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From the President
Reshaping and being reshaped
I have been attending a lot of conferences recently. It was both a joy and a challenge to address the diocesan conventions of Indianapolis, Southern Ohio, and Chicago. It was a joy to stand before large groups of more or less happy and excited Episcopalians. There was much affection expressed for their bishops, all three of whom seemed genuinely to enjoy their jobs. Seeing this was a welcome contrast to the conventional wisdom among Episcopal clergy my age, which is that being a bishop is the worst job in the church, and that most bishops spend a lot of their time thinking about early retirement. This might have been the case during the culture wars and ideological schisms that roiled the church in the late nineties and early 2000's, but these dioceses and these bishops appeared to be in this business for the long haul, and to relish the prospect. There was another good thing I noticed about these gatherings. The deputies seemed genuinely to like each other, and to love the church. This came through in several ways--in the camaraderie of the various meals taken together, in the vibrancy of worship, and the sheer civility of open conversations on issues that mattered deeply to people. For the first time in a long time, it seems safe for church people to disagree. Read more.
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Flexible Options for Seminary
Bexley students balance work, family, studies
 | | Peter Pond |
Shawn Dickerson is a fire chief; Peter J.L. Pond is manager of site services for a pharmaceutical company; and Adrienne Clements is an adult education coordinator.
What do they have in common? Thanks to the flexibility of Bexley Hall's MDiv program, they all have the opportunity to attend seminary while maintaining their jobs and meeting family and financial obligations.
 | Adrienne Clements
(photo courtesy of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral) |
"When I meet with students, many often say, 'I'm not a typical seminarian,' given their background or life situation," Bexley Dean Tom Ferguson notes. "I usually reply, 'There is no such thing as a typical seminarian anymore.' The seminary is here for the students, not the students for the seminary."
 | Shawn Dickerson
(photo courtesy of the Norwalk Reflector) |
The federation of Bexley Hall and Seabury Western is committed to providing a variety of flexible options-an in-residence MDiv; short-term intensives; and hybrid online classes-to adapt to the changing needs of students, new contexts for ministry and the changing nature of theological education. To learn more, talk with Dean Tom Ferguson at 614-231-3095 or via email.
Read more about Peter, Adrienne and Shawn.
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Restoring the Biblical Imagination
Save the date: April 26-27 in Indianapolis
Join President Roger Ferlo, colleagues, friends, and Bexley and Seabury alums for a gathering of minds, ecumenical and interreligious:
Friday, April 26
President's Address: Restoring the Biblical Imagination
Followed by workshops on the Biblical imagination in the emergent church and across the Abrahamic traditions and a panel discussion.
Saturday, April 27
Festal Eucharist to celebrate the inauguration of the Bexley Seabury Federation and the installation of President Roger Ferlo. |
January Courses Spend a week with us in Chicago
Contemporary Issues in the Anglican Communion and the Episcopal Church: January 7-11
 People of faith are called to transform the world through the power of God's love. But how is that best done? What is the role of faith in responding to pressing global concerns, choosing proper courses of action and sustaining dialog despite differences? And what resources does the Anglican tradition offer in answering these questions? Join Professor Dwight Zscheile of Luther Seminary at Seabury. Learn more and register online.
Learn more about Meeting God in the Neighborhood, Professor Zscheile's public evening program at Seabury on January 9.
 This course with Professor John Dally will explore the nature and practice of Anglicanism as it is expressed in works of art, particularly novels, plays, poetry and music spanning the 15th to 21st Centuries. Taking its cue from Evelyn Underwood's 1911 book Mysticism, "Embodied Grace" will apply her hallmarks of mysticism to Anglicanism itself: it is practical, spiritual, rooted in love, and experiential. Learn more and register online.
Visit our Events page to learn more about participating in some or all of this course for enrichment.
Nonprofit Management and Community Development: January 21-25
 Money matters, and people want their money to make a difference. This course in nonprofit management and community development with Professor Susan Harlow will explore how mission focused fundraising and greater neighborhood involvement can breathe new life into congregations at a time when many are struggling with shoe-string budgets and the exploding social needs of their communities. Learn more and register online.
Anglican Theology and Ethics: January 21-25
 With some 85 million members in more than 160 countries, the Anglican Communion is defined by a diversity that sometimes causes headline-making conflict. Join Ellen Wondra, Seabury's academic dean, to get beyond the headlines and explore the rich theological and ethical debates that flourish in the Communion. By examining Anglican theologians from the 16th century through today, this intensive, hybrid course will discern how classic theologians continue to influence contemporary Anglican thought, particularly on issues including authority, the use of Scripture, conscience, and the Incarnation. Learn more and register online.
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Entering the Lukan Lent and Easter
Professor Dally in Cleveland and Chicago
Join Professor John Dally for an experiential workshop with clergy, musicians, educators and anyone interested in a thoughtful exploration of the shape of Lent and Easter in Lectionary Year C.
What is constant, and what is particular to Year C? How do Lukan themes speak to our parishes, our local communities, our nation and the world? Participants will gain a deeper theological understanding of the Lukan Lent & Easter season that will help inform choices for preaching, music, liturgy and adult education and enrich the entire parish's Easter celebration. The Cleveland program will focus on Lent and Easter; the Chicago program will focus on Holy Week and Easter.
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Cleveland Heights
Friday, January 25 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm and Saturday, January 26 from 9 am to 2:30 pm
Seabury in Chicago: Friday, February 22 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm and Saturday, February 23 from 9 am to 2:30 pm
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Kellogg School Summer Institute
June 17-19
 "...the professors from Kellogg could have hit a single, but they were swinging for the fences."
--The Rev. Darrel Proffitt, rector of Church of the Holy Apostles in Katy, Texas
Our popular Kellogg Summer Institute returns as a three-day program tailored to meet the distinctive needs of lay and clergy leaders. Join us for lectures, interactive exercises and dialog with faculty at the Center for Nonprofit Management, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University that will:
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Enhance skills for effective church leadership
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Create and articulate a vision that values strong, dynamic Christian communities
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Gain a deeper understanding of complex cultural change
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Explore branding, marketing and funding
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Develop concrete plans to further the vitality of your congregation
Learn more and read reflections from 2012 participants. Apply by December 3 to save on tuition. |
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Anglican Liturgy and Music
Spring 2013 at Seabury
Why do Episcopalians worship as they do? Find out by getting inside, under and behind the history and theology of the Anglican/Episcopal liturgical tradition. This course--a substantial part of which is offered online--is a required, core component of Seabury's Anglican Studies program, but it also will appeal to anyone interested in the principles and practices that shape communal Anglican/Episcopal worship.
Instructors: Therese DeLisio and Milner Seifert
Dates: Online work beginning February 4 with on-site weekend intensives from Friday 1-9 pm and Saturday 8:15 am-4 pm on February 15-16; March 15-16 and April 19-20. Learn more. |
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Reflections on Leadership
Butler Bass, Bottoms, Sachs on Seabury's blog
 A few weeks ago, through the generosity of the Chabraja Foundation, my colleagues Diana Butler Bass, Bill Sachs, Bob Bottoms and I met at Christ Church, Ponte Vedra, Florida with a large gathering of Episcopal lay leaders and clergy drawn from many churches and congregations in the region. We are especially grateful to Seabury alumnus Rick Westbury, rector of Christ Church, and his colleagues, for hosting this gathering.Our topic was "Claiming the Episcopal Future," with a  particular focus on the new demands of leadership in a rapidly changing 21st century church. The conversations were rich and deep. Many participants expressed a strong desire to keep the conversation going on line. In response, we've now posted on Seabury's blog a series of reflections that we hope will stimulate further discussion, both among those who were with us in Ponte Vedra as well as with a wider on-line audience.
--President Roger Ferlo |
Alumni News
Do you have news to share with your fellow Bexley and Seabury alums? Email Debbie Franz at Bexley or Ron Fox at Seabury.
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