Robben Island, the bleakly beautiful island off the coast from Cape Town, is now a national museum and a World Heritage Site. It was once a leper colony, and then for decades housed the prison where Nelson Mandela and scores of other political activists were brutally imprisoned. Tour boats now shuttle regularly between the island and the Cape Town waterfront. Once you get to the island, you climb aboard a bus, led by an elderly guide who is likely to be a former prisoner.

The most important stop, of course, is the tiny cell where Mandela was kept in isolation for decades. But what I remember most from my first visit in 1999, just two years after the prison was decommissioned and opened to the public, is a limestone quarry, a high white cliff blinding you even in the winter sun. During the years of apartheid, this was where Mandela and many of his companions were put to meaningless work, chiseling away at the cliff to no real purpose, permanently damaging eyes and lungs. With the dust and the wind and the glare, it is a relief to get back on the bus and head back toward the sea. But as the bus turns from the quarry toward the main road, you will notice a small pyramid of stones, carefully piled at the crossing. It is an odd sight, jarring. It looks like a burial mound. But it is in fact a marker of new life. After the prison had been closed and apartheid ended, there was a reunion of former prisoners at this site. They erected this cairn of remembrance as a signpost on the road to freedom.

Doctor of Ministry in Congregational Development

Our low-residence doctor of ministry students have an unparalleled opportunity to learn, stretch, challenge themselves and others, and emerge at the end of three years with exceptional skills in leadership and deeper theological grounding for innovative and effective congregational ministry. A new cohort of students begins the program each June; the priority admission deadline is January 15. Learn more and apply online. 

Bexley Seabury is seeking candidates to fill a new position:  Director of Lifelong Learning and the Doctor of Ministry. This person will be a skilled leader and administrator for our lifelong theological education programs, which include the DMin in Congregational Studies and the ACTS DMin in Preaching, as well as non-degree programs in continuing education for lay and clergy leaders.

Qualified candidates will demonstrate a strong commitment to theological education in a post-Christian, ecumenical, pluralist, multi-racial context and be familiar with contemporary congregational life. Demonstrated experience in academic and/or ecclesial administration, creative thinking and leading collaboratively is required. Strong oral and written communications skills are a must, as well as expertise in administrative computer applications and easy familiarity with current and emerging social media.

Read the full position description.

Women, minorities, veterans, and disabled persons are strongly encouraged to apply. Please submit applications and nominations to:

Br. Ronald Fox, BSG
Bexley Seabury Seminary Federation 
8765 W. Higgins Rd. Suite 650  
Chicago, IL 60631  
[email protected]
773-380-6781