February 5th - day of the 2012 Super Bowl-surely one of the most hyped days in America's calendar year. Amidst this day of wide screen, hi-def TVs, Madison Avenue's costliest ads, some of the most highly publicized, highly tuned and highly paid athletes in professional sports, SIM Boldly dares to compete for your attention!
The importance of theological education to the future of the Church needs our attention. For decades The Episcopal Church has sought to catch the Church's attention by designating the first Sunday in February as Theological Education Sunday, or Theological Education Offering (TEO) Sunday. This one annual Sunday is an opportunity for the entire church to comprehend the importance of well-educated, well-trained and well-formed future ordained leadership.
Colin and Laurel Mathewson
SIM Seminarians from the Diocese of San Diego
Sewanee School of Theology
Especially in today's environment, attention needs to be paid to this important calling that now carries the mismatch of an expensive education and a low compensating profession. Diminishing resources for funding theological education exacerbates this issue. Many Episcopalians are unaware of:
- minimal funding from the national church;
- limited parish response to programs such as TEO Sunday;
- diminishing seminarian support from sponsoring dioceses and parishes;
- financially stressed seminaries challenged to maintain scholarship aid.
Clergy quality is of one of The Episcopal Church's greatest assets. Episcopalians can expect to experience well-educated, well-trained and well-formed ordained leadership wherever they travel. Responsible Episcopalians cannot take this asset of human capital for granted.
It wasn't the first Sunday in February 1857, but it was a day of vision for the future when eight Episcopalians founded SIM. It was a time of rapid expansion in the Church when The Episcopal Church was barely two generations into its life independent of the Church of England. This TEO Sunday, Episcopalians can thank the commitment to the future of those eight visionaries.
February 5th is Super Bowl Sunday for SIM's ministry and our 11 Episcopal seminaries and approximately 500 Episcopal seminarians. If your parish is not planning a special collection for the coming TEO Sunday, please consider supporting an Episcopal seminary or supporting our future ordained leaders by donating online to SIM (www.simministry.org/donate-now/) or by check to the address below.
