News & Insights

As David Tiede put it in a 2009 In Trust article, “Effective leadership . . . has become the test in a growing number of schools, and some track their results by how well communities are led by their graduates.”

 

Quoting Daniel Aleshire, executive director of the Association of Theological Schools, Tiede states that “theological education is leadership education.” In addition to intellectual and spiritual formation, seminaries typically include leadership education in their models of good theological education.

But what leadership looks like varies from school to school, because the examples of leadership differ among various faith traditions and seminaries. This is illustrated in the book Traditions in Leadership: How Faith Traditions Shape the Way We Lead, a collection of essays edited by Richard J. Mouw and Eric O. Jacobsen.

Each essay in the collection presents a different viewpoint on leadership and explores how personal faith traditions shape this viewpoint. For example, Father Mark O’Keefe, a monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey, writes on Benedictine leadership and how the first abbot of Saint Meinrad demonstrated this definition of leadership. Another writer, Elliot Dorff, discusses leadership and organization within the Jewish tradition.

Tradition is usually seen to be embedded in the past, but as Tiede points out, Traditions in Leadership is not a call to return to a bygone era. Rather, it demonstrates how traditions are living entities that inform the way we lead today.

Because seminaries reflect particular faith traditions, these places of education are examples of why what we believe matters, as future church and ministry leaders are shaped by these beliefs.

How would you define the qualities of leadership within your own tradition? Would you agree that these traditions shape the leadership model espoused by affiliated seminaries?

To read David Tiede’s full article on Traditions in Leadership, click here.  

To purchase Traditions in Leadership, click here.

 

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Conflict + Crisis: Navigating the Shoals, Part 2 – A Deeper Dive

Thursday, February 15, 2024, 1:00 p.m. (ET)

Presenter Donna Alexander, President & CEO of Advoxum Global Strategies, offers best practices for navigating conflict and crisis. She examines the crucial elements of defining conflict and crisis, identifying, and prioritizing affected stakeholders, utilizing effective communication strategies, and ultimately, executing a plan of action. Click here to register.

In Trust Center Resource Grants

FEBRUARY 22, 2024, 1 PM (ET)

An In Trust Center Resource Grant offers member schools a chance to explore innovation at their institutions through a matching grant opportunity of up to $15,000. Join us for this 30-minute information session, including Q&A, as we provide details on eligibility requirements, funding priorities, application process. Previous grantees are eligible to apply as long as they are not within our current funding cycle. Click to register.

Conflict + Crisis: Navigating the Shoals, Part 1

ON DEMAND

Presenter Donna Alexander, President & CEO of Advoxum Global Strategies, offers best practices for navigating conflict and crisis. She examines the crucial elements of defining conflict and crisis, identifying, and prioritizing affected stakeholders, utilizing effective communication strategies, and ultimately, executing a plan of action.

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