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Access resources and tools to equip governing board members, strengthening governance, accountability, and mission-focused leadership in theological schools.
  • In Trust Magazine Articles 307
  • Documents 47
  • News & Insights 15
  • Videos & Webinars 5
  • Podcast 99
In the balance
The Guardian

In the balance

The board meeting adjourns with members’ thoughts turning  quickly to making their way to airports and…

Small can be large
The Guardian

Small can be large

It may seem counterintuitive, but boards can do small things to revitalize and change the culture…

Awash in data
On My Mind

Awash in data

There’s no shortage of information at our fingertips. Interpretation and discernment must be brought to bear.

Present Moment | Preparing for greatness
The Star

Present Moment | Preparing for greatness

Relationships are key to stewardship. They also making coming into the room more fun.

A prayer for a bountiful harvest
The Sign

A prayer for a bountiful harvest

Rod Wilson offers a prayer for fundraisers and the work they do to provide a future…

Flexible, tailored collaboration partners
Feature Articles

Flexible, tailored collaboration partners

Eden Theological Seminary has created a network of schools that will provide students a wide range…

Strategic Shorts
The Guardian

Strategic Shorts

A new series of short videos can help leaders and boards wrap their heads around complex…

PowerPoints
The Guardian

PowerPoints

How can an executive leader and the chair of a board form a solid relationship?

The Census | Seeing the big picture
The Guardian

The Census | Seeing the big picture

The latest release of data from ATS shows a field is growing slowly.

The shifting sands of regulation
The Guardian

The shifting sands of regulation

With the federal government issuing new orders, two experts help schools plan a response for their…

Future Promise
The Star

Future Promise

Boards of theological education institutions need to lean into strategy and visioning to navigate an uncertain…

Letters from Canada
The Star

Letters from Canada

Canadian schools have faced a cap on international study permits, as well as travel issues. Theological…

Core Essential #3 – Presidential Evaluation
Document

Core Essential #3 – Presidential Evaluation

Presidential Evaluation: To help, not harm. Presidential evaluation can feel daunting for boards, but when approached…

Core Essential 6-Ending Well
Document

Core Essential 6-Ending Well

Many theological schools face mounting financial and enrollment pressures that make “business as usual” unsustainable. Chronic…

Core Essential 3-President-Board Chair Partnership
Document

Core Essential 3-President-Board Chair Partnership

Wise boards know the relationship between the school president and board chair is mission-critical.

Core Essential 4-Balanced Budgets Fundraising Goals
Document

Core Essential 4-Balanced Budgets Fundraising Goals

Budget building is a challenging process, especially when finances are tight, and board members should balance…

Top 10 Questions When Merging
Document

Top 10 Questions When Merging

Consider these top 10 questions that trustees, presidents, and CFOs should ask each other and themselves…

4 Steps to Smooth Functioning Shared Governance
Document

4 Steps to Smooth Functioning Shared Governance

Shared governance has long been a part of theological education in North America but is often…

Core Essential 1 – Storytelling
Document

Core Essential 1 – Storytelling

While financial control often seems like the key to influence, it’s storytelling that holds power. Boards…

Core Essential 2-Diversity in the Boardroom
Document

Core Essential 2-Diversity in the Boardroom

Rather than a checkbox, diversity should be viewed as a divine gift that enriches leadership and…

Practicing Collaboration
News & Insights

Practicing Collaboration

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

In Trust Monthly Newsletter: July 2026
News & Insights

In Trust Monthly Newsletter: July 2026

MAGAZINE Forming chaplains, shaping ministry pathways in Florida Palm Beach Atlantic University is helping shape the…

Board Chair Newsletter – July 2026
News & Insights

Board Chair Newsletter – July 2026

The newsletter for chairs of theological school boards, Vol. 4, No. 11 Building consensus and trust…

Practicing Collaboration: Expanding Vocational Paths for Undergraduate Students
News & Insights

Practicing Collaboration: Expanding Vocational Paths for Undergraduate Students

Dr. Jeff Carter, president of Bethany Theological Seminary, discusses the Brethren Higher Education Consortium and explores…

Collaborative Transformation Across Theological Education
News & Insights

Collaborative Transformation Across Theological Education

By Rick Staisloff, Senior Partner, rpk GROUP, a division of MGT Impact Solutions, LLC In Spring…

Lilly Endowment new Exploring Christian Practices Initiative
News & Insights

Lilly Endowment new Exploring Christian Practices Initiative

Lilly Endowment Inc. announced a new, competitive Exploring Christian Practices Initiative, inviting eligible charitable organizations to…

Strategic Shorts: Large-scale Collaboration and the Role of Boards
News & Insights

Strategic Shorts: Large-scale Collaboration and the Role of Boards

Strategic Short: Large-scale Collaboration and the Role of Boards

In Trust Monthly Newsletter: July 2025
News & Insights

In Trust Monthly Newsletter: July 2025

THE MAGAZINE Flexible, tailored collaboration partners Eden Theological Seminary’s initiative, “Navigating the Shift,” funded by a $5…

Upcoming
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…

Practicing Collaboration: Expanding Vocational Paths for Undergraduate Students
Videos & Webinars

Practicing Collaboration: Expanding Vocational Paths for Undergraduate Students

Dr. Jeff Carter, president of Bethany Theological Seminary, discusses the Brethren Higher Education Consortium and explores…

From confusion to clarity: strengthening your school’s brand
Videos & Webinars

From confusion to clarity: strengthening your school’s brand

Facilitator: Dan Kennedy, Vice President, The FOCUS Group Many theological institutions are facing mounting pressure regarding…

Strategic Shorts: Large-scale Collaboration and Difficult Personnel Decisions
Videos & Webinars

Strategic Shorts: Large-scale Collaboration and Difficult Personnel Decisions

How theological schools can navigate complex personnel decisions during large-scale collaborations.

Ep. 107: Creating a different future
Podcast

Ep. 107: Creating a different future

The future of theological education will require more than incremental change. In the latest episode of…

Ep. 103: Leading through deep change in a shifting landscape
Podcast

Ep. 103: Leading through deep change in a shifting landscape

Theological education is experiencing significant pressure, but the root challenge may be deeper than enrollment declines…

Ep. 102: An inflection point for theological education and an opportunity to lead
Podcast

Ep. 102: An inflection point for theological education and an opportunity to lead

As federal policies reshape higher education, leaders of theological schools face unprecedented pressure to adapt while…

Ep. 101: Regulation, Resilience, and Renewal: A 2026 outlook for theological education
Podcast

Ep. 101: Regulation, Resilience, and Renewal: A 2026 outlook for theological education

What does faithful leadership look like for theological schools in 2026?  In this forward-looking conversation, Frank…

Ep 94: Lessons to learn from Pathways initiative
Podcast

Ep 94: Lessons to learn from Pathways initiative

As the Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative reaches its midpoint, theological schools are navigating both promising innovations…

Ep. 93 – Staying ahead of the evolving world of AI in theological education
Podcast

Ep. 93 – Staying ahead of the evolving world of AI in theological education

As the world of artificial intelligence advances in theological education, leaders can stay ahead and find…

Ep. 92 – Faith, law, and the future: Governance in a shifting regulatory environment
Podcast

Ep. 92 – Faith, law, and the future: Governance in a shifting regulatory environment

What happens when federal education policy changes, roiling higher education, without specifically mentioning theological education? The…

Ep. 91 Coworkers in the vineyard: Adaptive change and the future of theological collaboration
Podcast

Ep. 91 Coworkers in the vineyard: Adaptive change and the future of theological collaboration

What if collaboration wasn’t a tactic, but a way of being? In this episode, Greg Henson…

Upcoming & Recent Webinars

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

Upcoming
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…

Practicing Collaboration: A Collaborative Vision for Global Theological Education

Videos & Webinars

Practicing Collaboration: A Collaborative Vision for Global Theological Education

In this conversation, Dr. Jo de-Blois, chief global engagement officer, and Dr. Adriaan Neele, president of…

Practicing Collaboration: A Collaborative Vision for Nazarene Theological Education

Videos & Webinars

Practicing Collaboration: A Collaborative Vision for Nazarene Theological Education

In this video, Dr. Jeren Rowell, president of Nazarene Theological Seminary, and Dr. Brent Peterson, dean…