Back to School advertisements are beginning to emerge on the airways. Like many seasonal communications, these seem to come earlier and earlier. These promotions make me think of the 87 seminarians SIM is supporting for the 2010/2011 academic year. "Our" students [we use "our" because we pray for them by name daily, even now in the "back to school" months] attend all 10 Episcopal seminaries and five bishop-approved divinity schools. Grants were announced to 35 returning SIM students and 52 new recipients. They represent 49 dioceses, consist of 33 women and 54 men, and have a median age of 34 years old. Our students could not be considered a statistical random sample, but deans tell me the trend of lower seminary student age has been occurring for a few years. A lower median age certainly has some positive implications for the Church but a hidden negative also exists. Often those seeking ordination bring high undergraduate debts with them to seminary before adding the financing of their theological education. When matched with typical clergy starting compensation levels, the seriousness of this situation is apparent. For 153 years, SIM has been dedicated to ensuring that our Church has the very best educated and trained ordained leadership. SIM's founding documents assert the organization's purpose to "aid suitable persons for the Episcopal ministry in acquiring a thorough education." The crisis of seminarian indebtedness is very personal to SIM and should be to every Episcopalian with vision to see the need to invest in future ordained leaders to serve The Episcopal Church. It is a privilege for SIM and our donors to support these courageous women and men who have answered a call to a vital role for our Church and for our society. This year our Scholarship Committee reviewed impressive and moving stories of dedication and commitment from over 100 applicants who have answered amazing calls to ministry. Author and Presbyterian minister Frederick Beuchner explains answering God's call, "I had no doubts...that ministry was a risky as well as holy trade that I had chosen." Seminarians who have ventured on God's path to their ordination deserve our commitment and support.Help us help seminarians get off to as clean a start as possible. Please visit our web site and check out the many ways you can contribute to SIM's ministry:
Thank you for being a part of SIM. Faithfully yours,
Thomas Moore III
Executive Director
SIM
Please take the opportunity to SIM Boldly and be an investor in future ordained leaders of the Episcopal Church.
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