ONE-MINUTE COMMENTARY
When I was in graduate school, the dumpy 50-year-old apartments near campus were filled with humanities and divinity graduate students. The new deluxe apartments nearby were the home of law and business students. Coincidence? I think not. The future JDs and MBAs didn't mind paying top rents (and taking out hefty loans) because they expected to make big salaries right out of school. The rest of us knew our salaries would be modest, to put it politely, and we made do with cheaper digs.
The Auburn Center's new report presents some sobering news about today's seminarians -- many of them are taking on loans more suitable to law students. In Trust magazine will be exploring this in its New Year 2006 issue, but in the meantime, trustees and administrators may want to read the study. That most seminary graduates are encumbered with debt should be a concern for everyone who wants new church leaders to thrive.
--Jay Blossom
Editor, In Trust Now
BREAKING NEWS... IN TRUST INC. RECEIVES MAJOR GRANT
On December 9, Lilly Endowment Inc. awarded In Trust Inc. a grant of $750,000. The grant will provide significant support from 2006 through 2008 while In Trust continues to develop the economic model necessary to sustain services for the governing boards of North American theological schools. Speaking on behalf of In Trust's board of directors, president Christa Klein gratefully acknowledged that "the Endowment's support recognizes In Trust's pivotal role among those organizations working together to enhance theological education."
1. STUDY FINDS THAT SEMINARY GRADUATES ARE DEEPER IN DEBT
The Auburn Center for the Study of Theological Education has released a new report indicating that 63 percent of M.Div. graduates leave school with educational debt, and the average debt is $25,000. In Trust magazine will explore the problem of student debt in its New Year 2006 issue.
The full text of the report is available...
2. PITTSBURGH SEMINARY PROFESSOR'S TEAM DISCOVERS ANCIENT ALPHABET STONE
On July 15, a 40-pound stone marked with an emerging Phoenician-Hebrew alphabet of the 10th century B.C. was discovered by an excavation team in Israel. Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Professor Ron E. Tappy, who led the team, called it the oldest datable example of an alphabet written in order.
More...
3. LINK REMOVED TO LOS ANGELES TIMES REPORT
We have removed a link to a November 2005 Los Angeles Times article about St. John's Seminary, Camarillo. We were unaware of significant problems with its accuracy and that quotations in the article were misleading. In Trust Now should have sought clarification from the seminary before linking to the article. We deeply regret this error.
4. NEW VATICAN INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED ON GAY PRIESTHOOD CANDIDATES
The Vatican's long-anticipated instruction on gay candidates for ordination was issued in November. While banning practicing gay men from entering seminaries, the document distinguishes between homosexual acts and tendencies.
The complete text of the instruction...
More at In Trust's Catholic Seminary Update Page...5. BAPTISTS CUT TIES
In November, the Georgia Baptist Convention voted to cut ties with Mercer University in the wake of disagreements about the selection of trustees and because a gay-affirming student group operates on campus. This month, the school's trustees elected Baylor University's interim president, William D. Underwood, as the school's next president.
Several other colleges, including Belmont University [registration required] in Tennessee and Georgetown College in Kentucky, have also recently severed or loosened their ties to state or national Baptist conventions.
More...
6. FOLLOW-UP
In October we reported on the manuscript of Beethoven's "Grosse Fuge," in the composer's own hand, found in the library at Palmer Theological Seminary (formerly Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary) in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. On December 1, an unnamed telephone bidder bought the manuscript for $1.72 million during an auction at Sotheby's in London. Look for more on this story in the New Year 2006 issue of In Trust magazine.
More...
In July we reported on James Tramel, who was ordained an Episcopal priest behind bars after completing his seminary education from Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California. Tramel has been recommended for parole by the California Board of Prison Terms for the second time in 12 months. Earlier this year, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reversed last year's recommendation for parole.
FOCUS ON... FEBRUARY WORKSHOPSDesigned for presidents and board chairs -- other board members are welcome, too -- the One-Day Governance Workshop provides you with best practices and great information without taking up much of your time. In just six hours, we can help your board move from good to great. Each One-Day Workshop is tailored to the specific interests of the participants as, together, you select your own learning agenda. Topics of choice include:
Three locations on three different days -- Berkeley on February 9, Toronto on February 20, and Baltimore-Washington on February 27 -- means that there's a place and time right for you.
Sign up now! More information here. To register, contact In Trust's president, Dr. Christa Klein, at 877-234-3895 or crklein@intrust.org.
FROM THE ARCHIVE... THE BOARD CHAIR'S ROLE
In Trust explores the critical role board chairs play and point to best practices to increase their effectiveness.
FEEDBACK
Have a question or topic you would like us to address? Interested in a retreat or mentoring services for your board? Let us know by contacting President Christa Klein at crklein@intrust.org.
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