Ormond Center
As a program of the Duke University Divinity School, the J.M. Ormond Center for Research, Planning and Development provides research and consultative services for churches and church leaders of the United Methodist Church and other denominations. The Center has a special concern to assist rural churches in their ministry and mission. It also provides opportunities for students, church leaders, and scholars for study and reflection on church life and dynamics.
Established in 1970 in memory of Dr. J.M. Ormond, Professor of Practical Theology at Duke Divinity School and Director of the Rural Church Program of the Duke Endowment, 1923-1948, the Center offers basic and applied research and consultation on the ministry and mission of the Church in society. Dr. Robert L. Wilson served from 1971 to 1992 as the first director of the Ormond Center, making significant contributions to the Church through his research, publications, and teaching. Dr. Jackson W. Carroll served as the Center's director from 1993 until his retirement in 2001.
The Center's work is partially funded through the J.M. Ormond Fund, established in 1951 by North Carolina Methodists to honor Dr. Ormond's commitment to rural church life. The Center also receives financial support through various foundation grants, such as the Rural Church Division of The Duke Endowment. Certain services offered by the Center involve modest fees.