This is "the" guide for people governing theological schools. As the introduction says, "How well a theological school is governed is key to the institution’s overall effectiveness and its fidelity to its mission. In the midst of change and discontinuity, the governing board is the steward that nurtures the purpose and vision of a theological school across the span of time." Download the guide and get started!

How should a board and senior leaders consider the prospect of embedding? Rev. Dr. Byron Klaus, who has been through the experience and coached others, offers practical advice.

Theological school boards can - and should - spend time preparing policies and procedures that prepare for potential legal actions. Find out more here.

Can you tell a story in three sentences? If you can, you have a chance to attract more people to your institution and its mission. Here's how you can do it.

Larry Braskamp proposes a type of assessment to engage people at all levels, particularly during a pandemic.

Executive sessions should be a regular agenda item for every board meeting. Are they at yours?If your board is like many others, perhaps your honest answer is no.Why have an executive session if no pressing issues need to be addressed?

What are the qualities that make an effective seminary leader? Auburn's Center for the Study of Theological Education set out to answer just that question in their study titled Leadership that Works. In this study, the research team found that the essential characteristics of high-performing leaders are personal strength, humility, interpersonal skills, and discipline. But in selecting a new president, how do you know whether a candidate possesses all of these qualities or whether a candidate will fit in with your institution's culture and values?

Dr. Rebekah Basinger addresses the opportunities and challenges that come with chairing the board of a theological school, which include how to design effective board meetings, enhance board member engagement, and develop the board for long-term effectiveness while giving attention to the board chair and president partnership and the critical importance of call in both roles.

With any organizational plan, certain pivotal individuals – both internal and external – hold significant influence over our goals. To ensure the success of a program, initiative, or on-going strategy, we must prioritize these “Audiences of One” differently from larger audiences. Learn how the “Stakeholder Management Plan” tracks the status of these relationships to help boost overall success.

Webinar 1 of a two-part series provides a change management framework to include best practice for leading change initiatives and common pitfalls to avoid. This session includes a consideration of institutional readiness for change, especially around the use of a strategic finance lens.

The In Trust Center is pleased to announce a new webinar series focused on change management models. These webinars are presented by rpk GROUP, a national leader in helping institutions create sustainable business models that reflect both mission and market. This series includes two webinars. Webinar 1 provides a change management framework to include best practice for leading change initiatives and common pitfalls to avoid. This session will include a consideration of institutional readiness for change, especially around the use of a strategic finance lens.

This webinar series addresses the basics of change management and adaptive leadership needed to navigate change.

In this session, we consider the policies, practices, and key performance indicators most helpful to supporting the essential partnership between the president and the governing board.

Dr. David Rowe, creator of TransformingCollege.com and former interim president of Lancaster Theological Seminary, will lead this series, helping participants turn mental models that explain how theological education is being disrupted into frameworks for overcoming that disruption.

Dr. David Rowe of AGB Consulting will introduce a new area of sustainability each week, leading discussions on strategic transformation and financial sustainability in theological schools.

Learn the value of having a trusted advisor and how to select one to meet your needs as a leader.

This webinar will address how seminaries can own their destiny by being responsible and "finishing well," rather than closing in crisis.

Join the discussion about how to plan well in advance of an anticipated change.

Join us for a series of conversations with leadership consultant, David Gyertson, about leadership transitions.

After taking over as the president of Hartford Seminary, Joel Lohr, Ph.D., undertook a new strategic plan, which seemed routine. But after bringing in Rick Staisloff of rpk GROUP, he saw an opportunity and charted a course that ended with a revitalized mission and a new name: Hartford International University of Religion and Peace.

While serving as an interim president of Lancaster Theological Seminary, Dr. David Rowe was challenged with how to merge the school and preserve its mission. Rowe and Elizabeth Palmer Bennett, former CFO at Lancaster, discuss how the development of the merger came about, their observations, and the lessons they learned in the process.

There has been considerable concern about artificial intelligence (AI) and its use in theological higher education, particularly as it relates to cheating. But Greg Henson, president of Kairos University, and Ruth McGillivray, Executive vice president of Northwest Seminary and College, say there's more to it than that. In this episode, they discuss the opportunities for theological schools to explore with AI.

Helen Blier, Ph.D., director of continuing education at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and president of ALLLM, presents compelling reasons why theological schools should consider lifelong learning and continuing education programs as viable entry points into theological schools and essential bridges for ministers actively engaged in the field.

Is there a way to help theological schools cut overhead costs and free up resources to focus on mission? That’s the goal of the CHANGE (Configuring Higher Education Administration for Next Generation Excellence) Initiative, one of the projects funded in Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative. In this episode of the podcast, Dr. David Boshart, president of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, and Dr. Jeff Williams, the project director of the CHANGE Initiative, provide an overview of how a nonprofit organization could provide business offerings to schools, increasing quality of services while allowing schools the space to innovate. Dr. Jeff Williams can be reached here: jwilliams@ambs.edu

In this episode of the Good Governance podcast, Rev. Dr. Frank Yamada, the executive director of the Association of Theological Schools, discusses what it means for theological education and what skills boards and leaders need to navigate these times.

For Dr. Karen Sawyer, the sense of calling has kept her on Missio Seminary for more than 30 years.

In this episode, Dr. Allen talks about some of the principles that led to the change as outlined in his new book Turnaround: The Remarkable Story of an Institutional Transformation and the 10 Essential Principles and Practices that Made it Happen. 

In this week’s episode, we kick off our Consultant Series with Carol Marturano-Becker, founder of IMPACT Learning Inc.

Listen in as Ms. Alexander talks about how she led the board during a transition and how boards can cultivate and support new leadership.

Tune in to episode 9 of the In Trust Center podcast where we are joined by guests Ms. Lynette M. Brown-Sow and Dr. Rod Wilson, Wise Stewards Initiative Faculty Coaches and governance consultants.

How the board chair and president relationship positively impacts the institution.