At Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, we are committed to forming compassionate servant-leaders for the Church and the world who are generous, wise, and equipped to bring healing to an aching world. The two-year Virtual Curacy program from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale’s Transforming Leaders program is designed to address the critical shortage of mentorship and traditional curacy opportunities for newly ordained Episcopal clergy. Welcoming newly ordained priests from any seminary or local formation program, this innovative two-year curriculum immerses new clergy in essential practical skills for ministry and adaptive leadership, ensuring they emerge as effective leaders capable of supporting vibrant Christian communities.
Participants will learn monthly in a cohort setting and receive weekly one-on-one support from a seasoned clergy mentor. The curriculum includes wisdom from Yale’s distinguished faculty and ministry leaders across the Church, moderated by the Virtual Curacy Facilitator. Curates who complete the program requirements will receive a Certificate in Pastoral Leadership from Yale University. This program is not simply another academic course of study, but a way of life rooted in Christ-centered servant leadership.
We are eager to partner with bishops and diocesan leaders to support newly ordained clergy who increasingly serve in places without the apprenticeship they need in their critical first few years of ministry.
The Very Rev’d Dr. Andrew McGowan, Dean and President
The Virtual Curacy is designed for newly-ordained priests serving in their first calls. We know the path to ministry can be long and winding, so this is a guideline rather than a rule.
Prospective curates must have diocesan approval to apply.
Curates gather at an Episcopal Conference Center (ECCC) to form community and learn how to develop their spirituality as a church leader. The location changes from year to year.
Curates come together once per month for a two-hour synchronous Zoom gathering. Curates check in about their spiritual rhythms, and the Virtual Curacy Facilitator presents recordings from experts for discussion. The Virtual Curacy includes twenty total gatherings, each focused on a different aspect of ministry leadership.
Curates are matched with seasoned mentors who meet with them one hour per week. This provides an opportunity for the curate to check in about their spiritual life, bounce ideas off of their mentor, problem solve, ask technical questions, and more.
The grand finale after two years is a graduation retreat at Yale. Curates come together to worship together, celebrate, and receive their Yale certificates.
Monthly gatherings will take place on Wednesdays midday:
Download the 2025–2027 schedule for a complete list of dates. Each gathering will focus on a different aspect of church leadership:
Curates gather for an opening retreat the August of their first year at an Episcopal Conference Center. The location rotates throughout the United States. At this retreat, curates get to know one another as well as their Virtual Curacy Facilitator. The facilitator leads the group through the first set of modules:
At the retreat, curates will have time for silence and prayer. For inaugural cohort, the opening retreat will be held at Cathedral Ridge in Woodland Park, Colorado, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains on August 5-8, 2025.
Virtual Curates in their first year begin with their opening retreat followed by four modules focused on exegeting the Book of Common Prayer for the purpose of leading worship:
In the second half of each year, the Virtual Curacy cohorts will learn together. Half of the curates will learn about church management in their first year, and half will learn about it in their second year.
Curates in their second year will begin the year with four modules having to do with developing capacity for visionary, adaptive leadership:
In the second half of each year, the Virtual Curacy cohorts will learn together. Half of the curates will learn about pastoral leadership in their first year, and half will learn about it in their second year.
In the June of the curates’ second year, they will gather at Yale to worship together, celebrate, and receive their Yale certificates.
The Virtual Curacy program is an extension of our longstanding commitment to nurturing the next generation of Episcopal leaders. It is a way for us to enhance and expand our support for new clergy at a critical time in their formation.
Dr. Brandon Nappi, Executive Director of Leadership Programs
Tuition for the two-year program is $18,000.
Payment is due from your diocese July 1.
Information about financial aid is coming soon.
The application portal will open April 1. Prospective Virtual Curates must have diocesan approval to apply.
Newly ordained and soon-to-be ordained priests from any Episcopal diocese are eligible to apply to the program with diocesan approval. If you are not sure whether you qualify, please email Dr. Brandon Nappi at brandon.nappi@yale.edu to discuss.
Yes, there is no limit to the number of priests who can participate from a single diocese.
No. Diocesan approval is required to apply to the program.
Tuition is $18,000 for the two-year program. This includes the opening and closing retreats. A sliding scale of tuition is available to dioceses based on their ability to pay tuition costs. Once a curate is accepted into the program, Berkeley Divinity will liaise with that curate’s diocese directly to sort out financial aid and tuition details.
Yes. While the program will prioritize newly ordained priests who do not have a traditional in-person curacy, traditional curates are most welcome to apply with diocesan approval.
The cohort will be between 12-20 curates.
The Virtual Curacy Program will be led by the Virtual Curacy Facilitator, an Episcopal priest with expertise in spirituality and leadership. The facilitator will different videos for each module, recorded for the Virtual Curacy, of distinguished Yale faculty and senior leaders in the Church and from non-profit and business leaders.
For the pilot year (2025 admissions), admission is rolling, and decisions will be communicated within a month of applying. For subsequent years, the application will be due May 1 with admissions and financial aid decisions announced by June 1.
Each month, the curate will have 4 hours of mentoring and 2 hours of synchronous meeting time.
No. While we anticipate that most curates will hold an MDiv degree, the program also welcomes those who are locally trained and do not have a ministerial degree.
Virtual Curates will be responsible for writing Ember Day letters to their bishops each Ash Wednesday, reporting about their own progress in the Virtual Curacy. The curate’s facilitator and mentor will be standing by to help curates as needed with the writing of Ember Day letters. These Ember Day letters will provide an opportunity for curates to set off on the right foot, learning how to reflect on their own leadership journey and properly communicate with their bishop.
Yes, a Yale University certificate of completion will be offered at the end of the program. Full participation in the program is required to receive the certificate.