I have been pleased and privileged to work for the last two years as Chair of the Ministry, Advocacy & Leadership Department of Cherry Hill Seminary.  As Chair I have experienced the creativity of continuing the work of building demanding, rigorous seminary programs.   

There is no shortage of seminaries in the United States, but CHS is doing something unique by offering a place where those in the Pagan community who seek a formal education in ministry can gather with the full flexibility of distance and hybrid programs while continuing to live the various demands of their lives.  

A formal seminary education has to be demanding in a number of ways.  It must invite the seminarian into a face-to-face encounter with his/her own spiritual tradition and ask the seminarian to begin to think critically about it.   

A seminary also has the obligation of challenging the seminarian with the wide variety of academic research in various fields of ministry such as ethics, religious histories, and the various practices of ministry like ritual, pastoral care, spiritual guidance, advocacy and social justice works.  A seminary also must take up and pass on the process of ministerial formation that seminaries of all kinds have been practicing for millennia.  

Cherry Hill Seminary's challenge, and in my experience, its promise, is that step by step, year by year, it is providing these encounters, challenges, studies and paths to formation by, with and for the larger Pagan community.  No one else is doing that.  

CHS is doing this unique work at a time when not all in the Pagan community are convinced that they even need a seminary.  What we at Cherry Hill Seminary are finding, and hearing from many sectors, is that Pagan practitioners are finding their way into ministries for which they need formal education, licensure and endorsement. 

It is with pride in this work and some sadness that I had to announce my need to resign from the Chair position.  My own full time work as an educator has landed me in the role of department chair as well, and the demands of both positions were simply more than I could fulfill well.   

I am very pleased that one of our own faculty members, David Kling, M.Div, will be stepping into the position.  I have known David for a number of years and have enjoyed working with him as he prepares to provide leadership for the Ministry, Advocacy and Leadership Department.  The MAL department will be in good hands!  At the same time, I am pleased to continue to teach for CHS from time to time.  

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