As many seminary presidents think about the kind of truncation of ecclesial bodies, we always must ask the questions, “To whom are we accountable?” and “Who are we serving as theological schools?” We have churches, non-profit entities, the public good and a variety of other ministry settings that are all part of the answer.
“Who are we serving?” is always a question in front of our board and our faculty, especially as we start a new school year.
I think boards need to rethink what seminaries are preparing people to do and the ways in which a theological education has transferrable skills in many vocational pursuits. I recently read an article about how the M.Div. might be more attractive than other degrees, because theological schools are asking questions about ethics, and larger questions about life’s meaning and purpose in a time of expressive individualism that doesn’t necessarily focus on the common good.
When you have folks more ecclesially tethered, the president needs to help re-orient the board’s thinking. Educating a board as to how the religious landscape of North America is experiencing seismic shifts is a key project of a president right now, especially about which students are coming and how a board should reflect their interests.
