Episcopal Seminary Deans Gather in New York

January 12, 2017
The deans of the accredited Episcopal seminaries, including Berkeley’s Andrew McGowan and Cathy George, gathered for two days of conversation and prayer at the General Theological Seminary in New York early in January.
 
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry ’78 joined the group on Monday to share his own vision for theological education, and to hear from the deans about their own hopes and concerns. Affirming the role of the accredited seminaries in forming capable leaders who are articulate about their faith, Bishop Curry expressed the hope that Episcopalians will increasingly be able to articulate their Christian faith and routinely describe their parishes’ evangelistic outreach, as well as their social programs.
 
 
The deans also had conversations with leaders from Church Publishing Inc. discussing possible cooperation on effective communications in print, and with the Church Pension Group regarding changes that will affect those now training for ordination.
 
The deans shared their own experiences of how the landscape of Episcopal theological education continues to change. Last year the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Mass., announced that the current year would be the last in which they will offer degrees. The Bexley-Seabury Theological Federation recently moved into a new relationship with the Chicago Theological Seminary.