News & Insights

September 30, 2024

WEBINAR TOMORROW
The power of strategic questions for boards

Board members are generally recruited for their leadership expertise, business acumen, and/or social and ecclesial networks. However, when institutional mission effectiveness and financial vitality are on the line – as is the situation of many theological schools these days – board members’ willingness to ask strategic questions may be a more useful qualifier for board service. Join Dr. Rebekah Burch Basinger, project director of the In Trust Center's Wise Stewards Initiative, as she makes a case for strategic questions and interrogation skills as necessary characteristics of boards that have been formed and informed for wise stewardship. Click here to register.  The webinar is at 1 p.m. ET, tomorrow – Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024

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. 
Full issue: You can read the magazine on the In Trust Center website. 

 

REMARK(ABLE)
"Fund-raising is, first and foremost, a form of ministry. It is a way of announcing our vision and inviting other people into our mission. Vision and mission are so central to the life of God's people that without vision we perish and without mission we lose our way." 
Henri J.M. Nouwen, "A Spirituality of Fundraising"
 
For reflection: How does your board view fundraising? 
THE PODCAST

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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Upcoming Events

The In Trust Center hosts learning community spaces throughout the year. Check out our upcoming events below.

Who's Next? Succession Planning for Boards

UPCOMING WEBINAR: OCT. 24, 1 PM (ET)

Planning for board officers vacancies should start well in advance with an intentional, smooth, and carefully designed transition plan.

Seminaries are people too: Mindsets that make or break institutional change

ON DEMAND:

Theological schools are launching innovative projects to reshape education, but many struggle to achieve transformational change despite strong grant funding. Human nature, organizational culture, and governance practices often hinder progress. In this webinar, Drs. Aaron Einfeld and David Rowe provide tools to identify/overcome hidden barriers to change, offer practical steps for institutional leadership to move their institutions forward

I See That Hand

ON DEMAND

Board members are typically recruited for their leadership, business acumen, and networks. Dr. Rebekah Basinger, project director of the In Trust Center’s Wise Stewards Initiative, will discuss how strategic questioning and interrogation skills are essential for effective board stewardship.

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In Trust Center provides Resource Consulting to our members at no charge. Contact us today and let us guide you to the most helpful resources for your situation.

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