The 2025 Fleer Lecture at Central Methodist University will take place on Wednesday, March 26, as Rev. Dr. Rubén Rosarío Rodríguez is set to speak on “Spiritual Formation in a Secular World: Challenges and Opportunities.” The lecture will take place at 7 p.m. in the Inman Lecture Hall (Stedman 200).

Dr. Rosarío is a graduate of Union Theological Seminary and Princeton Theological Seminary and holds the Clarence Louis and Helen Steber Professorship in Theological Studies at Saint Louis University. He engages issues of global migration and social justice as director of the Mev Puleo Program in Latin American Politics, Theology, and Culture at Saint Louis University.

His latest monographs include Theological Fragments: What We Can and Cannot Know about an Infinite God (Westminster John Knox Press, 2023) and Calvin for the World: The Enduring Relevance of His Political, Social, and Economic Theology (Baker Academic, 2024).

The lecture series is the idea of former faculty member and sponsor of Alpha Phi Gamma (MOKERS), Dr. Gilbert “Gil” Fleer ’55 and his wife, Ruth Hombs Fleer ’58, who had a vision to enhance the spirit of excellence at CMU. Their passion for their alma mater and the love of their son, Jeffrey, led them to make gifts to the University in hopes of enriching the Central experience for students for generations to come.

Gil Fleer was an assistant professor of religion at Central from 1959-65. Before his passing, Dr. Fleer was a social science professor at Western Texas College and a United Methodist counselor. He spent many years counseling young adults in unconventional settings.

The couple’s strong support of leadership training led them to fund the Gil and Ruth Fleer Fund for Excellence in Values-Based Education at CMU. The lecture is funded by the generosity of Gil and Ruth Fleer.