Holli Emore Executive Director

The Pagan news has been buzzing this week with word of the arrest of someone prominent on the festival scene for many years, for the particularly malodorous charge of child porn. Blogs are veritably lit up with discussions about how questionable behavior in the past was missed or dismissed and, more importantly, what's to be done in the future.

We are sensitive to our vulnerability as a misunderstood and often-maligned minority religion.  So few of us make mainstream headlines that we blanch when it happens because of an FBI sting.  Of course, we know that abuse and other crimes happen in the Pagan community with about the same frequency as in any other religious community.

But we seem woefully unprepared for addressing the unsavory in our midst.  A lot of folks are scurrying to disassociate themselves from this latest scandal, but are we implementing measures that will ensure the healthiest possible Pagan community for the future?

Cherry Hill Seminary began offering courses on ethics and boundaries many years ago, thanks to the wisdom of then-faculty Cat Chapin-Bishop.  But all of our courses take place within an ethos of responsibility to others and ourselves, each semester deepening our students' understanding of how to live in community - whether you consider yourself solitary or belong to an organized group.

Each spring we hold our primary fund drive around Hypatia Day to raise the funds which allow us to be a beacon of support and learning for Pagans and like-minded seekers around the world.  In order to be accessible to as many as possible, our tuition is among the lowest anywhere for the kind of education we offer. Through their course projects and learning our students are making their local and regional Pagan communities stronger and healthier.  You may not have the time or need for CHS classes, but you can be part of building a stronger, safer, more satisfying world by contributing your support.

Even though solitary practice is trending upwards for Pagans, an incident like this week's arrest reminds us that we remain interconnected, sometimes even when we wish we were not.  It behooves us to be intentional, then, about what we are building.  Supporting CHS is one way you can make a tangible difference.

Help Cherry Hill Seminary promote the development of professionally trained Pagan clergy. Your donation will help to support current and future Pagan scholars as they pursue studies in ministry.