This has been a tough year for Episcopal seminaries. The dean of GTS issued a letter addressing the financial state of the Episcopal Church’s oldest seminary. Seabury ceased the M.div. program. Bexley Hall and EDS sold off property in an effort to sure them up financially.
The latest edition of Episcopal Life has further information from GTS. In the article, an exploration of non-traditional programs is cited as a possibility for generating income. This strikes me as a sensible approach. It could be very useful in training individuals for work in and around the Church. An educated and theologically grounded staff, beyond clergy, is critical to the health of the Church. Too often, those with a real desire for active ministries, both professional and volunteer, are ill equipped. I would welcome seminary-based programs for those looking to enhance faith and education.
Some programs already exist like EFM through Sewanee. Virginia offers a program in Christian Education and Youth ministry. More opportunities would be useful, and if they benefit the seminaries, so much the better.
Thinking about preparing individuals for ordained ministry, I wonder how many persons are training for Priesthood at non-Episcopal seminaries? I know many go to seminaries and divinity schools close to where they live. This certainly can reduce the cost of educating future ordained leaders for the Church. I know, for many, it is a very practical approach. Some argue, rightly, that an ecumenical training ground is a plus. However, I have reservations about ordination track students not attending an Episcopal seminary.
Seminary is a relatively short course of study. There is barely enough time to cover the core areas. I am not sure that an ordination track student in a non-Episcopal seminary gets what he or she needs in that context. We should not forget that formation is more that course work. Something significant happens in living in community with persons sharing a common life and vision for the future. So much formation occurs through the context. I am not sure a class in Anglicanism meets the need.
The financial state of Episcopal seminaries might improve if all students preparing for ordination attended the Church’s seminaries. It would mean some creative restructuring, but If more funds were available to the seminaries, there could be more available for scholarships. As a Church, we must seek to stabilize the financial state of our seminaries that they are able to educate leaders for the future. This should be a front burner issue for us. I wish parishes, dioceses and our national structure would look to our common life, connected to the seminaries. Otherwise, we will be watching seminaries disappear, and the Episcopal Church lose some of its marvelous breadth.
The latest edition of Episcopal Life has further information from GTS. In the article, an exploration of non-traditional programs is cited as a possibility for generating income. This strikes me as a sensible approach. It could be very useful in training individuals for work in and around the Church. An educated and theologically grounded staff, beyond clergy, is critical to the health of the Church. Too often, those with a real desire for active ministries, both professional and volunteer, are ill equipped. I would welcome seminary-based programs for those looking to enhance faith and education.
Some programs already exist like EFM through Sewanee. Virginia offers a program in Christian Education and Youth ministry. More opportunities would be useful, and if they benefit the seminaries, so much the better.
Thinking about preparing individuals for ordained ministry, I wonder how many persons are training for Priesthood at non-Episcopal seminaries? I know many go to seminaries and divinity schools close to where they live. This certainly can reduce the cost of educating future ordained leaders for the Church. I know, for many, it is a very practical approach. Some argue, rightly, that an ecumenical training ground is a plus. However, I have reservations about ordination track students not attending an Episcopal seminary.
Seminary is a relatively short course of study. There is barely enough time to cover the core areas. I am not sure that an ordination track student in a non-Episcopal seminary gets what he or she needs in that context. We should not forget that formation is more that course work. Something significant happens in living in community with persons sharing a common life and vision for the future. So much formation occurs through the context. I am not sure a class in Anglicanism meets the need.
The financial state of Episcopal seminaries might improve if all students preparing for ordination attended the Church’s seminaries. It would mean some creative restructuring, but If more funds were available to the seminaries, there could be more available for scholarships. As a Church, we must seek to stabilize the financial state of our seminaries that they are able to educate leaders for the future. This should be a front burner issue for us. I wish parishes, dioceses and our national structure would look to our common life, connected to the seminaries. Otherwise, we will be watching seminaries disappear, and the Episcopal Church lose some of its marvelous breadth.
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