Sherman Announced As Senior Fellow At Baylor ISR

Dr. Amy L. Sherman, one of the country's leading scholars on the role of faith-based organizations in society, has agreed to be a Senior Fellow at Baylor University's Institute for Studies of Religion. Sherman is currently the Director of the Center on Faith in Communities at the Sagamore Institute. She previously held a similar post at the Hudson Institute, a public policy think tank, and has been a fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Sherman plays key leadership roles in the national Faith and Service Technical Education Network (FASTEN), where she seeks to uncover what's working for faith-based groups at the grassroots level and communicates lessons learned to policymakers and practitioners.

Among the 13 books she has authored are The Relentless Pursuit: Stories of God's Love, Hope, and Grace in the Neighborhood (2007); Reinvigorating Faith in Communities (2002); The ABCs of Community Ministry (2002); Empowering Compassion: The Strategic Role of Intermediary Organizations in Building Capacity Among and Enhancing the Impact of Community Transformers (2002); Restorers of Hope: Reaching the Poor in Your Community with Church-based Ministries That Work (1997); and The Soul of Development: Biblical Christianity and Economic Transformation in Guatemala (1997).

Sherman received her B.A. from Messiah College and her Ph.D. in Foreign Affairs and Economic Development from the University of Virginia.

According to ISR Distinguished Senior Fellow Jay Hein, "the addition of Amy Sherman is an important one because of her long track record of conducting research on faith communities and the critical role they play in advancing a more civil society." I have admired and appreciated her scholarship for many years," stated John Perkins, founder of the Christian Community Development Association based in Chicago.

Sherman will be collaborating with Hein and Baylor scholars on a number of different research initiatives within ISR's program on faith and service. These include research on congregational vitality, the efficacy of community ministries, and faith-based approaches to community revitalization.

A frequent speaker at public-policy conferences on welfare reform and faith-based issues, Dr. Sherman has assisted congregations attempting to launch or enhance various community ministries. "Amy Sherman does superb work on the ways faith-motivated individuals, groups, and organizations confront many major social problems. My congratulations to Baylor on adding an important mind and voice to its growing network of scholars," remarked Marvin Olasky, provost of The King's College, New York City, and editor-in-chief of World Magazine.