 at (678) 547-6470 or (888) 471-9922.

A seminary professor for more than 40 years, Brueggemann is an acclaimed Old Testament scholar, author, lecturer and preacher. In addition to serving as a professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, Brueggemann was a faculty member of Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, Mo. He has also served as a visiting lecturer and theology faculty member at Cambridge University.

Brueggemann has authored nearly 80 books including the titles Reverberations of Faith, Spirituality of the Pslams and Ichabod Toward Home: The Journey of God's Glory. He is also a contributing editor for Christian Century, Sojourners, Theology Today and associate editor of the Journal for Preachers.

Brueggemann earned his A.B. degree in sociology from Elmhurst College, his B.D. degree in Old Testament from Eden Theological Seminary, his Th.D. in Old Testament from Union Theological Seminary and his Ph.D. in education from St. Louis University.

The William L. Self Lectureship at Mercer University's McAfee School of Theology was established to promote the practice of faithful and effective preaching of the gospel. The series is named in honor of William L. Self, who has a national reputation as a gifted preacher, pastor, author, lecturer, motivational speaker and innovator in church growth.

Self achieved considerable acclaim by leading Atlanta's Wieuca Road Baptist Church to a place of prominence in Georgia and the nation. As pastor of Johns Creek Baptist Church in Alpharetta, his leadership and substantial influence have brought this church to the vanguard of fast-growing churches.

The McAfee School of Theology was founded at Mercer in 1996. Mercer University is one of the largest Baptist-affiliated institutions in the world and is the only university of its size in the nation to offer programs in liberal arts, business, education, engineering, medicine, pharmacy, nursing, theology and law.

Led by President R. Kirby Godsey, Mercer University has been ranked among the leading regional universities in the South for 13 consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1833, Mercer enrolls more than 7,300 students in its ten schools and colleges on campuses in Macon and Atlanta, and at four off-campus centers in Douglas County, Covington, Griffin and Eastman.