Dr. Jenny Everts Powers, associate professor of religion at Hope College, is one of 11 biblical scholars selected to serve on the Board of Advisors of the newly formed Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship (TFFPS).
According to Robert Graves, president and co-founder, the officers of the foundation sought leading Pentecostal scholars in the field of biblical studies to serve as advisors. The scholars represent a number of Pentecostal denominations and come from Africa, Europe and North America.
The foundation was founded to advance biblical scholarship within the global Pentecostal family. The purpose of TFFPS is to remove financial barriers that impede Pentecostal scholarship by funding doctoral- and post-doctoral-level research projects focusing on Pentecostal theology; enabling Pentecostal scholars to participate in worthwhile conferences, symposiums and conclaves; and contributing to sabbatical funding for working scholars. It will also encourage the publishing of Pentecostal scholarship by recognizing the best works of Pentecostal biblical scholarship through annual Declaration of Excellence Awards; seeking out essays, theses, dissertations, conference papers and out-of-print works worthy of wider circulation and assisting their authors in procuring it; and subsidizing the publication, promotion or dissemination of academic works that advance the Pentecostal faith.
Powers has been a member of the Hope faculty since 1985. She is an ordained minister whose area of expertise is the New Testament.
Her publications include articles in "Christian History," "Pneuma: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies," "Dictionary of Paul and His Letters," "Anchor Bible Dictionary," "The Cresset" and "Journal of Pentecostal Theology." She contributed the chapter "'Your Daughters Shall Prophesy,' Pentecostal Hermeneutics and the Empowerment of Women" to "The Globalization of Pentecostalism: A Religion Made to Travel." She received a grant from the Lilly Foundation to help her expand the chapter's thesis to a book-length work, conducting research for the project with Hope senior Rachel Schutte Baird of Holland.
Powers is a member of the Chicago Society of Biblical Research and the Society for Pentecostal Studies, where she served as chair of the Diversity Group.
She graduated from Wellesley College with a B.A. in 1972. She completed an M.A. at Claremont Graduate School in 1973, an M.Div. at Fuller Theological Seminary in 1977 and a Ph.D. at Duke University in 1985.