Safiyah Fosua

Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation
Safiyah.Fosua@indwes.edu

Professor Safiyah Fosua is the Assistant Professor of Christian Worship and Christian Ministry. Among her teaching responsibilities are the worship portions of the M.Div. core praxis courses. Her research interests include contextual liturgy, the Psalms, and the uses of poetry and spoken word in worship.

Ministerial and Professional Background

Prior to coming to Wesley Seminary at IWU, Safiyah Fosua served for ten years as the Director of Transformational Preaching Ministries of the General Board of Discipleship for the United Methodist Church. She and her husband, the Rev. Dr. Kwasi Kena, also served as missionaries to Ghana, West Africa, assisting the Methodist Church of Ghana in curriculum writing, leader development and local pastors’ education. Fosua has served as an adjunct professor at several colleges and universities prior to coming to IWU. She has served churches in Iowa, and New Jersey. Safiyah has been in frequent demand as a preacher, speaker, Bible study leader and worship designer for national events.

Personal Information

Safiyah Fosua is married to Kwasi Kena, who also serves as an Associate Professor of Christian Ministry at Wesley Seminary at IWU. They have two adult children and are the proud grandparents of two grandchildren. In spare moments, Safiyah writes prayers and Christian poetry. Safiyah’s hobbies include needlecrafts, quilting and batik.

Ordination

United Methodist Church

Education

B.A., English Literature, Northwestern University
M.Div., Oral Roberts University Seminary with an emphasis in biblical literature.
D.Min., Afrocentric Pastoring and Preaching, United Theological Seminary. “African American Women’s Spirituality and Community.”

Publications

Fosua, A. S. (1996). Mother wit: 365 meditations for African-American women. Nashville: Abingdon Press.
Davis, V. B., & Fosua, A. S. (2007). Companion to the Africana worship book. Nashville, TN: Discipleship Resources.
Davis, V. B., & Fosua, A. S. (2007). The Africana worship book, Year B. Nashville, Tenn: Discipleship Resources.
Davis, V. B., & Fosua, S. (2006). The Africana worship book, year A. Nashville, TN: Discipleship Resources.
Davis, V. B., & Fosua, A. S. (2006). The Africana worship book. Nashville, TN: Discipleship Resources.
Davis, V. B., & Fosua, S. (2006). The Africana worship book: Year A. Nashville, TN: Discipleship Resources.
Taylor, B. B., Wallis, J., McKenzie, V. M., Craddock, F. B., Willimon, W. H., Florence, A. C., Flunder, Y. A., ... Festival of Homiletics. (2007). Festival of homiletics 2007. Midlothian, Va.: Lectionary Homiletics.
Davis, V. B., & Fosua, A. S. (2008). The Africana worship book: Year C. Nashville, TN: Discipleship Resources.
Fosua, A. S. (2002). Jesus and prayer. Nashville, Tenn: Abingdon Press.
Davis, V. B., & Fosua, A. S. (2007). The Africana worship book. Nashville, Tenn: Discipleship Resources.
Contributions to Women of Color Study Bible(Zondervan, 2006), Preaching God’s Transforming Justice series (John Knox, 2011—13), and Black United Methodists Preach! (Abingdon, 2012).
Safiyah has other writings for Cokesbury, Urban Ministries, Upper Room Books, and Lectionary Homiletics.
She has been a writing coach and associate editor of the four-volume Africana Worship Book series (Discipleship Resources, 2006—2008).
She has convened writing groups, edited and compiled materials for Native Voices II (2016)– a worship resource for Native American Christian communities.