When I joined the board at the Atlantic School of Theology as student representative, the chair sat across from me at lunch, rode back with me after our first retreat, and eventually took me sailing with his family. I knew that I was welcomed – and belonged.
That welcome matters. A board that builds in unstructured time together – a shared meal, coffee before the agenda starts, a first meeting held in person, or even a weekend retreat – gives new members room to relax into relationships, not just the role. This is especially true for students.
Those casual moments complement formal training and onboarding. We’ve had remarkable success building close informal relationships and leveraging them. Seminary boards, comprising caring, knowledgeable, and late-career professionals, are well-positioned to mentor, coach, and support a student leader.
This is more than just being kind. Boards need the student voice, and a comfortable student representative speaks more freely. Students carry both the pulse and promise of what theological education means. When a board welcomes that voice, it stays closer to mission – and to the people it was formed to serve.
