In Trust Center

Send us a textHaving spent a life in religious education, Helen Blier, Ph.D., offers several key reasons why theological schools should consider lifelong learning and continuing education programs. She says those programs can serve as both an entry point into theological schools and a connection point for ministers serving in the field, helping them navigate change. This is particularly important as schools across denominations are re-evaluating continuing education and lifelong learning, particularly in Lilly Endowment Inc.'s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative. Dr. Blier is the director of continuing education at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and also serves as the president of ALLLM, the Association of Leaders in Lifelong Learning for Ministry.  

Send us a textIs there a way to help theological schools cut overhead costs and free up resources to focus on mission? That’s the goal of the CHANGE Initiative, one of the projects funded in Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative. In this episode of the podcast, Dr. David Boshart, president of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, and Dr. Jeff Williams, the project director of the CHANGE Initiative, provide an overview of how a nonprofit organization could provide business offerings to schools, increasing quality of services while allow schools the space to innovate.CHANGE stands for Configuring Higher Education Administration for Next Generation Excellence.Dr. Jeff Williams can be reached here. jwilliams@ambs.edu

Send us a textRev. Dr. Steven Moore, CEO emeritus of the M. J. Murdock Trust, says leaders in theological education should consider how they focus on stewardship. Drawing on 40 years of leadership in nonprofit groups and theological and higher education, Moore outlines what good leaders need, how boards can frame the work, and how leaders can stay fresh. Moore also reflects on his recent piece for In Trust magazine in the spring 2023 issue.

Send us a textRev. Dr. Frank Yamada, the executive director of the Association of Theological Schools, says leadership turnover at ATS-accredited schools is at an unprecedented level. The data is clear: With pressing demands in a post-pandemic world, leaders are moving on in greater numbers than ever before. In this episode of the Good Governance podcast, Yamada discusses what it means for theological education and what skills boards and leaders need to navigate these times. Listen below.  Yamada wrote a piece about the turnover in ATS-accredited schools that can be found here.   Regarding leadership transitions, the In Trust Center has focused on leadership transition. Here are a few recent examples of work that can be helpful to boards: Dr. David Gyertson discusses creating a leadership transition plan in this on-demand webinar.  Gyertson discusses four things a board should consider before planning a transition. You can find a link to a white paper on transitions here as well. 

Send us a textLilly Endowment Inc.’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative is investing millions of dollars in theological education in North America. The Association of Theological Schools (ATS) and the In Trust Center are co-coordinating the initiative, and in this episode, the In Trust Center’s Amy Kardash and the Rev. Dr. Jo Ann Deasy of ATS discuss the emerging trends, interesting projects, and how coordination works. This podcast was recorded on March 3, 2023. Listen to the episode here.You can learn more about the initiative at Lilly Endowment Inc.’s website. For projects in Phase 3, the final phase, you can find a summary of what schools are doing here. You can find an overview of the initiative by the numbers here and you can find a story about some of the big themes of the initiative here. 

Send us a textIn her doctoral work, Dr. Jodi Porter created a simple tool to help seminaries and theological schools discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion at their institutions. Those conversations can be difficult, but Porter’s tool provides a clear way to frame the issues and offers what questions to ask. In this episode, she discusses how the tool came to be and how schools can use it. The tool: You can download Dr. Porter’s two-page discussion tool here.  Webinar: Dr. Porter will present a webinar on “The Diversity Imperative” for ATS at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 16, 2023. Registration is free and can be found here.  Discussion: ATS’ Community on Race and Ethnicity (CORE) can be accessed, with login here, and has past meetings, information, and discussion.  Dissertation: Porter’s dissertation is open access and can be found here. 

Send us a textRev. Dr. Scott Sunquist, the seventh president of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, joins the podcast to talk about the school’s “pivot” – the plan to sell all or part of its scenic campus in Hamilton, Massachusetts, and move to Boston. Dr. Sunquist explains the financial realities he found after taking office in 2019, what it means to stay on mission in a global context for Gordon-Conwell, and the lessons learned so far. Notes: On the pivot: For more on the pivot, go to Gordon-Conwell’s site here. https://www.gordonconwell.edu/pivot/ Book reference: If you’re looking for the book he referenced about leadership, “How to Lead When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going: Leading in a Liminal Season” by Susan Beaumont. The soul of the institution: Dr. Sunquist mentioned tending to the soul of the institution during the podcast and sent a few links afterwards about a covenant the seminary signed to train leaders in the Black church. You can find a blog post here:https://www.gordonconwell.edu/blog/attentiveness-covenant/ and the covenant here: https://www.gordonconwell.edu/diversity-hospitality-culture/covenant/

Send us a textIn this episode of the Good Governance podcast, the In Trust Center team talks about a few key trends facing theological schools, including a rise in schools embedding in colleges and universities, and innovation. Amy Kardash, Annie Glanden, and Matt Hufman finish a wide-ranging discussion on trends in the episode, “Trends, issues, and the essentials for 2023, part 2.” It includes conversation about the In Trust Center’s Resource Grants. You can find two stories referred to in the podcast here: “Embedded or Not,” an interview with Rev. Dr. Byron Klaus and “Embedded: Lessons from six schools.”  

Send us a textWhat’s ahead in the next year for theological schools in North America? Find out in the first part of a wide-ranging discussion on the In Trust Center’s Good Governance podcast. The In Trust Center’s Amy Kardash, Annie Glanden, and Matt Hufman discuss key issues in field, including an upcoming grant issue to help schools innovate. 

Send us a textGood boards often see their work not just as an act of stewardship or service but also as a sense of calling. For Dr. Karen Sawyer, the sense of calling has kept her on the Missio Seminary board? for more than 30 years. And the lessons she has learned will help other board members and school leaders see the value of their sacred work.  You can also see three takeaways from the conversation in the Winter 2023 magazine here: https://intrust.org/Magazine/Issues/Winter-2023/Beyond-the-Boardroom