THE MAGAZINE
Finding synchronicity

Kairos University went all in on competency-based theological education years ago, back when it was called Sioux Falls Seminary. Now, with a Lilly Endowment Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative grant, the school is cementing the legacy of competency-based education. Kairos President Greg Henson said while people notice the difference in the educational model, competency-based education has “always been a reconnection to what theological education has always been – a formational journey that invites people to flourish where God intends. They still have faculty, they still have credit hours, a timeline to a degree. We just allowed some power dynamics to shift.” Read more here.  Also in the Summer issue of In Trust:

• Who’s missing at the table? At Lexington Theological Seminary, a Pathways grant is helping the school reach students from a variety of backgrounds and equip them to obtain a theological education.  Read more about how Lexington is doing that. 
• The importance of student board members: There has been debate about whether students should serve on a board. Once a student board member, and now back on the board of her alma mater, Marina Hanna argues for why students should be on boards. 

What a president needs to know

Finishing her career in theological education, the Rev. Dr. Nancy Claire Pittman, president of Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma, reflects on her life and work and considers what she wished she had known coming to the role of president. She also discusses her relationship with the board and what worked. Her answers offer great insight into governance, the role of president, and the relationships between boards and leaders. Listen to Episode 77 of the Good Governance podcast here. Other recent episodes include:

• A historic time: Rick Staisloff, a consultant with a long history in higher education, explores how theological institutions can thrive amid change by embracing strategic partnerships, shared services, and other work. Listen to Episode 75 of the Good Governance podcast here.
• Shared governance: The Rev. Heather Campain Hartung, Th.D., has experienced it as a faculty member, dean, a member of a theological school board, and now as a director of accreditation for ATS. In Episode 74 of the Good Governance podcast, she discusses how shared governance works and offers ways people can look at it and how it can help an institution. 
• A new ecosystem: The Pacific School of Religion is using a Pathways for Tomorrow grant to create a new ecosystem that includes technology as well as reconsidered educational modes and methods. The school’s programming includes a stackable curriculum and challenges traditional standards. Listen to Episode 76 here. 

You can find more episodes on the In Trust Center’s website. 

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