Ep. 105: Finishing faithfully – leadership lessons on closing a school

April 21, 2026
Share

What does it mean to finish well? The Rev. Dr. Colleen Derr reflects on one of leadership’s most difficult responsibilities: knowing when, and how, to finish well. A former seminary president, Derr draws on her experience leading Eastern Nazarene College through its final chapter and offers a candid and hopeful perspective on institutional closure. She shares the realities of financial distress, the weight of inherited decisions, and the emotional and spiritual complexity of guiding a beloved institution to its end. The story is one of faithfulness to stewarding the final chapter well. Derr highlights the importance of mission clarity, courageous leadership, and honoring people over place. For leaders navigating uncertainty, this conversation provides both practical insight and a deeply human vision for ending with integrity and purpose.


Upcoming & Recent Webinars

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

Practicing Collaboration: Indigenous Collaboration

Videos & Webinars

Practicing Collaboration: Indigenous Collaboration

In this conversation, Dr. Julie Lytle, director of distributive and lifelong learning initiatives at Bexley Seabury…

Practicing Collaboration: Unexpected Collaborators

Videos & Webinars

Practicing Collaboration: Unexpected Collaborators

Mundelein Seminary has cultivated a remarkable network of collaborators—one far more diverse than many might expect….

The Thinkers: Reimagining the Board’s Role in Strategic Planning

Videos & Webinars

The Thinkers: Reimagining the Board’s Role in Strategic Planning

October 13, 1:00 pm ET, Zoom Facilitator: Rebekah Burch Basinger, Ed.D.Project Director, In Trust Center’s Wise…

Practicing Collaboration

Videos & Webinars

Practicing Collaboration

In this ten-part recorded series, leaders within theological education share practical insights drawn from their lived…