♦ February 26, 2016 ♦
Since November, when our Board of Directors voted unanimously to consolidate in Chicago as recommended by our Beyond Walls Task Force, we have been pursuing several possible paths forward. Now, following decisions made at the Board’s February meeting, we know where we are headed, and when.
After considering several alternatives, the Board voted unanimously to establish a new home for Bexley Seabury in Chicago’s vibrant, ecumenically and theologically diverse Hyde Park/Woodlawn neighborhood. In July, we will unify seminary staff and faculty on the second floor of the Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS) at 1407 East 60th Street.
Our association with CTS dates from 1984, when our two seminaries joined the Association of Chicago Theological Schools (ACTS) as founding members. We are very pleased to take our association with CTS to a new level and build on our many shared values.
This move will make Bexley Seabury the sixth (sole Episcopal) seminary located in an approximately one-mile-square area. Importantly, the move will also help us achieve the number-one goal of our 2015–2017 Strategic Plan: increased access to theological education.
We announce this good news mindful of the many blessings of our 17-year collaboration with Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus. We look forward to celebrating our partnership with Trinity in May—and to participating in commencement there on Saturday, May 21, when we will award 2016 MDiv degrees. Then, in both Columbus and Chicago, we’ll be preparing for our July move to Hyde Park/Woodlawn.
We will spend the summer months getting situated at CTS, and begin teaching there in the fall. Our offering will include our Doctor of Ministry degree (both Congregational Development and Preaching concentrations) and our Anglican Studies and Lifelong Learning programs. Pending accrediting and state licensing approvals, we also plan to offer our Master of Divinity degree at the new location.
Among the many advantages of relocating to a single site in the Hyde Park/Woodlawn neighborhood:
- Substantially increased breadth and depth of ecumenical experience. Our community will blend with a rich mix of highly diverse individuals who represent a broad range of belief communities and practice traditions.
- Increased access to innovative online and hybrid courses, newly expanded by our use of proven online teaching technologies that CTS developed.
- Proximity to other ACTS member schools will help our students to take greater advantage of cross-registration privileges. This is particularly true for CTS coursework and the academic programming offered by its four theological centers: The Center for the Study of Black Faith and Life; The LGBTQ Studies Center; The Center for Jewish, Christian & Islamic Studies; and The Center for the Study of Korean Christianity.
- New housing options that are both convenient and affordable at Catholic Theological Union and Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, each approximately one mile from our new location.
- The opportunity to deepen our relationship with Chicago Theological Seminary and collaborate on multiple initiatives.
Visit “About Our New Building” on the CTS websiteand you’ll see that our new home is an impressive structure, tailor-made for creating community and providing a rich, 21-st century teaching-learning experience. The facility is modern (built in 2012), eco-friendly (Gold LEED-certified) and accessible for individuals with differing needs. In addition to dedicated offices, we will have access to well-appointed classrooms, a glass-enclosed chapel, and the CTS Learning Commons, which includes a 45,000-plus-volume collection of classical and contemporary theological thought.
Another important and exciting decision from the February meeting is the Board’s endorsement of a detailed framework for the Bexley Seabury Scholars Program. The program is designed to create new possibilities for potential ordinands, including leaders from underrepresented populations and under-resourced communities. Staff has begun next steps, including development of a collaborative diocesan-based strategy to identify candidates, and we will report progress as it develops. Meanwhile, we continue to offer needs-based scholarships to lay and ordained students.
Stay tuned for more details and please keep us up to date on any changes in your mail and email addresses so that we can keep you informed.
With thanks for your prayers, encouragement and feedback, may we follow Jesus to the cross this Lent with renewed humility and resolve,
Roger
P.S. You can review the press announcement here and learn more about CTS here.