Featured Archives - 51��Ƶ

51��Ƶ Welcomes 35 Graduates into the Alumni Community at 2026 Commencement

Tatiana Hoecker — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:48:31 +0000

Commencement week at 51��Ƶ was filled with joyful celebrations, meaningful worship, and beloved traditions as the community gathered to honor the Class of 2026. On May 20, 51��Ƶ conferred degrees on 35 graduates during its commencement ceremony at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Austin, Texas. Degrees were awarded across the seminary’s programs, including the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Master of Arts in Religion, Master of Arts in Spiritual Direction, and the Diploma in Anglican Studies.

The seminary also awarded honorary doctorates to four distinguished leaders: the Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe, 28th Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church; the Rt. Rev. Austin Rios ’03, Bishop of California; Robert Clarke Heidrick Jr.; and the Hon. Lora J. Livingston, both former members of the Board of Trustees from 2016–2025. Bishop Rowe delivered the commencement sermon, encouraging graduates to remain grounded in God’s peace and hope as they enter ministries that will undoubtedly bring both challenge and transformation. View Bishop Rowe’s commencement sermon here.

“It was a tremendous honor and joy to have our Presiding Bishop with us at this year’s commencement service at which he offered the commencement address as well as received an honorary doctorate from 51��Ƶ,” shared interim dean and president, the Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce, interim dean and president.��“The Presiding Bishop’s words touched hearts — he was honest, encouraging and spoke to them about being peacemakers in a world that needs peace. What a powerful message in this time in our world.”

Read the written citations linked below for each of the honorary degree recipients:

In the days leading up to commencement, students, families, faculty, and staff gathered for several celebrations recognizing the graduating class. On the evening before commencement, graduates attended their final Holy Eucharist as students in Christ Chapel. During the service, each graduate received a Seminary Cross from local jeweler James Avery, continuing a treasured 51��Ƶ tradition that has connected generations of alumni. Bruce preached at the service, offering words of encouragement and blessing as students prepared to transition into their next season of ministry and service, which is available to watch online here.��

The seminary also hosted receptions honoring graduates from its various degree programs. Counseling and Spiritual Direction graduates celebrated together at a special dinner attended by loved ones, faculty, and staff. The evening included welcomes from academic dean, the Rev. Benjamin King, PhD, and Bruce, along with a blessing from Gena St. David, PhD and an official welcome into the 51��Ƶ Alumni Association from the Rev. Lecia Brannon, director of alumni relations.

The celebration was marked by gratitude, laughter, and heartfelt recognition of the graduates’ accomplishments. One especially memorable moment came when current counseling students presented graduates with personalized “superlative” certificates highlighting their unique gifts, strengths, and contributions to the community.

“The 51��Ƶ senior reception to honor the counseling and spiritual direction graduates was a touching reminder of the reason these programs exist: to foster transformation as students transition into new professionals equipped to meet the spiritual and mental health care needs of diverse communities,” said St. David. “Through laughter, tears, superlatives, and blessings, we toasted our 2026 graduates and their courage in saying ‘yes’ to these meaningful vocations.”��

Graduates from the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Religion, and Diploma in Anglican Studies programs were honored at a separate luncheon later in the week. Along with their formal induction into the 51��Ƶ Alumni Association, graduates participated in a lively Q&A conversation with Bruce and the Rev. Alyssa Stebbing ’22, Rector of St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, Austin, Texas. The discussion covered everything from navigating ministry and family life to maintaining balance and finding joy in vocation, offering graduates practical wisdom and encouragement as they prepare for what comes next.

The week concluded with Last Gathering, one of 51��Ƶ’s most cherished traditions. Through videos, skits, tributes, and plenty of humor, the community offered heartfelt farewells to the graduating class. Spouses and partners were also recognized for the love and support they provided throughout the seminary journey, a reminder that formation and ministry are rarely undertaken alone.

Together, the celebrations of commencement week reflected the spirit of 51��Ƶ: rooted in worship, strengthened by community, and committed to preparing leaders for faithful service in the church and the world.

A photo gallery of the Class of 2026 commencement exercises and events can be viewed here.

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Anthony Baker and Gena St. David Announced as 58th Blandy Lecture Speakers

Tatiana Hoecker — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 15:57:13 +0000

51��Ƶ is proud to announce Anthony Baker, PhD and Gena St. David, PhD as the keynote speakers for the 58th annual Blandy Lecture, to be held in November 2026.��

“With so much overlap in the fields of theological education, mental health counselor education, and spiritual director education, it makes great sense to have two experts address the overlap,” shared academic dean, the Rev. Benjamin King, PhD. “It makes even more sense when those experts are our trusted colleagues and mentors. We all know Gena St. David and Tony Baker to be superb scholars and transformative teachers. They are also good friends. At this year’s Blandy Lecture, they will engage one another and us in intellectually stimulating and practical ways.”��

Anthony Baker, PhD is the Clinton S. Quin Professor of Systematic Theology at 51��Ƶ, where he has taught since 2004. He holds degrees from Olivet Nazarene University (M.A.) and the University of Virginia (Ph.D.) and is the author of several books, including Leaving Emmaus: A New Departure in Christian Theology (2021).

At 51��Ƶ, he teaches courses in constructive theology, historical theology, Christology, Trinity, and ecotheology, while also supporting campus sustainability initiatives. Baker has lectured and preached internationally, including at the Sorbonne and the University of Cambridge.

He serves as theologian-in-residence at St. Julian of Norwich Episcopal Church in Austin and maintains a small practice as a spiritual director. He is also a three-time Polity Bowl champion, catching the winning touchdown in 2025.

Gena St. David, PhD is Director of the Loise Henderson Wessendorff Center for Counseling and Spirituality and Professor of Counselor Education at 51��Ƶ. She holds degrees from the University of Texas at Austin (B.A.), George Fox University (M.A.), and St. Mary’s University in San Antonio (Ph.D.), and her latest book is The Nonviolent Brain (2026).

A licensed professional counselor and licensed marriage and family therapist, St. David is trained in systemic therapies, EMDR, trauma and neuroscience, attachment and play therapy, and the Enneagram. In 2013, she co-founded The Human Empathy Project, an Austin nonprofit that fosters empathic connection between faith and LGBTQ communities.

She is the author of numerous articles and book chapters on spirituality, ethics, and counseling, and is currently writing a book exploring the relationship between neuroscience and Christian theology. St. David and her family attend Vox Veniae Church in East Austin.

The daylong celebration will invite alumni and guests to reengage with the seminary’s academic and spiritual life. The schedule includes the opportunity to audit a morning class, attend an Alumni Eucharist in Christ Chapel, share lunch with the 51��Ƶ community, and participate in a late afternoon reception followed by Baker and St. David’s lecture.

More details and a schedule of the day will be released soon.

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Building Connections: MHC Alumni Panel Brings Together Graduates and Seniors

Tatiana Hoecker — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 15:53:30 +0000

This spring, the Master of Mental Health Counseling (MHC) program hosted a lively Alumni Panel event that brought together graduates and graduating seniors for an evening of conversation, mentorship, and encouragement. The event welcomed 10 alumni and 15 MHC seniors, creating a dynamic space for connection and professional reflection.

Throughout the evening, alumni introduced themselves and shared about their current roles, work settings, and the populations they serve. Their experiences offered students a wide-ranging look at the many paths available within the counseling profession.

“The energy at the Spring Alumni Panel was absolutely incredible,” shared Maria Reyna, PhD, Associate Professor of Counselor Education. “It was incredibly rewarding to see our alumni connect so deeply with graduating seniors, sharing everything from practical career advice to personal reflections on sustaining oneself in the field. The evening beautifully highlighted the strength, warmth, and enduring support of the MHC community.”

One of the highlights of the night was a rotating small-group discussion format, where alumni and seniors met in intimate groups to exchange insights and ask candid questions. Conversations covered topics such as navigating the search for a first job, transitioning into professional practice, and finding ways to sustain oneself in the emotionally demanding work of counseling.

The evening concluded with a thoughtful Q&A session, during which alumni reflected on lessons they wished they had known as students and offered words of wisdom to the soon-to-be graduates.

The Spring 2026 MHC Alumni Panel reflected the strength of the 51��Ƶ counseling community and the importance of relationships that continue long after graduation. The energy in the room was a testament to the shared commitment to supporting one another in the work of healing and care.

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The Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe visits 51��Ƶ Campus ahead of Commencement

Tatiana Hoecker — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 15:42:23 +0000

Last month, 51��Ƶ welcomed the Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe and the Rev. Molly James��to campus as part of the Class of 2026 Commencement celebrations. Rowe, presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church, delivered the commencement address and received an honorary doctorate from the seminary. James, interim executive officer of the Executive Office of the General Convention, accompanied him during the visit to Austin.

Before the Commencement Eucharist on May 19, Rowe met with the 51��Ƶ Board of Trustees, where he shared a vision of hope and renewal in the area of theological education.��

Rowe and James were also able to tour the 51��Ƶ campus. Eric Scott, vice president for advancement and communications, and Tatiana Suggs-Perea, director of communications, led Rowe and James on an extended walk through the seminary grounds, offering a glimpse into the daily life of the seminary community.

The Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce, interim dean and president reflects, “Whenever I am in the presence of our Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe, I remember that not only are we colleagues, we are friends who have worked side by side through a number of conventions, including the election of Presiding Bishop Curry and Sean’s own election. His presence on campus and his delight at the tour he received by Eric and Tatiana as well as meeting with the board of trustees cemented a bond between Presiding Bishop Rowe and 51��Ƶ. I hope and pray that he visits us again in the future — his wisdom, knowledge and wonderful sense of humor fit in so well with 51��Ƶ’s ethos.”

“It was a true joy to welcome Bishop Rowe and Rev. James to campus and to have the chance to share with them the life, beauty, and purpose of 51��Ƶ,” said Scott. “Their visit offered a meaningful reminder of 51��Ƶ’s critical place in the wider Church and the strength of the formation, community, and mission happening here every day.”

Beneath 51��Ƶ’s canopy of live oaks, Rowe and James visited beloved corners of campus, including Christ Chapel, the dining hall, classrooms, bookstore, and the Harrison Library. Along the way, the visit sparked memories of their own seminary journeys.��

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51��Ƶ Student Becomes First Episcopal Seminarian Selected for Bossey Institute in Switzerland

Tatiana Hoecker — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 15:31:32 +0000

As the church continues to deepen its commitment to ecumenical and interreligious engagement, one 51��Ƶ student is stepping into a historic opportunity that could shape future generations of Episcopal seminarians.

This fall, Michael Wheeler, a Master of Divinity middler at 51��Ƶ and a postulant from the Episcopal Diocese of California, will become the first Episcopal seminarian to study at the , the graduate school of the World Council of Churches. Located just outside Geneva, Switzerland, the institute is attached to the University of Geneva and offers graduate-level programs focused on ecumenical theology and the future of Christian unity.��

Wheeler is the first recipient of the Episcopal Church’s Charles Henry Brent Ecumenical Fellowship which awards him to spend the fall semester studying in Bossey’s Ecumenical Theology certificate program from September through January. The institute combines academic coursework with experiential learning, exploring how churches are responding to the challenges facing Christianity in the 21st century. Students study alongside Christians from a wide range of traditions and cultural contexts, creating a uniquely global learning environment.

For Wheeler, whose academic background includes undergraduate studies in history, the opportunity is deeply connected to both his intellectual interests and vocational calling.

“I’ve been Episcopalian my whole life,” Wheeler said. “This experience will enrich and broaden my understanding of Christianity and what it can be, and it will be instructive to my own faith, and useful to future settings in my ministry.”

Wheeler said part of his interest in ecumenical studies was sparked through reading the work of the Rev. Benjamin King, PhD, academic dean at 51��Ƶ and a scholar of church history and the Oxford Movement. Conversations between church leaders and seminary leadership eventually opened the door for the new partnership.

King shared, “Michael is the first recipient of the Charles Henry Brent Ecumenical Fellowship, which is named after the great ecumenist the Right Reverend Charles Henry Brent who was the first missionary bishop to the Philippines and bishop of Western New York. Michael already has experience of living in Europe as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant right after college. I am delighted that he will return to Europe for a semester, this time to the Bossey Ecumenical Institute, where he will use his intelligence, his kindness, and his commitment to intercultural Christian dialogue in service to The Episcopal Church.

The Rt. Rev. Mark D. W. Edington, Bishop in Charge of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, and the Rt. Rev. Peter Eaton, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida, were instrumental in encouraging Episcopal participation in the Ecumenical Institute, beginning conversations with seminary deans across the church. King expressed strong interest in the opportunity, helping create a pathway for Wheeler to apply.

The Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce, interim dean and president at 51��Ƶ, shared, “51��Ƶ is honored to have Michael as our inaugural seminarian to study at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey! Michael will flourish there and the students and faculty at the Institute will be enriched by Michael’s presence. I am especially excited for Michael because I literally walked in the footsteps of Bishop Brent a number of times in the Philippines. He was a missionary bishop par excellence, and I know Michael will grow this year. This is a great start to an ongoing opportunity for 51��Ƶ students!”

Wheeler interviewed with Bishops Edington and Eaton, as well as the Episcopal Church’s Ecumenical and Interreligious Officer, the Rev. Kirsten Guidero, before applying to the institute last November.

“I am delighted that Michael Wheeler has been selected as the Brent Fellow representing The Episcopal Church to the Bossey Ecumenical Institute!” shared Guidero. “Michael’s application stood out to both the fellowship selection committee and the Bossey admissions committee. His essay demonstrated his significant experience engaging ministry ecumenically and included a clear articulation of the need for emerging leaders to be ecumenically formed to shape the church of tomorrow. I am confident that Michael’s commitment to ecumenism will only deepen during his time away, and I look forward to how the insights he brings back will continue to bring ecumenism home into our parishes and dioceses.”

Church leaders hope Wheeler’s participation will be the beginning of an ongoing relationship between the Episcopal Church and the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey. The vision is for future Episcopal seminarians to follow in his footsteps, with Wheeler eventually serving as a mentor for those who come after him and contributing to the church’s broader ecumenical and interreligious work.

Wheeler’s attendance at Bossey is being made possible through the generous support of 51��Ƶ, the Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe, presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church, the Rt. Rev. Austin K. Rios, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California (Wheeler’s bishop), as well as support from the Church Center and the Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta.

In addition to his studies, Wheeler will participate in field education at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Geneva, an English-speaking Anglican congregation in the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe. The parish is known for its vibrant ministries, including a refugee welcome center and food ministry, as well as monthly Eucharist service offered in French.

Bossey itself has long been a center for ecumenical formation and dialogue. The institute’s extensive library and international programs have supported generations of church leaders seeking greater understanding across Christian traditions. Additionally, students participate in study trips and past trips have included visits to Rome during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

As Wheeler prepares for his semester abroad, this opportunity reflects a growing emphasis within theological education on collaboration, global learning, and Christian unity. 51��Ƶ is honored to partner with The Episcopal Church in supporting this historic initiative, equipping future leaders to engage faithfully across traditions and cultures while strengthening the church’s commitment to ecumenical and interreligious relationships.

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Iona Collaborative and 51��Ƶ to Offer Certificate in Congregational Spiritual Direction

Tatiana Hoecker — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:33:37 +0000

The Iona Collaborative announces the inaugural cohort of students for the Certificate in Congregational Spiritual Direction, offered in partnership with . A first-of-its-kind certificate program designed to prepare leaders for the ministry of spiritual direction for congregations, this new offering will equip leaders to embed spiritual direction practices at the heart of congregational life. Rooted in seminary-level formation and accessible through Zoom-based learning, the Certificate in Congregational Spiritual Direction (CCSD) program brings rigorous training to small-church leaders who feel called to cultivate spiritual depth in their communities.��

Iona Collaborative Program Director, Rebecca Hall, says, “The CCSD is an exciting opportunity to make a deep and lasting impact on the spiritual vitality of the church. Spiritual direction has long been recognized as a way to grow individuals’ faith and spiritual development. It only makes sense that it could also help our churches become communities of greater depth.”

Fourteen students, representing eleven Episcopal dioceses, will begin their studies in August. The three-semester sequence includes coursework offered in conjunction with 51��Ƶ’s M.A. in Spiritual Direction program, an in-person intensive at Camp Allen, a congregational fieldwork practicum in a church or diocesan setting, and ongoing evaluation and feedback using Iona’s Congregational Spiritual Director Assessment Matrix to ensure ministry readiness. Students will learn adaptable tools and practices that turn ordinary decision-making into opportunities for discernment, reflection, and renewal.

The Certificate in Congregational Spiritual Direction program is generously funded by a grant through the Thriving Congregations Initiative of the , Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. A primary aim of its grantmaking in religion is to deepen the religious lives of Christians, principally by supporting efforts that enhance congregational vitality and strengthen the leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment values the broad diversity of Christian traditions and endeavors to support them in a wide variety of contexts. The Endowment also seeks to foster public understanding about religion by encouraging fair, accurate and balanced portrayals of the positive and negative effects of religion on the world and lifting up the contributions that people of all faiths make to our greater civic well-being.

The Iona Collaborative is a learning community of educators dedicated to helping local leaders and small congregations thrive by offering local formation certificates and continuing education opportunities for priests, deacons, and lay leaders, as well as spiritual direction tools and training for congregations. The Collaborative resources over 30 U.S. Episcopal dioceses and global partners, including the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA). We are proud to extend 51��Ƶ’s commitment to be a seminary for the whole church, forming disciples of every order who are committed to their communities, grounded in the Anglican tradition, and prepared to lead a changing church into a changing world.

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Black Counseling Alumni Gathering at 51��Ƶ Centers Wellness, Connection, and Community

Tatiana Hoecker — Mon, 11 May 2026 14:19:26 +0000

In April, Counseling faculty and current counseling students at 51��Ƶ organized a special gathering for Black alumni of the Master’s in Mental Health Counseling (MHC) program. The day-long event took place on a Saturday in the Harrison Library on 51��Ƶ’s campus and centered on fostering connection, reflection, and rest among faculty, students, and alumni.

“It was a pleasure working on the MHC Black Alumni Lunch with MHC alum, Shaun Gandy and MHC faculty member, Dr. Maria Reyna,” shared MHC student Sheronda Rankin. “The theme was recharge. Attendees had the opportunity to reconnect and experience a sound bath facilitated by Black-owned business owner Sri Amirah of Omni Root Wellness. It was an enjoyable experience that received great feedback.”

The program opened with a welcome from Eric Scott, Vice President of Advancement and Communications, who invited alumni back to campus and set the tone for the day. Participants then engaged in lighthearted get-to-know-you activities designed to encourage connection and shared storytelling.

Following lunch, attendees participated in a sound bath—a meditative and immersive experience—facilitated by a practitioner from a local Black-owned business. The experience offered a restorative space for relaxation and grounding in community.

At the conclusion of the event, each participant received a wellness bag featuring items from local Black-owned and operated businesses, underscoring the day’s emphasis on care, community support, and celebration of Black entrepreneurship.

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51��Ƶ Faculty Engage in Leadership and Professional Dialogue at National Counseling Conference

Tatiana Hoecker — Mon, 11 May 2026 14:14:30 +0000

At this year’s American Counseling Association (ACA) Conference in Columbus, Ohio, 51��Ƶ was well represented, with counseling faculty taking on leadership roles throughout the four-day event.

Awa Jangha, PhD, assistant professor of counselor education, co-led a workshop titled “Ways of Being, Understanding, and Intervening: Applying the ASERVIC 2025 Best Practices.” The session introduced the 2025 ASERVIC Best Practices—formerly known as the ASERVIC Spiritual and Religious Competencies—highlighting significant updates since their original 2009 publication and the ethical foundations that informed the revision process. The workshop also featured John Harrichand of Montclair State University, Craig S. Cashwell of Clemson University, and Zobaida Laota of University of Cincinnati.

“It was an honor to attend and co-present at the 2026 annual American Counseling Association (ACA) conference,” shared Dr. Jangha. “I had the pleasure of working with phenomenal colleagues in a task force that revised the Association for Spiritual Ethical and Religious Values in Counseling’s (ASERVIC) 2009 Competencies for Addressing Spiritual and Religious Issues in Counseling into what is now ASERVIC’s . This conference presentation consisted of a panel moderated by the current ASERVIC president, Dr. John Harrichand, and featured a few members of the task force who worked on the revision including myself, Dr. Craig Cashwell, and Dr. Zobaida Laota. It was a joy to discuss the revision work and have conversation about practical ways to implement the S/R Best Practices across settings (counseling, supervision, and counselor education).”��

During the session, panelists examined the revision process and explored core ethical themes essential to competent counseling practice, including cultivating self-awareness (ways of being), deepening knowledge and understanding (ways of understanding), and applying competence in practice (ways of intervening). The discussion also emphasized honoring diversity and client autonomy, alongside a commitment to ongoing professional development and advocacy. Participants were invited to reflect on their own spiritual, religious, or non-belief perspectives, consider ethical strategies for integrating diverse worldviews into counseling assessment and interventions with client consent, and explore how cultural humility, supervision, and lifelong learning support ethical and responsible practice. Attendees also received practical resources,��

A more extensive review of the S/R Best Practices was recorded as a free continuing education offering for ACA members and made available this month (found ) along with a new podcast series that ASERVIC released in April that featured Dr. Jangha, Dr. Cashwell, and Dr. Daniel Gutierrez (found ).

Also in attendance was Marlon Johnson, PhD, who serves as President-Elect of the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE), a division of the American Counseling Association. SAIGE’s mission is to advocate for equity, inclusion, and professional development that ensures culturally responsive and affirming services for LGBTGEQIAP+ individuals. The organization also hosts its own annual conference, with the next gathering scheduled for October 2026.

The American Counseling Association Conference is widely recognized as the premier professional development and networking event for counselors across the United States.

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51��Ƶ Students Attended Annual AANHPI Episcopal Leadership Retreat

Tatiana Hoecker — Fri, 08 May 2026 18:49:30 +0000

By Rachel Ambasing, MDiv Class of 2028 and Postulant in the Diocese of San Diego

Rachel Ambasing, Tina Francis, and Iwao Asakura

Last month, I traveled to Seattle, WA, alongside fellow students, Tina Francis and Iwao Asakura, to attend the 2026 AANHPI (Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander) Episcopal Leadership Retreat. These annual gatherings are more than just “networking opportunities”; they are crucial spaces of connection where we’ve centered and celebrated the complex stories, diverse gifts and varied needs of the expansive AANHPI Episcopal community. Through these retreats I’ve encountered God in an expansive way, feeling challenged and invited to consider how God shows up in different bodies, places, and stories.

The first time I ever met Tina and Iwao was at one of these retreats (in Austin in 2023 and Portland in 2024, respectively, and back before I had an inkling that I would be an enrolled student at a seminary). My relationship with the two of them was a big reason I chose 51��Ƶ as my place of formation.

L-R: Iwao, Tina, The Rt. Rev. Allen Shin (Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of NY), The Rev. Jo Ann Lagman (Missioner for Asiamerica Ministries, The Episcopal Church), and future seminarian John Wagas.

This year, the theme of the retreat was “Let it Not Happen Again,” which is also the motto of l. The phrase served as a reminder to us of all that our ancestors endured. And, it was a reminder of our call to live in solidarity, not only with those suffering in the AANHPI community, but with all those people and communities whose needs have been historically unseen and underserved.

We were surrounded by solidarity across ethnic and racial lines as we made our pilgrimage through Seattle and Tacoma. In Seattle we visited , a historically Japanese church; in the ; and the ; while in Tacoma we visited the , and . Each of these communities started off as a space serving a particular cultural and ethnic group, but eventually grew to a place of expansive, inclusive belonging, service and safety to all who could connect with the stories being made in that place.

And, we had an opportunity to express our own solidarity through public witness when we visited the US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s detention center in Tacoma. The 70 of us attending the retreat gathered just outside of the fenced boundaries at an altar of remembrance set up and cared for by local organization, as well as the wider community. The altar already held prayers remembering those who had died in detention, including Charles Leo Daniel, and Jose Manuel Sanchez Castro, and for those still waiting to be freed. We prayed and sang songs as we hung strands of tsuru — origami cranes — until a waterfall of carefully folded, vibrant paper cascaded over the altar’s tent covering like a waterfall.

Over 5000 tsuru were collected from across The Episcopal Church, including over 250 from 51��Ƶ community, and coming to us from as far as Paris, France. The idea was inspired by , a group of Japanese American non-violent direct-action advocates for justice.

It was a packed, and busy retreat, and I left with gratitude for how God showed up through community care, collaboration, and being surrounded by folks committed to collective well-being.

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Formation in the Borderland: Juniors Journey to the U.S.-Mexico Border for Encuentro

Tatiana Hoecker — Mon, 04 May 2026 19:42:23 +0000

Each year, junior Master of Divinity students from 51��Ƶ take part in an immersive border experience that invites them to encounter the complex realities of migration, ministry, and life along the U.S.–Mexico border, called Encuentro. Through visits with community organizations, conversations with those directly impacted by immigration policy, and shared reflection with classmates and faculty, the journey becomes a powerful opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of faith, justice, and the Church’s role in the borderlands.

Experience this important trip through the Rev. Nancy Frausto’s, Director of Latinx Studies and Lecturer in Multicultural Ministry, reflections from each day.

Encuentro: Searching in the Borderland — Day 1

After long hours on the road, we arrived and were welcomed by Padre Cruz Hector Torres and Nora Salinas, forensics coordinator with the South Texas Human Rights Center. She led us out to the water stations scattered across the harsh terrain of Brooks County and the surrounding region. There, our students encountered a ministry of life-saving compassion: simple blue barrels filled with water, placed in the desert to prevent the deaths of those forced to make the journey on foot. Each station is both an act of resistance against indifference and a quiet proclamation that migrants lives matters.

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From the desert, we made our way to the Center’s office, where we met volunteer deputy Don White, locally known as the “Bone Collector.” With deep humility and unwavering commitment, Deputy White recovers the remains of those who have perished in the desert and works to help identify them. His work restores dignity to the dead and offers grieving families the possibility of closure; the sacred act of laying their loved ones to rest.

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It was a sobering and holy day. We closed our time together in prayer, remembering by name and spirit those whom Nora herself had helped recover and identify. The weight of their stories stayed with us.

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And yet, even in the heaviness, there was space for joy and community. We ended the day gathered around good food, and our very own Daniel TenSpot Weaver lifted our spirits by serenading us with mariachi.

Encuentro: The Work in the Borderlands — Day 2

It was a heavy day, one that held together service and sorrow, learning and prayer, the weight of stories and the quiet resilience of the people who carry them. We spent the day listening closely to the realities of border communities, where organized crime, poverty, and a fractured immigration system shape daily life in ways that are both visible and painfully hidden.

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We began by visiting the colonias, unincorporated communities along the U.S.–Mexico border, which often lack basic infrastructure, including clean water, sewage systems, paved roads, and reliable electricity. These are places where families build homes piece by piece, often on land they own but without access to the services many take for granted. And yet, they are also places of deep community, strength, and dignity.

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There, we witnessed the extraordinary ministry of Cali Fernández and the work of House of Love and Justice. Cali has committed her life to walking alongside families in the colonias, building trust, showing up consistently, and offering what is needed most: food, diapers, education, and above all, relationships. Her work is not charity from a distance; it is accompaniment, rooted in love and presence.

But even in these sacred acts of care, there is risk. ICE has been known to appear in these communities, sometimes targeting the very spaces where people gather for support. Cali shared that in the past, ICE agents had followed her, hoping to detain those who came seeking help. This morning, by the grace of God, she greeted us with the words, “No HIELO sightings today.” Still, contingency plans were in place to protect both the residents and our students should ICE show up.

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As we walked the dusty roads of the colonia, Cali paused and pointed to an empty lot. She shared her dream of one day purchasing that land to build a community center. We stood there together, holding that vision with her, praying over her and the empty lot.

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Later, we gathered for a roundtable conversation with Elkét Rodríguez, an immigration attorney, and Rogelio Núñez, a community organizer. They offered us a sobering yet clarifying overview of the history of South Texas and the immigration system as it stands today. What became clear is that the brokenness we witness is not accidental it is the result of policies and structures that have functioned exactly as they were designed to.

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We ended the day listening to stories of lives shaped and, at times, shattered by organized crime along the border. Stories of loss, fear, and survival.

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Throughout it all, questions echoed among us: What is God asking of us as people of faith? How do we respond to such deep injustice? How do we care for communities carrying so much trauma and unmet need? Cali’s words stayed with us: When you see the need in the world, as people of faith, you show up….no excuses!

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It was a heavy and holy day. We found comfort in one another, in shared meals, in laughter that broke through the tension, in tears that did not need explanation, and in prayers that held more than words could express. Together, we continued to listen for God’s call in the midst of it all. Keep sending those prayers. We need them.

Encuentro: The Wall, the River, and a Deep Faith in the Borderlands — Day 3

To stand at the border is to confront more than a wall. It is to encounter layered realities of land, water, politics, power, fear, and longing. In the Borderlands, even the river tells stories: of those forced to flee, of communities shaped by scarcity and climate pressures, and of those who believe a wall is necessary for safety. Nothing here is simple.

This morning, our group visited the Old Pump House in Hidalgo County, where we learned how water is governed and contested. The politics of water in this region reveal yet another dimension of the border: as drought intensifies and resources grow scarce, the river becomes not just a natural boundary but a site of tension and survival.

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It has been a heavy week. We have witnessed profound suffering, listened to stories marked by loss, and felt the weight of systems that fail the most vulnerable so, it felt almost jarring to move from the pump house to birdwatching. Fun fact: McAllen is known as one of the top birding destinations in the country.

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As we searched the trees and skies, the birds came crossing freely over the wall, back and forth without hesitation, and in my imagination they were almost defiant of the wall.

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This holy disruption carried us into prayer.

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Standing near the wall, gazing across at the discarded backpacks, clothing, and personal belongings left behind, we felt the weight of a question that would not let us go: How many lives have been lost in the pursuit of safety, and the so-called American dream?

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So we sang.

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We sang louder than we had all week, letting our prayer become a protest. We lifted our voices in the hymn “Profeta,” its words calling us to be bearers of truth and justice in a world that too often turns away. This was not a quiet prayer it was embodied, defiant, aching with hope. I found myself praying that these future clergy would have the courage not only to preach justice, but to live it! To stand in the tension, speak when it is costly, and to love when it is difficult.

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From there, we made our way to the river.

At the water’s edge, we prayed again. A gentle wind rose and carried our voices across to the other side. Almost as if creation itself was joining in, refusing the divisions we insist upon, carrying prayer where we could not go.

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That evening, we encountered another kind of witness.

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We listened to the testimony of a woman whose life has been marked by unspeakable violence. And yet, she stood before us with steady, unwavering faith and declared, “God is good.” To believe in God after experiencing so much evil… we found ourselves without words.

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Only awe.

God indeed is good.

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And so the questions of Encuentro linger with us still: Where is God in the suffering? How do we hold onto life in the face of so much death? How do we choose love when hate feels easier even justified?

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I pray that something in these days has taken root in the hearts of our students. I pray they are learning to recognize signs of hope in places that once felt like despair. That they will carry these stories as sacred callings. That their ministries will be shaped by what they have seen: a faith that refuses to look away, a hope that insists on life, and a love that crosses every border.

Encuentro: Finding God in the Borderlands — Day 4

Our journey has come to an end.

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Before heading home, we gathered for worship, where Padre Cruz preached a top-notch sermon. (He must have had an incredible preaching professor). His sermon both comforted and challenged us: what we have witnessed here must now shape how we live and lead in the Church.

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I leave tired and deeply grateful.

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Grateful for my team—Dr. Dominique A. Robinson and Dean Sarah Mast, for their steady leadership and care. Grateful for our student leaders, Elizabeth Holland, James Haney, GA Whitehead, and Christina Allen, and for all my students, whose openness to this encuentro gives me hope that seeds for ministry with vulnerable communities have been planted.

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I leave the border with a dream for the Church, that it would move toward the Borderlands, not away. Listening deeply to the stories of migrants and those who accompany them. Dream with me!

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God is in the Borderlands.

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The question is whether we, as the Church, will have the courage to meet God there.

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Dr. Johnson Named Board Member of City of Austin LGBTQ Quality of Life Advisory Commission

Tatiana Hoecker — Mon, 04 May 2026 15:25:24 +0000

Marlon Johnson, PhD, Dean of Community Life and Associate Professor of Counselor Education, was recently named a Board Member of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Quality of Life Advisory Commission for the City of Austin.��

The represents members of the LGBTQ community by serving as an advisory body to the city council on issues that affect LGBTQ individuals and the community as a whole. The commission consults with the city council and relevant city departments to help improve the ability of the City to effectively serve, support, and employ LGBTQ residents. It recommends policies and initiatives designed to enhance health, safety, economic opportunity and affordability, mobility, cultural and educational opportunities, and government access and accountability for the LGBTQ community.��

“My work on the LGBTQ Quality of Life Commission for the City of Austin feels like a natural extension of our core values of Conversation, Mutuality. and Respect,” reflected Dr. Johnson. “While we train and form people for ministry and clinical practice, a core aspect of our formation involves learning how to advocate for and with others through hearing and addressing the needs of those around us. I’m grateful to be invited to this commission and to bring that culturally-inclusive, spiritually integrated viewpoint to the table. I hope to model what it means to serve others as a community engaged scholar.”��

The commission also helps coordinate and participate in educational programs that promote equal treatment, opportunity, and understanding, and may facilitate gatherings such as meetings, forums, institutes, or courses aimed at fostering dialogue and solutions to community concerns. In addition, it collaborates with other city commissions to address issues of intersectionality, helps create and evaluate LGBTQ quality-of-life initiatives, and carries out additional responsibilities as directed by the city council.

The commission was created in 2017 and board members serve for a term of two years.��

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Upcoming Manross Lecture to Feature the Rev. Benjamin King, PhD

Tatiana Hoecker — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 17:13:13 +0000

The Historical Society of the Episcopal Church will host the next Manross Lecture & Banquet on June 20, 2026, featuring the Rev. Benjamin King, PhD, Academic Dean and Professor of Church History at 51��Ƶ. The lecture will explore themes in Anglican and Episcopal history, drawing on King’s research into nineteenth-century Anglicanism, the Oxford Movement, and the church’s historical relationship with issues such as slavery and empire.��

The Manross Lecture is a distinguished series sponsored by the Historical Society of the Episcopal Church and named for historian and benefactor William Wilson Manross. Established in 2006, the lecture is typically presented during years of the church’s General Convention and invites leading scholars to reflect on the history and ongoing life of the Episcopal tradition. Past lecturers have included prominent historians and theologians who examine the church’s role in culture, theology, and society.

The June lecture and banquet will take place on Saturday, June 20, 2026 at 6:00pm at the Holiday Inn-Vanderbuilt in Nashville, Tennessee. The lecture will be recorded and made available to the public for those not able to attend in person.��

This year’s lecture offers an opportunity for scholars, clergy, and church leaders to engage with current historical scholarship while reflecting on how the Episcopal Church’s past continues to shape its present and future. Attendees can expect an evening of thoughtful historical insight and conversation with one of the leading voices in Anglican church history today.

Learn more about the lecture and register to attend .

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Counseling Program Hosts First Threaded Case Study Discussion

Tatiana Hoecker — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:30:57 +0000

On March 24, the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (MHC) program at 51��Ƶ hosted its first-ever MHC Threaded Case Study Discussion, bringing together counseling students from across cohorts and all counseling faculty for an evening of integrative learning.

The gathering marked a milestone for the program, as it created a shared space for students at different stages of training to engage in a common case study they had been exploring throughout their courses. The event was designed to foster deeper reflection on clinical reasoning, professional identity, ethics, spirituality, and systems thinking within the counseling field.

Gena St. David, PhD, Director of the Loise Henderson Wessendorff Center for Counseling and Spirituality and Professor of Counselor Education reflected, “The success of this inaugural event confirmed what we already believe: clinical formation happens best in community. Students didn’t just observe faculty at work — they watched experienced clinicians sit with uncertainty, name power and race, and integrate spirituality with humility, and then they did the same. There is no substitute for that kind of learning, and no better sign of a program’s health than a room full of people at different stages of training thinking hard together.”��

The evening began with a faculty “fishbowl” discussion modeled after a Grand Rounds format. Counseling faculty engaged the case study from a variety of clinical perspectives, including individual counseling, child-focused work, couples and family systems, and ethics. As students observed, faculty members demonstrated how experienced clinicians approach complex cases by identifying key concerns, acknowledging where issues of power and race may emerge, considering how spirituality might be integrated responsibly, and making space for uncertainty and professional disagreement in the clinical process.

Following the faculty discussion, students participated in reflective teams made up of mixed cohorts. Each small group examined the case through a specific lens—such as equity, spiritual integration, process observation, or clinical insight—and developed one key reflection and one question to bring back to the larger group.

The evening concluded with a full-group dialogue and a brief written reflection, allowing students and faculty to synthesize insights from the discussion and consider how the case study connected to their ongoing learning and formation as counselors.

The inaugural Threaded Case Study Discussion reflected the counseling program’s commitment to cultivating a learning environment grounded in curiosity, humility, antiracism, and spiritual integration, while strengthening connections across the program’s counseling community.

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51��Ƶ Celebrates Strong Presence at Episcopal Parish Network Conference

Tatiana Hoecker — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:47:44 +0000

51��Ƶ made a memorable showing at the conference in early March, reconnecting with alumni, friends, parish leaders, and church partners from across the Episcopal Church.

Throughout the gathering, 51��Ƶ’s booth was a steady center of conversation, hospitality, and renewed connection. Visitors stopped by to learn more about the seminary’s work in forming leaders for vocations of ministry, service, and healing, and to reconnect with faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the institution. The booth’s strong traffic reflected both the vitality of the conference and the seminary’s growing visibility across the wider church.

A particular highlight of the week was 51��Ƶ’s dinner for alumni and friends, which offered a distinctive and warmly received opportunity for fellowship amid a full conference schedule. The gathering created space not only for reunion and conversation, but also for renewed commitment to the seminary’s mission and future. In a conference marked by rich programming and busy days, the dinner stood out as a joyful expression of the 51��Ƶ community’s depth of relationship and shared purpose.

The conference’s closing keynote by the Rev. Steven Tomlinson, PhD, associate professor of leadership and administration at 51��Ƶ, provided one of the most memorable moments of the event. According to the Episcopal Parish Network, Tomlinson’s address, invited participants to gather “the wisdom of the week into a single, living story of faith.” Rather than offering a simple set of strategies or solutions, the keynote drew attention to “the deeper patterns of our time together,” including “the courage to face truth, the willingness to be repaired, the hope that grows through community, and the joy of lifelong formation.”

EPN also described Tomlinson as drawing on his gifts as “storyteller, theologian, and teacher” to help listeners reflect on what it means “to live faithfully in a world both aching and alive with possibility.” Through story, humor, and spiritual insight, he reminded participants that the Church’s shared life, its relationships, imagination, and witness, reveals God at work among us. The conference organizers said the keynote celebrated the Episcopal Parish Network and the wider Episcopal Church as “a vibrant, connected community equipping leaders, strengthening parishes, and boldly imagining what’s next.”

Tomlinson’s own background reflects the distinctive interdisciplinary strengths of 51��Ƶ. In addition to serving on the seminary faculty, he holds a PhD in economics from Stanford University, taught economics and finance for 17 years at The University of Texas at Austin, designed and directed the MBA professional development program there, and continues to coach leaders in corporate and organizational settings on leadership and communication strategy. He is also an accomplished playwright and performer whose solo work has been staged in Austin and off-Broadway.

For 51��Ƶ, the conference offered more than visibility. It provided an opportunity to strengthen relationships, celebrate the seminary’s contribution to the life of the church, and witness the ways 51��Ƶ faculty and alumni continue to shape faithful leadership for a changing world. The combination of a lively conference presence, a warm gathering of alumni and friends, and Tomlinson’s powerful keynote made the week a notable moment of connection and encouragement for the seminary community.

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Dr. Marlon Johnson Delivers Keynote at Sold-Out TACES Midwinter Conference

Tatiana Hoecker — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:45:44 +0000

51��Ƶ’s Dr. Marlon Johnson was a keynote speaker at the 2026 TACES Midwinter Conference, a sold-out gathering of counselor educators, supervisors, and counseling professionals held March 5–6 in Georgetown, Texas. Hosted by the Texas Counseling Association, the conference drew a full registration and waitlist, signaling strong interest in this year’s program.��

Johnson delivered the Friday keynote, “Break, Bond, or Burn: Getting Fired Up for Counselor Education.” In conference materials, the presentation was described as an exploration of fire as a metaphor for advocacy and growth within counselor education and supervision. His keynote followed a Thursday session featuring updates from the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors.��

“It was an honor to represent 51��Ƶ’s Mental Health Counseling Program in this statewide organization,” reflected Johnson. “When I was asked by Dr. Diane Smedley (President-Elect of TACES) to keynote, I felt excited and empowered by her conference theme. It gave us a voice to show Counselor Educators and Supervisors how collaborative action, culturally-responsive classroom activities, and spiritually-inclusive grounding techniques fuels us forward in the profession.”

At 51��Ƶ, Johnson serves as Dean of Community Life and Associate Professor of Counselor Education. He is a licensed professional counselor whose work includes narrative and child-centered play therapy, and he joined the faculty in 2019 after completing his PhD in counselor education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.��

Since then, Johnson has become an important leader in both the classroom and the life of the seminary. In 2024, he was appointed Dean of Community Life, a role focused on helping cultivate a healthy, vibrant, diverse, and spiritually rich community at 51��Ƶ while continuing his teaching responsibilities. In 2025, he was also promoted to associate professor.��

His scholarly and professional interests include multicultural counselor education, questions of identity and formation, and the preparation of counselors equipped to serve with cultural awareness and spiritual depth. Those commitments resonate strongly with 51��Ƶ’s mission and with the concerns shaping counselor education today.��

Johnson’s keynote appearance offered an important moment of visibility for 51��Ƶ and for its counseling programs. As conversations continue across the profession about advocacy, formation, and the future of counselor education, his presence at TACES reflected the seminary’s growing contribution to those conversations in Texas and beyond.��

For 51��Ƶ, the occasion was also a reminder of the distinctive work its faculty are doing in the wider professional community. Through teaching, scholarship, and public engagement, Johnson continues to help form culturally inclusive, spiritually integrated mental health professionals prepared to serve individuals, families, and communities with wisdom and care.

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51��Ƶ Leaders Help Shape House of Bishops Conversation on Theological Education

Tatiana Hoecker — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:42:28 +0000

Theological education and priestly formation were among the central topics at the House of Bishops’ meeting held March 17-23, 2026, at Camp Allen in Navasota, TX. 51��Ƶ half of the week’s sessions focused on how The Episcopal Church will prepare future priests for ministry in a changing church. The conversation reflected the complex realities facing theological education today, including affordability, student debt, changing pathways to ordination, and the growing need to form leaders who are theologically grounded, pastorally skilled, emotionally mature, and ready to serve in a wide range of ministry settings.��

51��Ƶ was well represented in those conversations by the Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce, Interim Dean and President; the Rev. Benjamin King, Ph.D., Academic Dean and Duncalf-Villavoso Professor of Church History; and the Rev. Nandra Perry, Ph.D., Director of the Iona Collaborative. Bishop Bruce is a member of the House of Bishops and is Chair of the Joint Budget Committee and Vice Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Finance.

“To be a member of the House of Bishops AND represent the seminary as the Interim Dean and President was a unique role for me in this most recent HOB meeting. Watching Dr. King and Dr. Perry talk with Bishops and share their wisdom with the House was a joy!” said Bishop Bruce. “The Bishops were very engaged in the conversations around theological education. This was, hands down, the best meeting on theological education the House of Bishops has ever had.”

Bishops gave sustained attention to the relationship between residential seminary education and local formation models, recognizing that the church needs both the depth and immersion of residential community and the practical responsiveness of diocesan and contextual formation close to where ministry takes place. The tone of the conversation was not anxious, but hopeful, with a sense that the church is entering a new era of discernment about how best to form priests for the future.��

The Rev. King and the Rev. Perry both participated in presentations to the full House, contributing directly to the bishops’ shared discernment about the future of formation in The Episcopal Church. For 51��Ƶ, the gathering underscored a conviction at the heart of its mission: the church needs priests who are not only well educated, but also spiritually grounded, pastorally prepared, and ready to lead with steadiness and grace. That work remains central to 51��Ƶ’s calling to form leaders for ministry, service, and healing.

“Spending spring break at the House of Bishops was an unexpected joy,” said the Rev. King. “What I discovered was a great deal of support and goodwill among the bishops for what all the seminaries are doing, and for the direction we at 51��Ƶ are taking! It turned out to be an invaluable time.”

The participation of Bishop Bruce, Dr. King, and Dr. Perry reflected 51��Ƶ’s deep commitment to the future of theological education and to the church’s ongoing work of forming faithful, capable clergy for a changing landscape of ministry.

“Collaboration is the future of theological education,” said the Rev. Perry. “I think that’s the vision we all embraced: a ‘mixed ecology’ of bishops, seminaries, and diocesan schools working closely together to form the new, more diverse generation of leaders we all know our church needs. Through the Iona Collaborative, 51��Ƶ has been investing in this vision for nearly a decade now; so it was incredibly affirming to see it beginning to flourish.”

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The Rev. Gayle Fisher-Stewart, PhD Preaches and Lectures at 2026 Payne-Harvey Event

Tatiana Hoecker — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:30:25 +0000

On March 26th, 51��Ƶ welcomed the Rev. Gayle Fisher-Stewart, PhD, as the keynote speaker for the 2026 Payne-Harvey Lecture. Dr. Fisher-Stewart not only delivered the keynote address in the evening but also preached in Christ Chapel earlier in the day at Eucharist. In both her sermon and lecture, Dr. Fisher-Stewart shared insight and inspiration from her own experience and posed important questions for seminarians to consider as they grow in their formation.

The Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce, interim dean and president, reflected, “The Rev. Dr. Gayle Fisher-Stewart is a person not afraid to ask hard questions and bring up sometimes painful truths. She does so out of her deep love and commitment to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. She brought her love of Jesus and her commitment to peace and justice to the seminary in a profound way for our students, faculty, staff and friends.”��

Gayle Fisher-Stewart is a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and a native of Washington, D.C.. Before answering the call to ordained ministry, she retired as a captain from the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia and later taught at the university level while consulting for organizations including the International City/County Management Association and the United States Department of Justice. Throughout her career, she has remained focused on addressing the effects of racism in the criminal justice system, education, and the communities she has served. A longtime advocate for justice, she has written extensively on race, policing, and the church, including the article “To Serve and Protect: Race, the Police and the Episcopal Church in the Black Lives Matter Era” in the Anglican Theological Review. She is also the author of Preaching Black Lives (Matter) (2020), Black and Episcopalian: The Struggle for Inclusion (2021), and Church Hurt: Reparations for My Soul – Healing Racialized Trauma, which calls for the church to acknowledge the trauma of racism as a step toward repair. In response to national protests following the murder of George Floyd, she also developed the curriculum “To Serve and Protect: Bridging the Gap Between the Police and the Black Community.”

Fisher-Stewart has served widely in church and community leadership. After nine years as president of the Crummell-Cooper Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians, she continues her advocacy through service on her diocese’s reparations committee and as chaplain for the Takoma Park Police Department in Takoma Park, Maryland. She has also served on the diocesan finance committee and on the racial justice committee at Washington National Cathedral, where she helped advocate for the removal of the cathedral’s Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson windows. In 2024, she received the Bishop Quentin Primo Jr. Award from the Union of Black Episcopalians in recognition of her extraordinary leadership as a pastor and advocate for justice in the church and the wider community.

Since their inception, the Payne and Harvey Lectures have brought diverse and influential theological voices to the campus of 51��Ƶ. Originally two separate lectures, they were combined to address scheduling challenges and to maintain a February focus during Black History Month, reflecting their shared themes. Hosted by the seminary’s Board of Trustees and organized by students, the Payne-Harvey Lecture explores mission, leadership, and contemporary challenges facing the church. The lecture honors Claude E. Payne, former chair of the seminary’s board and retired bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, and Hudnall Harvey, the seminary’s dean from 1967 until his death in 1972.

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The Rev. Teresa L. Fry Brown Receives 2026 McDonald Teaching Award

Tatiana Hoecker — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:27:45 +0000

On March 9, 2026, at midday Eucharist and assembly, the Rev. Teresa L. Fry Brown, PhD was presented the 2026 Durstan R McDonald Teaching Award from 51��Ƶ. Established upon the retirement of Dean Emeritus the Very Rev. Durstan R. McDonald in 2002, the McDonald Teaching Award is given each year by the Faculty of 51��Ƶ in recognition of exceptional teaching in the spirit of the award’s namesake.

Dr. Fry Brown also preached at the service on March 9th and gave an inspirational and moving sermon in Christ Chapel.

Watch the sermon and awarding of the 2026 McDonald Teaching Award here

Read Dr. Fry Browns’ McDonald Award Citation here

In addition to receiving the award, Dr. Fry Brown guest lectured during Dr. Robinson’s Intertextual Preaching course on Monday, March 9th.

MDiv senior, Elizabeth Holland reflected, “Dr. Teresa Fry Brown’s presentation challenged me to think more deeply about preaching as an embodied, sensory experience, inviting me to reflect not just on my words, but how I inhabit the pulpit, what my words might look like, feel like, taste like, etc. Her encouragement to own my own space and speak from the language of my heart was both grounding and affirming, and reinforced what Dr. Robinson has been teaching us as well.”

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Dr. Fry Brown served as the fourteenth Historiographer, the editor of the A.M.E. Review, Executive Director of Research and Scholarship (2012-2024), and President of the General Officers’ Council of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (2021- 2024). Dr. Fry Brown was Director of Black Church Studies at Candler (2007-2015). Dr. Fry Brown obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in Religious and Theological Studies from the Iliff School of Theology and the University of Denver, with an emphasis in Religion and Social Transformation (1996). She earned a Juris Master’s from Emory University School of Law (2025), a Master of Divinity from Iliff School of Theology (1988), a Master of Science degree (1975), and a Bachelor of Science degree (1973) in Speech Pathology and Audiology from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri.��

Dr. Fry Brown has extensive teaching and preaching experience in national, international academic, and ecumenical settings. A prolific author, Dr. Fry Brown’s books include Delivering the Sermon: Voice, Body and Animation in Proclamation, Fortress Press (2008); Can A Sister Get a Little Help: Advice and Encouragement for Black Women in Ministry, Pilgrim Press (2008); God Don’t Like Ugly: African American Women Handing on Spiritual Values Abingdon Press (2000); Weary Throats and New Song: Black Women Proclaiming God’s Word Abingdon Press (2003) and the African American History Devotional, Abingdon Press (2006). Additionally, she has published sixty other reviews, chapters, and commentaries.

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Celebrating Community and Connection During Women’s History Month at 51��Ƶ

Tatiana Hoecker — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:37:01 +0000

51��Ƶ marked Women’s History Month with several events on campus that celebrated community, connection, and the contributions of women and gender minorities to our local and global community.

As part of the month-long observance, the seminary hosted an International Women’s Day lunch in early March in its dining hall. The event brought together students, faculty, and staff for a time of fellowship, creativity, and shared reflection.

“It was both joyful and meaningful to witness the ways in which the women and gender minority students in our seminary community uplift and empower one another,” shared the Rev. Jeehei Park, PhD, Associate Professor of New Testament. “I felt enriched by the creativity, wisdom, and support shared during the celebration. I’m deeply grateful to Tatiana and Brynn for their thoughtful organization of this event.”��

Attendees participated in a welcoming and inclusive environment that encouraged individuals to express themselves authentically. The gathering included opportunities for conversation and connection, as well as hands-on activities that fostered community-building among participants. Guests were also invited to bring friends, family members, or mentors, extending the celebration beyond campus and strengthening relationships across communities.

“It was wonderful to join together with fellow women and get to know each other a little better through the International Women’s Day lunch,” shared Tatiana Suggs-Perea, Director of Communications, who helped organize the lunch. “The women of 51��Ƶ are some of the most creative, compassionate, and caring people I know and I am glad we were able to honor them.”

Later in the month, a Women in Ministry Roundtable was held and invited all female-identifying Master of Divinity students to learn more about navigating ordained ministry as a woman. The lunch included a panel conversation with women faculty including the Rev. Nancy Frausto, the Rev. Madeline Hawley, the Rev. Jeehei Park, PhD, and Rev. Dr. Dominique Robinson.��

Through this gathering, 51��Ƶ affirmed its commitment to cultivating an inclusive and supportive community, while creating space to celebrate and uplift the voices and experiences of women and gender minorities.

Later in the month, 51��Ƶ celebrated the Feast of Oscar Romero and honored the Women Martyrs of El Salvador. During El Salvador’s Civil War, four U.S. church women – Ita Ford, Maura Clarke, Dorothy Kazel, and Jean Donovan – were raped and murdered by U.S.-backed Salvadoran National Guardsmen on December 2, 1980, while assisting refugees. Additionally, Elba Ramos and her daughter Celina were killed in 1989 alongside Jesuit priests, highlighting the violent repression targeting those serving the poor during the civil war.

At the service of remembrance, Master of Divinity senior, the Rev. MaryJane Plote, preached and the Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce, interim dean and president, presided. The event was filled with beautiful music by the Chavez Family band, posters featuring photos and quotes from Oscar Romero’s life, books from the Harrison Library on the topic, and special prayers. One of those prayers was written by MDiv middler, Sam McRae, who wrote an original prayer for the opening of the service:

Holy and Merciful God, we give you thanks for the life and example of your daughters Maura, Ita, Dorothy, Jean, Elba and Celia who heard the call of your servant Saint Oscar Romero to serve your people of El Salvador; we acknowledge their imperfections, their missteps, and their struggles; we celebrate their love, their dedication, and their devotion to follow wherever you call. Grant to us, your humble servants, a like faith and power of love, that we who thirst for your justice, and ache to do your will, may see ourselves within the faces of these, your daughters, and be encouraged; give us their strength and courage in your ultimate freedom to be peacemakers in times of war, disciples in times of darkness, and servants who faithfully work as the hands and feet of Christ. In your mercy, O Lord, give us, as you gave to them, the hope of salvation and the promise of eternal life; in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd, Advocate, and Friend, Amen.

Following the service, the whole community was invited to enjoy traditional El Salvadorian pupusas in the dining hall.

At the end of the month, the student-led annual Payne-Harvey Lecture featured the Rev. Gayle Fisher-Stewart, PhD this year. Read more about this exciting event and Fisher-Stewart’s time on campus here.

Together, these gatherings offered opportunities for reflection, learning, and celebration, highlighting the many ways women and gender minorities continue to shape the life of the Church and the wider world. Through shared meals, thoughtful conversation, worship, and community engagement, 51��Ƶ honored the legacy of those who have come before while encouraging the next generation of leaders to continue the work of justice, compassion, and faithful service.

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Latinx Counseling Concentration Seniors Present Community Collaboration Projects

Tatiana Hoecker — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:13:04 +0000

On Monday, March 30, the Latinx Counseling Concentration (LCC) seniors presented their community collaboration and social justice projects to the community. The purpose of the community collaboration project is to support students in learning about Latinx-serving agencies that promote mental wellness, celebrate Latinx joy, foster community engagement, and provide outreach within the Latinx community.

“This component is designed to help students explore the range of resources available to the Latinx community while also contributing their time through volunteer work,” shared Stephanie Ramirez, Associate Professor of Counselor Education and Coordinator of the Latinx Counseling Concentration Program.��

As part of the project, students completed three hours of service with a Latinx-serving agency, engaging directly with the community and participating in continued learning experiences with Latinx populations.

The Latinx Counseling Concentration is a specialization offered by the seminary for Clinical Mental Health Counseling students with the purpose of preparing and training curious, culturally empathic, accepting, self-aware counselors. The objective of this concentration is to help foster bilingual and bicultural counselors in order to work more effectively with diverse generations within the Latino/Hispanic community. Students in the concentration will gain the knowledge, skills, and awareness needed in order to work with this population. The mission of 51��Ƶ’s Masters of Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is to prepare counselors through a social justice oriented curriculum and a spiritually integrated foundation so that they can be builders of beloved community. Learn more about the LCC and counseling program at 51��Ƶ here.

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51��Ƶ Launches Search for 10th Dean and President

Tatiana Hoecker — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 21:44:09 +0000

Composition of the Presidential Search Committee:

The Rt. Rev. Kathryn M. Ryan, ex officio
Josephine Hicks, Chair
The Rt. Rev. Diana Akiyama, Trustee
Dr. Anthony Baker, Theology Faculty
Trish Young Brown, Trustee
Frederick L. Clement, Executive Vice President
The Rev. Nancy Frausto, Theology Faculty
The Rev. Paula Jefferson, Alumnae
Dr. Marlon Johnson, Clinical Faculty
The Rev. Gabbie Munn, Alumnae
Alison Poage, Director of Harrison Library
The Rev. Rhonda Rogers, Trustee
The Rev. Chad Vaughn, Trustee

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51��Ƶ Hosts Pauli Murray Reception Honoring Scholars and St. James’ Episcopal Church, Austin

Tatiana Hoecker — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 17:19:37 +0000

On Thursday, February 19, 2026, 51��Ƶ welcomed guests to the Weeks Campus Center’s Howell Dining Hall for a special reception celebrating the Pauli Murray Scholarship. The evening followed the 5:30 p.m. Eucharist and brought together students, faculty, clergy, supporters, and community partners to honor the enduring legacy of Pauli Murray.

The Eucharist celebrated the Feast of Pauli Murray, an annual community-initiated service at 51��Ƶ,which is student-led and organized. This year’s thoughtful and meaningful service was organized and planned by MDiv senior Ariane “Ari” Gandy. This year’s presider was the Rev. Scott Madison, Class of 2025, and former Pauli Murray scholarship recipient. The Rev. Jewels Wolf, MDiv senior, preached an inspirational sermon at the service.

The program began at 7 p.m. with a welcome and blessing offered by the Rt. Rev. Kathryn M. Ryan, who also introduced the Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce, interim dean and president. Bishop Bruce reflected on the significance of the scholarship and its role in supporting students called to ministry and leadership in the Church. He then introduced Committee Chair the Rev. Mary Keenan.

Keenan offered remarks of gratitude and vision, highlighting the scholarship’s impact before introducing Judge Lora Livingston, who shared a brief history of the Pauli Murray Scholarship and its growth as a tangible expression of the seminary’s commitment to justice, equity, and theological education shaped by Murray’s witness.

Vickie Blumhagen then honored St. James’ Episcopal Church in Austin for its partnership and longstanding support of the scholarship, and introduced the Rev. Eileen O’Brien, Rector of St. James’. In her remarks, O’Brien reflected on the congregation’s history of courageous leadership:

“It is an honor for St. James’ Episcopal Church’s contribution to the Pauli Murray Scholarship at the 51��Ƶ to be recognized. Since 1941, this faithful community has been listening carefully for the needs of the people of God with an ear to equity and human dignity, and St. James’ has often gone out on a limb to take risks to do big things during times of transition in its own community’s life. This scholarship initiative is an example of that spiritual practice of holy risk-taking in response to human need and a vision for a more representative and equitable Church community. We are delighted to see it bear great fruit!”

Her words underscored how the scholarship reflects St. James’ commitment to “holy risk-taking” in pursuit of a more representative and equitable Church.

Later in the program, Keenan expanded on the scholarship’s impact on seminarians themselves, noting that its significance extends well beyond financial assistance. She shared that she hears repeatedly from recipients about the encouragement they experience through the generosity of St. James’:

“What the people of St. James’ did when they formed the Pauli Murray Scholarship is more than provide financial support. I hear again and again from seminarians who have received the scholarship how much it means that people they have never met support them, believe in them, and share their dreams for the future of the church.”

The program concluded with thanks to sponsors and supporters and current Pauli Murray Scholars were recognized. The evening closed with words of gratitude from Keenan and an invitation to continued fellowship. Marked by prayer, remembrance, and celebration, the reception reflected both the legacy of Pauli Murray and the seminary’s ongoing commitment to forming leaders for a more just and faithful Church.

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51��Ƶ Celebrated 100 Years of Black History Month with Community-Wide Events and Engagement

Tatiana Hoecker — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 17:00:36 +0000

In February, 51��Ƶ marked Black History Month by creating and sharing an Austin Community Engagement Guide. The guide highlighted local Black-owned businesses, featured events taking place across the city, and offered historical context about the origins and significance of Black History Month. The resource invited students, alumni, supporters, and neighbors to deepen their engagement with Austin’s Black community throughout the month.

As part of its observance, 51��Ƶ hosted a Black History Month Keynote and Reception on Wednesday, February 4, on campus. The evening began with a keynote address in Knapp Auditorium, followed by a dessert reception in the dining hall. The event featured keynote speaker Chas Moore, co-founder and co-executive director of the Austin Justice Coalition.

Moore, a nationally respected organizer and speaker, shared insights from his work at the intersection of justice, abolition, and Black liberation. As organizing director of the Austin Justice Coalition, Moore led grassroots initiatives centered on the lives and experiences of Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized communities impacted by systemic oppression. Under his leadership, the organization advocated for a historic $150 million reallocation from the Austin Police Department to fund community-centered alternatives, contributed to reshaping the city’s Use of Force policy, and led a successful campaign opposing a controversial police union contract.

51��Ƶ also hosted a Mardi Gras Celebration on Tuesday, February 17. The evening began with a welcome and live music from the Duane Carter Band in Howell Dining Hall, followed by dinner from a local food truck serving a fusion of Honduran and Creole cuisine, Five O Four. The celebration was open to the entire community and offered an opportunity for fellowship between all students. Students started a Second Line to retrieve and invite the Counseling students to join in the celebration when their classes ended.

On Thursday, February 19, the seminary gathered for a Feast of Pauli Murray Eucharist and Reception, honoring the life and witness of Pauli Murray. The service and reception invited the community into prayerful reflection on Murray’s enduring legacy of faith, justice, and advocacy. To learn more about the event and the scholarship, read more here.

In addition to its on-campus programming, 51��Ƶ encouraged participation in affiliated events across the city. Huston-Tillotson University hosted its Opening Black History Month Chapel Service on Tuesday, February 5. Later in the month, alumni and community partners joined the Celebrate Black Austin walking tour and block party hosted by Third Spaces in East Austin. The event included a free East Austin history tour, a vendor marketplace featuring Black-owned businesses and artisans, food trucks, and live music, marking 100 years of celebrating Black history in the city.

Reflecting on the month’s events, Dr. Awa Jangha, Loise Henderson Wessendorff Associate Professor of Spiritual Integration in Counseling, said, “This year we celebrated 100 years of Black History Month. The theme and focus of the events this year were on connecting with the community both internally (across our academic programs) and externally (in engagement with our local community). All month, 51��Ƶ’s Community Engagement Guide for Black History was highlighted as it also shared local events, national resources, and local Black owned businesses and restaurants to support. We kicked off with a dynamic Keynote Address by social justice activist, Chas Moore, worshipped together with Huston-Tillotson University at their Opening Black History Month Chapel Service, jubilously partied together in Mardi Gras style to the music of the Duane Carter Band, and finished the month supporting Celebrate Black ATX where the walking tour of East Austin highlighted local Black history. It was such a joy to connect, learn, and celebrate together.”

Through these gatherings and resources, 51��Ƶ sought to honor Black history, amplify Black voices, and foster deeper community engagement throughout Austin during Black History Month.

*PC: Jalen Jones at HTU

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The Rev. Jeehei Park, PhD Promoted to Associate Professor of New Testament

Tatiana Hoecker — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 16:42:29 +0000

At its February 2026 meeting, the Board of Trustees of 51��Ƶ accepted leadership’s recommendation and unanimously approved tenure and promotion for the Rev. Jeehei Park, PhD advancing her to the rank of Associate Professor of New Testament effective immediately.��

“It is such a delight to have Dr. Park among us now as associate professor with tenure,” shared academic dean, the Rev. Benjamin King, PhD. “She is a formidable scholar of the New Testament and a terrific teacher of the same. There are countless ways in which Dr. Park serves this community internally and externally, including as a deacon in the United Methodist Church. What a gift to have her share her gifts with us in this more senior role!”

Reflecting on the milestone, Park expressed deep appreciation for her professional community and the personal significance of the moment. “I am deeply grateful to have received promotion and tenure,” she said. “This affirmation is both humbling and encouraging. I feel truly fortunate to be part of the 51��Ƶ community, where learning and growth are shared commitments. I believe we are living out what Paul teaches about community building — it is never perfect, yet we press on together with purpose and hope. I look forward to continued collaboration with all of the seminary’s constituents as we carry forward our mission to form leaders for ministry, service, and healing.”��

The Rev. Jeehei Park, Ph.D., joined the seminary faculty in 2021. Prior to coming to 51��Ƶ, she taught at General Theological Seminary. She holds a Master of Divinity (concentration in New Testament and Early Christianity) from Harvard Divinity School and a PhD in Christianity in Antiquity from Fordham University. Professor Park is the author of All Citizens of Christ: A Cosmopolitan Reading of Unity and Diversity in Paul’s Letters (Brill, 2022). Her research and teaching interests include the New Testament, race/ethnicity in the Roman world, material culture in early Christianity, and decolonial and postcolonial theories and theologies. Professor Park’s work has been recognized with several awards and fellowships including the Forum for Theological Exploration dissertation fellowship and the Louisville Institute postdoctoral fellowship. She is an ordained deacon in The United Methodist Church.��

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51��Ƶ Counseling Program Recognized Nationally, Reaffirmed by CACREP for Eight Years

Tatiana Hoecker — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 16:33:12 +0000

The Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree program is pleased to have received a reaffirmation of full accreditation by CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs) for another eight years. CACREP accreditation represents the highest standard in counselor education curriculum nationwide and 51��Ƶ is proud to offer one of the only accredited clinical mental health counseling programs in Central Texas.��

The counseling program at 51��Ƶ has also received national recognition from CACREP as a model program for antiracist counselor education, infusing social and racial justice practices throughout the professional counseling curriculum. 51��Ƶ’s counseling program integrates spiritual competencies with professional counseling standards to equip graduates to serve “the whole person” and meet the needs of underserved communities.��

“Achieving a reaffirmation of our full CACREP accreditation is a testament to the excellence of our curriculum and counseling faculty,” shared Dr. Gena St. David, Director of the Loise Henderson Wessendorff Center for Counseling and Spirituality and Professor of Counselor Education. “Each of 51��Ƶ’s counseling professors are scholars of caliber. They are active clinicians and leaders within the national counseling field. And they are creative and caring individuals. It is a privilege to teach among such colleagues and lead this rich learning community.”

Find out more about the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree at 51��Ƶ here.

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Payne-Harvey Lecture Speaker Announced as the Rev. Gayle Fisher-Stewart, PhD

Tatiana Hoecker — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 16:22:20 +0000

This year’s student-led Payne-Harvey Lecture will feature the Rev. Gayle Fisher-Stewart, PhD. The event will take place on Thursday, March 26, 2026 at Knapp Auditorium at 51��Ƶ.��

Before the lecture, all are invited to attend a Litany in Christ Chapel at 5:30pm and reception in the Howell Dining Hall at 6:00pm. For more information about the event and to RSVP, please visit this link.

The Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce, interim dean and president, shared: “I am very excited to welcome my friend and colleague the Rev. Dr. Gayle Fisher Stewart to the 51��Ƶ campus for the Payne-Harvey Lecture. The community will benefit greatly from her words, sharing and her presence with us. I look forward to Q&A time with her as well.”

Gayle Fisher-Stewart is a priest in the Diocese of Washington. A native Washingtonian, prior to accepting the call to ordained ministry, she retired from the Metropolitan Police Department as a captain and then taught at the university level.�� She also consulted for the International City/County Management Association, the U.S. Department of Justice and local government organizations. Throughout her career, she has been ever mindful of the effects of racism in the criminal justice system, the educational system, and various communities in which she has served. She has been an outspoken advocate for making the reign of God a reality for everyone based on her belief that “we don’t have to live this way.” The violence, economic inequities, racism and all the other -isms and phobias are choices we make in violation of the love God showed at creation and continues to show in spite of human beings “missing the mark.” After nine years as president of the Crummell-Cooper Chapter, Union of Black Episcopalians, she has turned over the gavel to a new president and continues to serve on the diocesan reparations committee and as the chaplain for the Takoma Park Police Department (MD). She served on the diocesan finance committee and the Washington National Cathedral’s racial justice committee and was part of the committee that pushed for the removal of the Robert E. Lee-Stonewall Jackson windows at the Cathedral. She was the 2024 recipient of the Union of Black Episcopalians “Bishop Quentin Primo, Jr.” award for “extraordinary leadership as a pastor and advocate for justice in the community, church and beyond.”

Committed to making the reign of God real for everyone at the grass-roots level, she has written on race, policing and the Episcopal Church.�� “To Serve and Protect:�� Race, the Police and the Episcopal Church in the Black Lives Matter Era” was published in the Summer (2017) edition of the “Anglican Theological Review.” Her book, Preaching Black Lives (Matter) (2020) asks and answers the question, what would the church look like if black lives mattered? In Black and Episcopalian: The Struggle for Inclusion (2021), she makes the case that African Americans should be able to bring their authentic selves to the church and not be forced to fit into a mold determined by the dominant culture. In response to the uprisings over the police murder of Mr. George Floyd, she developed and presented the curriculum: “To Serve and Protect: Bridging the Gap Between the Police and the Black Community.” She recently published the 2nd edition of her third book, Church Hurt: Reparations for My Soul – Healing Racialized Trauma, which makes the case that the trauma of racism and white supremacy must be fully acknowledged before the church can begin the process of reparations/repair and what needs to be done in our current age.

She lives in Takoma Park, MD, and the love of her life is her son, David.

Hosted by 51��Ƶ’s Board of Trustees and supported by student leadership, the Payne-Harvey Lecture series remains a cornerstone of the seminary’s commitment to bringing timely, diverse, and visionary voices to its campus. Named in honor of the Rt. Rev. Claude E. Payne—former bishop of the Diocese of Texas and longtime chair of the seminary’s board—and the late Dean Hudnall Harvey, who served as 51��Ƶ’s dean until his untimely death in 1972, the lecture series remains focused on mission, leadership, and the evolving challenges and opportunities facing the Episcopal Church.

The lecture will be live-streamed on the seminary website as well as on the 51��Ƶ .��

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51��Ƶ Seminarians Attended Episcopal Church’s Seminarians of Color Conference

Tatiana Hoecker — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 16:18:56 +0000

By Sascha Anderson, Postulant from the Diocese of the Rio Grande

In January of this year, a group of seven AAPI, Black, Indigenous, and Latinx seminarians from 51��Ƶ joined seminarians from across the Episcopal Church at the Seminarians of Color Conference, held in Oklahoma City. The conference brought together BIPOC students from seminaries and divinity schools across the country with folks from the Episcopal Church’s Asian America, African Descent, Indigenous, and Latino Ministries departments. We heard from recent seminary graduates, lay leaders, and bi-vocational clergy.�� We heard from powerful speakers like the Reverend Guy Hewitt, Director of the Racial Justice Unit for the Church of England, who spoke to us about racial reconciliation in the Church of England; and the Rev. Dr. Mary Christ (Amskapi Pikuni / Blackfeet Nation), who spoke to us about her incredible work with St. Michael’s Ministry Center in Riverside, CA, funding and establishing a permanent supportive housing initiative from the ground up.��

The value that came from being in a room with other seminarians who shared lived experiences cannot be overstated. To be in a room surrounded by people praying in Xhosa, Chahta, Lakota, Japanese, Spanish, and other languages felt, to me, like the best expression of God’s church and the past, present, and future of our faith communities. Clergy of color continue to face myriad challenges in ministry–including access to seminary education and mentorship after seminary–but bringing us together to learn from one another and to build solidarity was a true blessing. It also highlighted the continued need for our faith communities to continue to invest resources in developing clergy and church leadership who reflect the diversity of all of God’s people, as diverse and vibrant communities are not built without strong and sustained support.��

I am tremendously grateful to the missioners and staff of the Episcopal Church who made this possible and to 51��Ƶ for support in attending the conference. I’m already looking forward to next year!

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The Rev. Teresa L. Fry Brown, PhD Named 2026 McDonald Teaching Award Recipient

Tatiana Hoecker — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 17:33:46 +0000

51��Ƶ recently announced that the Rev. Teresa L. Fry Brown, PhD, is the 2026 McDonald Teaching Award recipient. Dr. Fry Brown is the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs (2022-present) and Bandy Professor of Preaching (2015-present) at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She will receive the award on Monday, March 9, 2026 at the midday Eucharist service and assembly in Christ Chapel on the campus of 51��Ƶ.

Established upon the retirement of Dean Emeritus the Very Rev. Durstan R. McDonald in 2002, the McDonald Teaching Award is given each year by the Faculty of 51��Ƶ in recognition of exceptional teaching in the spirit of the award’s namesake. Dr. Fry Brown was nominated for this year’s award by Rev. Dr. Dominique Robinson, Assistant Professor of Preaching at 51��Ƶ.

“Dr. Fry Brown represents the very best of homiletical scholarship and pastoral formation,” shared Dr. Robinson. “As someone who has benefited from her mentorship, I’m especially grateful to celebrate this recognition of her impact and to welcome her into our shared learning space.”

In addition to receiving the award, Dr. Fry Brown will guest lecture during Dr. Robinson’s Intertextual Preaching course on Monday, March 9th.

Additionally, Dr. Fry Brown served as the fourteenth Historiographer, the editor of the A.M.E. Review, Executive Director of Research and Scholarship (2012-2024), and President of the General Officers’ Council of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (2021- 2024). Dr. Fry Brown was Director of Black Church Studies at Candler (2007-2015). Dr. Fry Brown obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in Religious and Theological Studies from the Iliff School of Theology and the University of Denver, with an emphasis in Religion and Social Transformation (1996). She earned a Juris Master’s from Emory University School of Law (2025), a Master of Divinity from Iliff School of Theology (1988), a Master of Science degree (1975), and a Bachelor of Science degree (1973) in Speech Pathology and Audiology from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri.��

The midday service where Dr. Fry Brown will be presented with the McDonald Award is open to the public, and will be livestreamed at the ssw.edu website and the.

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51��Ƶ Counseling and Theology faculty to present nationally on clergy well-being and counselor formation

Tatiana Hoecker — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 17:40:10 +0000

Members of the faculty from 51��Ƶ will take part in two national gatherings in early spring, bringing the seminary’s work in theological education, mental health formation, and clergy well-being into conversation with church and academic leaders from across the country.

At the end of February, Dr. Marlon Johnson, the Rev. Dr. Dominique Robinson, and Dr. Awa Jangha will travel to Chicago to present at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, one of the nation’s largest annual gatherings focused on faith, justice, and leadership in the Black church tradition. The conference, which convenes clergy, scholars, and community leaders each year, centers on preaching, public theology, and the intersection of faith and social transformation.��

The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference gives a special focus on the seminarian experience, and, “affords an unprecedented and unique opportunity for seminarians to partake in a specially designed intensive.”��

The 51��Ƶ faculty members will collaborate with the Rev. Dr. Brandon Crowley of Episcopal Divinity School on a panel addressing clergy well-being, entitled “Tending the Shepherds: Clergy Wellbeing in a Time of Burnout and Renewal”. Dr. Crowley was the Crump Visiting Professor and Black Religious Scholars Group Scholar-in-Residence for the 2021-2022 academic year at 51��Ƶ.��

More information about this year’s gathering is available at .

The seminary’s presence at the Proctor Conference continues its longstanding engagement with national theological networks and conversations around pastoral leadership, racial justice, and congregational vitality.

Also, on Friday, March 6, Johnson will deliver a keynote address at the Texas Counseling Association’s midwinter gathering, entitled “Break, Bond, or Burn: Getting Fired Up for Counselor Education.” His keynote will explore “fire as a metaphor for advocacy and growth within counselor education and supervision.” Details about the conference can be found .

Together, the upcoming presentations in Chicago and Texas reflect 51��Ƶ’s investment in both clergy well-being and counselor education at a time when faith communities and helping professions alike are grappling with burnout, rapid change, and new opportunities for collaboration.

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Bishop Diane Jardine Bruce Commissioned as Interim Dean and President

Tatiana Hoecker — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 17:23:35 +0000

On January 29, 51��Ƶ commissioned the Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce as interim dean and president during the Thursday evening community Eucharist in Christ Chapel, marking the beginning of her leadership at 51��Ƶ. The Rt. Rev. Kathryn M. Ryan, bishop suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and chair of the 51��Ƶ Board of Trustees, preached and presided. Members of the Board were present to offer prayers and formally commission Bishop Bruce in her new role.

Students, faculty, staff, trustees, alumni, and members of the wider Austin community gathered for the service, which celebrated both continuity and a sense of new energy in the seminary’s common life. Prayers were offered for Bishop Bruce’s ministry and for the seminary’s ongoing work of forming leaders for ministry, service, and healing across the church and in the world.

“What an honor and a privilege to join the 51��Ƶ in this time of transition,” said Bishop Bruce. “This is a strong, vibrant, multifaceted community of learning, and I am proud to be a part of it.”

Bishop Bruce comes to 51��Ƶ with broad experience in Episcopal and pastoral leadership. Most recently she served as bishop provisional of the Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri, where she helped guide the diocese through a period of transition with an emphasis on collaboration, clarity, and care for relationships. Previous to that position, she served as bishop suffragan in the Diocese of Los Angeles for 11 ½ years and has long been known for her commitment to multicultural ministry and formation for mission. She brings to 51��Ƶ a reputation for relational leadership and for helping institutions move faithfully through times of change.

Following the service, the community gathered in the Howell dining hall for a festive reception celebrating Bishop Bruce’s love for barbeque (both Texas and Kansas City styles) and Motown classics. Students and staff mingled with trustees and local supporters, offering greetings and conversation as Bishop Bruce was warmly welcomed into the life of the seminary community. The evening carried a spirit of celebration and anticipation, pointing toward the work ahead and the shared commitment to 51��Ƶ’s mission.

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Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe Announced as Commencement Speaker

Tatiana Hoecker — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 17:19:30 +0000

51��Ƶ proudly announced that the Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe, 28th Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, will deliver the commencement address at the Commencement Exercises on May 20, 2026. In addition to giving the address, Rowe will receive an honorary doctorate from the seminary.

Honorary doctorates will also be awarded to the Rt. Rev. Austin Rios ‘03, Bishop of California, Clarke Heidrick, and the Honorable Lora Livingston, both former Board of Trustee members from 2016-2025.

“What an honor to have our Presiding Bishop as our commencement speaker!” shared the Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce, interim dean and president. “Having known him for over 16 years, and working closely with him for most of that time, it is a great honor to have him with us! I am also excited that 51��Ƶ selected an additional three stellar members of the community to receive honorary doctorate degrees. This will be a much blessed day at the seminary.”��

The Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe was elected presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church in June 2024 and took office on Nov. 1 for a nine-year term. In this role, he serves as the church’s chief pastor and CEO. Known for his expertise in organizational learning and adaptive change, Rowe is committed to strengthening support for local ministry and mission.��

He was ordained bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania in 2007 after serving as rector of St. John’s in Franklin, Pennsylvania, for seven years. From 2014 to 2018, he served as bishop provisional of the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem, and from 2019 to 2024, he led a partnership between the Episcopal Dioceses of Northwestern Pennsylvania and Western New York.��

Rowe holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Grove City College, a Master of Divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary, and a doctorate in organizational learning and leadership from Gannon University. He has served as a leader of many civic and churchwide organizations and governance bodies, and as parliamentarian for the House of Bishops.��

The 51��Ƶ Commencement Exercises will be held at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd on May 20, 2026, at 10am. The event is open to the public and will be livestreamed to the seminary website and Facebook page. Find out more information about the commencement events here.

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New Essay Collection Wisdom, Knowledge, and Faith Highlights Voices Shaping the Future of Episcopal Theology

Tatiana Hoecker — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 17:46:06 +0000

Wisdom, Knowledge, and Faith: New Essays on the Future of Theology and the Episcopal Church—a forthcoming collection from Church Publishing Incorporated—brings together fifteen contemporary Episcopal thinkers reflecting on the vocation, challenges, and promise of theology in the life of The Episcopal Church. Edited by the Rev. Kelli Joyce and Robert MacSwain, this volume introduces readers to a rich diversity of voices, from established scholars to rising theological leaders. The book also features a foreword by Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe, who frames the collection as an important contribution to the church’s ongoing theological discernment and mission.

Among the contributors is Anthony Baker, PhD, Professor of Systematic Theology, whose essay engages critically with theological vocation and the work of theology in the church today. His participation underscores the book’s commitment to both scholarly depth and ecclesial relevance.

Joyce, a co-editor of the collection, is not only shaping this important theological conversation in print but also in the classroom—serving as an adjunct faculty member for the Spring 2026 semester at 51��Ƶ, where she brings her expertise in doctrinal, liturgical, and contemporary theological concerns to a new cohort of students.

To celebrate the ideas in Wisdom, Knowledge, and Faith, a public webinar titled “Wisdom, Knowledge, and Faith: The Future of Theology” is scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, 2026, from 2:00 to 3:00 PM ET. The event will feature a distinguished panel of Episcopal theologians—Scott MacDougall, Kara Slade, Kelli Joyce, and Olufemi Gonsalves—moderated by Robert MacSwain. Panelists will explore emerging trends, innovative approaches, and essential questions shaping theological education and practice, while sharing how their own intellectual journeys inform their vision for the discipline. Registration for the webinar is available .

This book and its accompanying conversation offer readers and participants alike a chance to engage with fresh perspectives on the future of theology in the church and academy.��

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51��Ƶ Senior Defends MAR Thesis, Begins PhD in New Testament

Tatiana Hoecker — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 17:32:56 +0000

On December 2, 2025, Catharine Corder successfully defended her Master of Arts in Religion thesis, “A Novel Approach to Acts: Conceiving a Hybrid Church.” Her committee included Anthony Baker, PhD, the Rev. Jeehei Park, PhD, and Rodney Caruthers, PhD from Austin Seminary who all shared their enthusiasm for both her argument and methodology, as well as the overall execution of the project.

“As her faculty mentor, I am very proud of Catharine for the academic achievement she made here,” said Park. “Her openness, curiosity, and commitment were inspiring, and I am thrilled to see her journey continue at Brite Divinity School.”

Baker added, “Our MAR program gives students the opportunity to work closely with a faculty mentor, diving into research questions that they are passionate about. Catharine’s work with Dr. Park is a shining example of the kind of deep and meaningful work students in this program can produce.”

Catharine will continue her academic journey this spring as she begins her PhD program in Biblical Interpretation, concentrating in New Testament.��

51��Ƶ’s Master of Arts in Religion program prepares students for doctoral study, teaching, lay leadership, and a wide range of ministries by combining rigorous academic study with close faculty mentorship and a vibrant residential community. Students pursue focused research in areas such as biblical studies, theology, ethics, and church history while benefiting from the seminary’s interdisciplinary life alongside MDiv and counseling students. With small cohorts, individualized advising, and opportunities for advanced research and writing, the MAR program offers a strong foundation for those discerning further academic work or seeking deeper theological formation for service in the church and world.

To learn more, visit the 51��Ƶ website or schedule a visit.

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Message from the Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce on the Letter from the Bishops

Tatiana Hoecker — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 13:53:26 +0000

My siblings at 51��Ƶ,

I write to you today to let you know that at 8:00am ET this morning, I was 1 of 154 bishops who signed a letter that was posted on to reach people across the spectrum who care about fairness, safety, and the rule of law. The concerns we bishops are raising—protecting children, ensuring safe communities, and upholding human dignity peacefully—belong to everyone, not to one political side or the other. That letter can be found and below this message.

Our message as bishops is simple: we’re calling for peaceful, lawful ways to stand up for what’s right. Real safety comes from mutual respect, courage, and moral accountability. By sharing this message, where many independent and centrist readers turn for news, we’re inviting reflection, rather than argument.

As a seminary in Texas with strong and meaningful ties to Latinx communities, we see each day the effect these immigration enforcement efforts have on our neighbors, our friends, and ourselves. These are trying times for our entire nation.��

We’re praying for everyone affected—essential workers, law enforcement officers, immigrant families, and local communities—because we’re all in this together.

Our Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe posted his own message last week which you can find .

These are complex times in a complex world — but the simple truth is that we are bound by our love of Jesus to speak the truth in love. The letter from the bishops is one that is rooted in the recent senseless deaths in Minnesota, but more deaths, more separations, more unlawful detainments have been made. Our letter is one point in time, but the time has come for our voices to be raised.

A message to our fellow Americans

We, the undersigned bishops of The Episcopal Church, write today out of grief, righteous anger, and steadfast hope.

What happened a week ago in Minnesota and is happening in communities across the country runs counter to God’s vision of justice and peace. This crisis is about more than one city or state—it’s about who we are as a nation. The question before us is simple and urgent: Whose dignity matters?

In the wake of the tragic deaths of two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, we join Minnesotans and people across the nation in mourning two precious lives lost to state-sanctioned violence. We grieve with their families, their friends, and everyone harmed by the government’s policies. When fear becomes policy, everyone suffers.

We call on Americans to trust their moral compass—and to question rhetoric that trades in fear rather than the truth. As Episcopalians, our moral compass is rooted firmly in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This is what we know. Women were shoved to the ground, children torn from their families, and citizens silenced and demeaned for exercising their constitutional rights. These actions sow fear, cast doubt, and wear us down with endless noise.

We cannot presume to speak for everyone or prescribe only one way to respond. For our part, we can only do as Jesus’ teaching shows us.

A Call for Action

This is a moment for action. We call on people of faith to stand by your values and act as your conscience demands.

We urge the immediate suspension of ICE and Border Patrol operations in Minnesota and in any community where enforcement has eroded public trust. Because the rule of law is weakened, not strengthened, when power is exercised without restraint.

We also call for transparent, independent investigations of the people killed—investigations centered on truth, not politics. Justice cannot wait, and accountability is essential to healing.

We call on the elected officials of our nation to remember the values that we share, including the rule of law. Rooted in our Constitution, it ensures that law—not the

arbitrary will of individuals—governs us all, protecting individual rights, ensuring fairness, and maintaining stability.

A Shared Commitment

Every act of courage matters. We must keep showing up for one another. We are bound together because we are all made in the image of God. This begins with small, faithful steps.

As bishops in the Episcopal Church, we promise to keep showing up—to pray, to speak, and to stand with every person working to make our communities just, safe, and whole. We are committed to making our communities safer and more compassionate:

So children can walk to school without fear.
So families can shop, work, and worship freely.
So we recognize the dignity of every neighbor—immigrant communities, military families, law enforcement officers, nurses, teachers, and essential workers alike.

You may feel powerless, angry, or heartbroken right now. Know that you’re not alone. Each of us has real power: community power, financial power, political power, and knowledge power. We can show up for our neighbors, support small businesses and food banks, contact elected officials and vote, and learn our rights so we can speak up peacefully without fear.

Choosing Hope

The question before us is simple and urgent: Whose dignity matters? Our faith gives a clear answer: everyone’s.

Safety built on fear is an illusion. True safety comes when we replace fear with compassion, violence with justice, and unchecked power with accountability. That’s the vision our faith calls us to live out—and the promise our country is meant to uphold.

In the face of fear, we choose hope.

By the grace of God, may this season of grief become a season of renewal. May courage rise from lament, and love take root in every heart.

View the full letter with signing bishops’ names . A Spanish translation can be found at this .

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A Season of Leadership and Hope: Introducing 51��Ƶ’s Interim Dean and President

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 20:14:49 +0000

The Rt. Rev. Kathryn M. Ryan and the Rt. Rev. Diane Jardine Bruce at a welcome tea party for Bishop Bruce at 51��Ƶ

The Rt. Rev. Diane Jardine Bruce has joined 51��Ƶ as Interim Dean and President, bringing with her decades of experience in parish ministry, diocesan leadership, and collaborative institutional life. In the conversation below, Bishop Bruce shares what excites her about 51��Ƶ, how her varied vocational path has shaped her approach to leadership, and what gives her hope for the future.

What drew you to 51��Ƶ in particular, and what excites you most about serving the community during this season of growth?

I have long admired the forward-thinking direction the 51��Ƶ has taken. From the Iona Collaborative to the Mental Health Counseling Program; from the MDiv, MAR, and MSD degrees to the Latinx and chaplaincy concentrations, these offerings reflect a holistic approach to formation that meets the needs of both the church and the world today.

The Rt. Rev. Diane Jardine Bruce’s welcome remarks to the faculty and staff at 51��Ƶ

What parts of your personal and professional background have most shaped who you are today and the way you approach leadership?

Having served as a banker for 17 years, a curate in a downtown county seat, a rector of a bilingual parish in a beach community, a bishop overseeing multicultural ministry and stewardship, and a provisional bishop in the heart of the country, I have learned that the most important work any leader can do is to build strong professional relationships. For me, leadership is rooted in listening and collaboration to ensure the success of the organization as a whole. Listening allows leaders to think holistically and to guide an institution not by personal will alone, but by the insight and wisdom of those who carry out the work day by day.

What are you most looking forward to experiencing in Austin, both on campus and in the wider city?

Since my son completed his MA and PhD at the University of Texas, I am already familiar with much of Austin. I have visited this seminary many times, which is part of why I have grown to love it so deeply. I enjoy exploring not only the seminary’s immediate surroundings, but the city of Austin and the region beyond. Over time, I have compiled a list of “must-see” places and restaurants, drawing recommendations from friends and sources like Atlas Obscura. I look forward to spending weekends exploring and checking items off that list, in part as a way to better understand the environment in which the seminary is planted.

The Rt. Rev. Diane Jardine Bruce at Monday Connection in January

As you step into this role, what do you see as the seminary’s greatest strengths—and where do you sense opportunities for growth or renewal?

This seminary has a long, strong history of enriching the world with people prepared to preach, teach, counsel, care for, and change the world. The faculty and staff excel at their work, and those who come here to study in any of the disciplines offered or who participate locally in the work of the Iona Collaborative, are enriched by the experience which helps make wherever they land in the ministry or work a much better place. In terms of growth or renewal, I will always advocate for diversity and reconciliation – meaning that expanding and enhancing the opportunities to look deeply at our shared history, tell the truth about all that has happened around us, and work towards healing is paramount. I am grateful that this Seminary is long down this road. Is there more that can be done? Of course there is. This is complex work. I am grateful to the openness to do this work here.��

What gives you hope right now—for theological and counselor education, for the Church, and for the future of 51��Ƶ?

I believe the 51��Ƶ is a beacon of light and hope for the Episcopal Church—a community marked by respect, hospitality, and mutuality. The seminary honors, integrates, and lives out a wide range of essential disciplines through a shared life of conversation and collaboration, all of which are vital to the life of the church and the needs of the world today. To lose any part of these multifaceted programs would diminish the seminary’s ability to serve both the church and the wider world. My heart is full of joy every time I talk to a student or a member of the faculty or staff – what incredibly gifted people!

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Office of Armed Forces and Federal Ministries Invites Greater Engagement Across the Church

Tatiana Hoecker — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 20:34:54 +0000

From The Episcopal Church Office of Armed Forces and Federal Ministries:

The Office of Armed Forces and Federal Ministries is inviting Parishes and Dioceses of the Episcopal Church into a renewed season of connection and partnership with veterans, service members, chaplains, and military families. This ministry extends beyond the Armed Forces to include those serving in federal institutions and in hospital settings where pastoral care is urgently needed.

The Rev. Angel Roque, the Rt. Rev. Ann Ritonia, and MDiv junior and military chaplaincy concentration student, Greg Schell in Christ Chapel

Guided by the Rt. Rev. Ann Ritonia, Bishop Suffragan for Armed Forces and Federal Ministries, the office provides pastoral support and ecclesiastical endorsement for military, VA, Federal Bureau of Prisons, and hospital chaplains. The office also collaborates with dioceses and congregations to nurture and strengthen ministries that walk alongside veterans, members of the military and their families. Bishop Ritonia’s leadership is shaped by a commitment to compassionate presence and a deep respect for the sacrifices and gifts of those who serve.

Bishop Ritonia encourages lay leaders, clergy, and seminarians to discern how they might engage with this work. Some may feel drawn to military or federal chaplaincy. Others may be discerning hospital chaplaincy or a call to develop veterans ministry within their parish or diocese. Many are already faithfully serving in these spaces, and the church welcomes anyone who feels a sense of call, curiosity, or desire to connect with this special population.

The Rt. Rev. Ann Ritonia preaching in Christ Chapel

To support this effort, the office is conducting a Church-wide survey. The survey aims to identify veterans and active military families within congregations, learn where ministries are already thriving, and understand where new opportunities for chaplaincy and pastoral care are emerging. It also provides a way for individuals to express interest in military, VA, Federal Bureau of Prisons, or Federal chaplaincy and to explore the possibility of serving their diocese as a Veteran/Military Missioner.

At the recent Veterans Day service, a veteran approached our team after hearing Bishop Ritonia preach. With emotion in his voice, he shared that her willingness to name moral injury and moral injustice during the sermon made him feel genuinely seen for the first time in years. He said, “most people thank us for our service, but no one ever acknowledges the weight we carry. Today, I felt understood.”

That moment reminded us that healing often begins with simply being recognized, being named, honored, and remembered by the church. For veterans who have carried silent burdens, even a single sermon can open the door to hope.

This is why our work continues. And this is why your voice, your story, and your support truly matter.

51��Ƶ students, Greg Schell and Chris Bird, wear their uniforms for Veterans Day 2025

The Office of Armed Forces and Federal Ministries invite all members of the Episcopal Church to complete the survey below. The responses received will help guide the development of future partnerships and resources that support veterans, military families, chaplains, and all who feel called to minister among them.

To take part in the survey, please .��

For more information, or to connect with the office, we warmly invite you to .

If you feel called to support the work of our Military and VA chaplains, please consider making a monetary gift by using this link –��

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Inaugural Dave Scheider Award Highlights 57th Blandy Lecture and Alumni Convocation

Tatiana Hoecker — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 15:16:48 +0000

This past November, for the 57th consecutive year, the Blandy Lecture and Alumni Convocation gathered alumni and friends of 51��Ƶ for a joyful time of reunion, learning, and fellowship. Planned and led by the 51��Ƶ Alumni Association Steering Committee and Office of Advancement and Communications, this year’s Blandy delivered the invigorating, inspirational experience that generations of 51��Ƶ graduates have come to cherish. The intermingling of alumni, guests, and current students across campus offered a vivid reminder that members of the 51��Ƶ community never truly depart—they simply serve in new locations.

The festivities began the evening prior with a virtual reunion featuring reflections and conversation with current 51��Ƶ leadership. The day of Blandy opened with Morning Prayer before attendees joined one of three class sessions: New Testament with the Rev. Dr. Jeehei Park, Theology with Dr. Tony Baker, or Anglican Studies with the Rev. Nathan Jennings, Ph.D.

The Rev. James Pevehouse presents the Hal Brook Perry Award to the Rev. Andy Andrews

At midday, alumni gathered with students, faculty, and staff for Holy Eucharist, during which the Hal Brook Perry Award was presented to the Rev. Andy Andrews. Andrews, who earned his M.Div. from 51��Ƶ in 1996, currently serves as Missioner for Beloved Community and Congregational Vitality in the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi. His ministry centers on reconciliation, healing, and justice—work that has shaped parish communities, strengthened diocesan initiatives, and built partnerships in places yearning for transformation and hope. His leadership reflects the spirit of faithful engagement and compassionate service that Hal Brook Perry embodied and encouraged. Read the award citation here.

The Rev. Dr. Minerva Skeith ’19 presided at the Eucharist, and the Rev. Constance Coleman-Fletcher ’20 preached (view sermon here).

Over lunch with the full community, Eric Scott, Vice President for Advancement and Communications, offered words of welcome—kicking off his remarks with a celebratory walk to the podium carrying the Polity Bowl trophy. Afterward, guests explored campus including Trinity Crossing outside the Bishop Dena A. Harrison Library and the Campus Bookstore, where alumni enjoyed dessert and browsed the latest Thuribull gear.

Dr. Gena St. David and Kazu Haga speak during the workshop

In the afternoon, Blandy lecturer Kazu Haga joined Dr. Gena St. David for a workshop titled “Embodied Nonviolence in a Time of Collective Tension.” Their conversation drew on themes from Dr. St. David’s forthcoming book The Nonviolent Brain: Unlocking our Potential to Save the Planet, Animals, and Ourselves and Haga’s recently published Fierce Vulnerability: Healing from Trauma, Emerging Through Collapse. Designed especially for MHC students and alumni, the workshop offered continuing education credit and invited participants to explore the spiritual and neurobiological foundations of nonviolent practice.

After the workshop and Evening Prayer, attendees gathered in the dining hall for a festive dinner and the chance to reconnect with friends old and new.

Dr. Gena St. David presenting the Dave Scheider Award to Kevin Overton-Hadnot

Before the keynote address, the Alumni Association presented the inaugural Dave Scheider Award, named in honor of the Rev. Dave Scheider, whose vision and determination shaped the founding of 51��Ƶ’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. Scheider imagined a program where spirituality and psychology were deeply integrated—forming counselors prepared to be healers in every dimension of human experience.

The award’s first recipient, Kevin Overton-Hadnot ’23, exemplifies this holistic vision. As founder of Counseling For Us in Austin, Overton-Hadnot has expanded access to culturally responsive mental health care, reduced stigma around therapy, and created therapeutic environments rooted in dignity and belonging. His work demonstrates both professional excellence and unwavering commitment to community well-being. Read the award citation here.

Kevin Overton-Hadnot and the Rev. Dave Scheider

“It was uplifting to greet so many mental health counseling alumni returning to campus to spend the evening with former faculty and current students,” said Dr. Gena St. David, Director of the Louise Henderson Wessendorff Center for Counseling and Spirituality. “We are grateful for everyone who contributed to this warm, inspiring homecoming. From the counseling CEU workshop, to the dinner, inaugural counseling award, and keynote lecture, the time together was poignant and energizing.”

Kazu Haga delivering the Blandy Lecture

The evening concluded with the keynote lecture delivered by Kazu Haga, who spoke on the meaning of nonviolence, his journey in reconciliation work, and the intentional community of Canticle Farm where he makes his home.

51��Ƶ Academic Dean, the Rev. Benjamin King, Ph.D., shared, “I was delighted that our Blandy lecturer addressed the concerns of alums and students across all our programs. Kazu Haga reminded us that in this fraught time for the world we must pay attention to the smaller points of joy or abundance or grace in our lives, and so begin to see the patterns of those things throughout creation. I came away from the lecture filled with hope and grateful for our alums who, through their service, change the world in innumerable small and big ways.”��

“Once again, this year, our events brought together the best of the seminary’s traditions with some new traditions for our entire Alumni community to build upon for the future,” reflected the Rev. Lecia Brannon, Director of Alumni Relations and liaison to the Alumni Association Steering Committee. “Whether our alumni were on campus or joining virtually, our Alumni Convocation events and the Blandy Lecture offered a 51��Ƶ connection for everyone. Thank you to the members of the Alumni Steering Committee and the 51��Ƶ Alumni Association for their dedication and commitment to this event for the seminary community.”��

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The Rev. Steven Tomlinson, Ph.D. to Offer Closing Keynote at EPN 2026, Inviting Church Leaders to Imagine What Comes Next

Tatiana Hoecker — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 17:55:04 +0000

The 2026 gathering will conclude with a compelling keynote from the Rev. Steven Tomlinson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Leadership and Administration at 51��Ƶ. In a session titled “The Living Story of Faith: Grace, Imagination, and What Comes Next,” Tomlinson will draw together the themes and wisdom of the week, inviting attendees into a deeper reflection on the Church’s unfolding journey.

Tomlinson brings a wide-ranging background to this keynote. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University and previously taught economics and finance at The University of Texas at Austin for 17 years, where he designed and directed the MBA professional development program. He also coaches and consults with leaders across Wall Street, Fortune 500 companies, and high-tech start-ups on communication and leadership strategy. Beyond academia, he is an accomplished playwright and performer whose award-winning solo shows have appeared in Austin and off-Broadway.

Known for his gifts as a storyteller, theologian, and teacher, Tomlinson will guide participants beyond strategies and solutions toward discerning the “living story” being woven through their time together. He will highlight key patterns expected to shape the week: the courage to face difficult truths, the willingness to be repaired and renewed, the hope nurtured in community, and the joy found in lifelong formation.

Using humor, narrative, and spiritual insight, Tomlinson will emphasize that the Church’s relationships, imagination, and witness reveal God at work in the world. He will remind attendees that both EPN and the wider Episcopal Church are part of a vibrant and interconnected body—one that equips leaders, strengthens parishes, and boldly envisions the future.

As the conference draws to a close, participants will leave renewed in faith and imagination, charged with building a Church that listens deeply, leads with grace, and meets the present moment with creativity and hope.

Find out more about Tomlinson’s keynote and the EPN conference .

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Anglican Theological Review Highlights Roundtable on Anthony Baker’s Leaving Emmaus

Tatiana Hoecker — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 17:46:54 +0000

The Fall 2025 issue of (Vol. 107, No. 4) features a substantive roundtable exploring Leaving Emmaus: A New Departure in Christian Theology (Baylor University Press, 2021) by Dr. Anthony D. Baker, Clinton S. Quin Professor of Systematic Theology at 51��Ƶ. Originating as a live panel conversation, the exchange was compiled and edited by Daniel Strandlund of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina and brings together four distinct responses followed by Baker’s concluding reply.

Cheryl Kirk-Duggan of Oblate School of Theology opens the discussion with a concise summary and pointed critique of Baker’s argument, urging a deeper engagement with the systemic dimensions of sin. Craig Hovey of Ashland University turns to Scripture, examining the biblical grounding and interpretive consequences of Baker’s theological vision. The Rt. Rev. Andrew C. Doyle, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, situates Leaving Emmaus in conversation with Karl Barth and metaphysical theologians such as Catherine Pickstock and Sergius Bulgakov, highlighting Baker’s contributions within broader theological currents.

David Bentley Hart of the University of Notre Dame offers both praise and provocation, commending the book as a “minor dogmatics” while questioning Baker’s approach to doctrinal development and eschatology. Baker closes the roundtable with thoughtful reflections, addressing his respondents’ insights and challenges and expanding on the constructive possibilities of his work.

The Fall 2025 issue underscores ATR’s ongoing commitment to rigorous, imaginative theological dialogue—inviting readers into a lively and multifaceted engagement with one of contemporary theology’s notable contributions.

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51��Ƶ Appoints the Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce as Interim Dean and President

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 14:29:15 +0000

The Board of Trustees of 51��Ƶ (51��Ƶ) is pleased to announce the appointment of the Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce as Interim Dean and President, effective January 2, 2026. The Executive Committee of the Board, following consultation with an advisory group of seminary administrators and faculty, and the concurrence of the Board, made the appointment at a specially called meeting on November 14th, at which it also selected the Isaacson Miller search firm to assist with the search for the 10th Dean and President.

The Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce

Bishop Bruce, a well-known leader in The Episcopal Church with extensive experience in diocesan leadership, multicultural ministry, budgeting, and organizational development, will guide the seminary during the transition. “I am thrilled to join the students, staff, and faculty at 51��Ƶ and to walk with them and the Board through this time of transition!” said Bishop Bruce. “I have long admired the work and direction of this fine and forward-thinking��institution and am excited to be a part of it.”

“Bishop Bruce takes a relational approach to her work of oversight, deepening trust through listening and partnering with other leaders,” said the Rt. Rev. Kathryn M. Ryan, Chair of the 51��Ƶ Board of Trustees. “She understands the role of an interim to strengthen the institution during a time of transition and will be a thoughtful and wise support and guide for our whole community. Her financial expertise and gifts as a seasoned leader in multicultural ministry make her well-suited to lead 51��Ƶ in this season.”

Bishop Bruce most recently served as Bishop Provisional of the Diocese of West Missouri (2021–2025), where she led the diocese of 47 congregations through a successful period of stabilization and preparation for the election of their next Bishop Diocesan. During her tenure, she worked with diocesan leaders to revamp governance structures, establish a zero-based and narrative budgeting process, and rebuild key commissions and committees. She currently serves on the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church, where she is Chair of the Joint Budget Committee and Vice Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Finance.��

Bishop Bruce was elected Bishop Suffragan in the Diocese of Los Angeles in 2010. In her 11 ½ years in that role, she oversaw over 70 congregations serving as the bishop to 5 of the diocese’s 10 deaneries, and visited each of the 133 congregations in the diocese multiple times.�� She expanded multicultural ministry, strengthened stewardship programs, and effectively supported parish growth and vitality across the diverse diocese. Her earlier ministry includes distinguished service as Rector of St. Clement’s by-the-Sea in San Clemente, where she led significant parish growth, expanded Spanish-speaking ministry, and built innovative liturgical and community programs.

Before entering ordained ministry, Bishop Bruce spent 17 years in corporate leadership at Wells Fargo Bank, ultimately serving as Vice President of Compensation, Management and Analysis. Her background in corporate systems, analytics, training, and team management has informed her strong administrative and financial leadership in the Church.

With proven excellence in transitional leadership, Bishop Bruce brings a deep commitment to multicultural ministry that aligns with 51��Ƶ’s mission and identity. With fluency in Spanish, Mandarin, and some Cantonese, she is adept at leading and connecting in diverse contexts. She is widely recognized for her creative, transparent budgeting. She brings genuine enthusiasm for 51��Ƶ’s mission, a deep commitment to inclusive, creative, and diverse Christian communities, and a special interest in each of the three core programs of the seminary: the residential M.Div, the Iona Collaborative, and the Loise Henderson Wessendorff Center for Counseling and Spirituality.

Bishop Bruce holds a D.Min. in Congregational Development from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, an M.Div. from Claremont School of Theology, and a B.A. in Linguistics from UC Berkeley. She has been recognized with multiple honorary doctorates and numerous awards for excellence in clergy leadership and service.

Isaacson Miller is a nationally recognized search firm. Ernest Brooks, III, the primary consultant for 51��Ƶ’s search, has recently worked with the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City on their dean’s search and is currently engaged with Berkley Divinity School at Yale on a search for their next dean.

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51��Ƶ Strengthens Alumni Connections Across Different Dioceses

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 19:47:50 +0000

Alumni gather at Diocese of Northwest Texas Convention and Diocese of Texas Clergy Conference

In recent weeks, 51��Ƶ has been on the road, reconnecting with alumni and friends across the state at two major Episcopal diocesan gatherings—the 67th Annual Diocese of Northwest Texas Convention in Lubbock and the Diocese of Texas Clergy Conference at Camp Allen. Both events offered opportunities to celebrate the seminary’s strong ties to diocesan life and to highlight the ways 51��Ƶ’s theology graduates continue to serve and lead the wider church.

Warm hospitality in Lubbock

At the Diocese of Northwest Texas Convention, held October 17–19, 51��Ƶ representatives Eric Scott and April Kerwin enjoyed meaningful conversations with alumni, clergy, and lay leaders from across the diocese. The gathering began with a joyful Eucharist at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and concluded with closing resolutions at the McKenzie-Merket Alumni Center on the Texas Tech University campus.

One of the highlights of the weekend came in a lighthearted yet heartfelt resolution introduced by the Rev. Mary Glover, a 51��Ƶ Alumna. Her “Talking With Our Mouths Full: A Thank-You Resolution” honored the seminary’s long partnership with the diocese—celebrating generations of seminarians formed in Austin, the diocese’s relationship through the Iona Collaborative, and 51��Ƶ’s enduring identity as a seminary “for the whole church.”

The Rt. Rev. Scott Mayer’s warmth and humor set the tone for a weekend of reconnection. Over a lunch co-sponsored by the diocese and the seminary,�� Eric Scott addressed the convention, giving updates on the seminary and acknowledging the many alumni and seminary friends in the room.

“One memorable moment at the convention was when all the 51��Ƶ and Iona alumni stood up to be recognized. It was touching to see how many of our clergy were shaped by 51��Ƶ,” said April Kerwin, Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving. “We are very grateful to everyone for their welcoming hospitality, which felt like a family reunion.”

Reunion and renewal at Camp Allen

Just days later, several staff from 51��Ƶ traveled to Camp Allen for the Diocese of Texas Clergy Conference, joining clergy from across the diocese for worship, workshops, and fellowship. The seminary hosted a gathering for alumni and friends, offering an informal space to share news from Austin and to celebrate the shared mission of forming leaders for the church’s future.

Conversations at Camp Allen centered on the strong and ongoing partnership between the Diocese of Texas and the seminary. At the well-attended breakfast for alumni and friends, the Rt. Rev. Kathryn Ryan, the Rev. Nandra Perry, and the Rev. Lecia Brannon addressed alumni and friends and delivered greetings and updates from the seminary.

“Each year as we gather together at Clergy Conference I am struck by our Alumni’s desire to be connected to 51��Ƶ and to each other,” reflected the Rev. Lecia Brannon, Director of Alumni Relations. “There is a deep sense of community and belonging that we carry into our ministries across the Diocese of Texas.”

“These events remind us that our alumni community extends far beyond campus,” said Eric Scott, Vice President for Advancement and Communications. “Whether in Lubbock, Camp Allen, or beyond, we’re meeting graduates who carry 51��Ƶ’s values into every corner of the church. Their stories are what make this seminary’s mission come alive. These events underscored what makes 51��Ƶ distinctive: a community of alumni, faculty, and friends bound by shared formation and meaningful relationships. We are grateful for these invitations.”

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Orgullosamente Latinos: A Month of Celebration and Community at 51��Ƶ

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 17:46:26 +0000

From September 15 through October 15, 51��Ƶ marked Hispanic Heritage Month with a campus-wide celebration themed “Orgullosamente Latinos: Celebrating Latinidad at 51��Ƶ.” The month’s events highlighted the richness and diversity of Latinx identity within the seminary community and across the wider church. Led by the Rev. Nancy Frausto, Director of Latinx Studies; Dr. Stephanie Ramirez, Associate Professor of Counselor Education and Coordinator of the Latinx Counseling Concentration; and students from the Latinx Concentration in every degree program, the celebration showcased how student leadership and faculty collaboration continue to shape 51��Ƶ’s commitment to cultural inclusion and formation for ministry.

The festivities began with a vibrant community hour featuring cinnamon buns, an elote bar, music, and dancing. Later that week, 51��Ƶ hosted the Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) opening Eucharist with guest preacher the Rev. Omar Rodriguez De la O, Associate for Community Life at Trinity Cathedral in Phoenix, Arizona. Worship was enriched by the musical offerings of the Chavez Family, who continued their performance during a celebratory dinner in the dining hall. A recording of Rev. Rodriguez De la O’s sermon is available here.

The Rt. Rev. Angela Cortiñas, 51��Ƶ alumna and Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas, also visited campus during HHM and preached in Christ Chapel for students, faculty, and staff. Her sermon may be viewed here.

As the month continued, the 51��Ƶ community partnered once again with Casa Marianella in Austin for a shared celebration. Reflecting on the gathering, Frausto noted, “51��Ƶ seminarians and faculty celebrated with residents, staff, and volunteers of Casa Marianella the lives of migrants past and present that have enriched our country. Finding God in the midst of stories of migrants, food, and salsa dancing is a beautiful way to celebrate Latinidad.”

A new and significant addition to this year’s observance was the intentional inclusion of Deaf Awareness Month and the celebration of Deaf Latine heritage. MDiv senior Elizabeth Holland offered further reflection in the October 2025 Good News from Austin newsletter, which can be read here.

Hispanic Heritage Month at 51��Ƶ offered the community an opportunity not only to honor the richness and diversity of Latinidad, but also to deepen relationships, celebrate cultural expression, and reflect on the many ways Latinx voices continue to shape the life of the Seminary and the wider church. With gratitude for all who participated, 51��Ƶ looks forward to continuing this tradition of learning, celebration, and shared joy in the years ahead.

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Expanding Access Through Play: 51��Ƶ Professors Spotlight Rural Mental Health Initiatives at National Conference

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 17:34:53 +0000

On October 9, a team from 51��Ƶ shared innovative work in play therapy and rural mental health access at the Association for Play Therapy Conference in Houston, Texas. The presentation, titled “Play Therapy in the Margins: Experiences in Expanding Access in Rural Communities,” was delivered by Dr. Gustavo Bárcenas, Assistant Professor of Counselor Education; Dr. Stephanie Ramirez, Associate Professor of Counselor Education; and counseling alumna Stephanie Matos, MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling ’23.

Their presentation, titled “Play Therapy in the Margins: Experiences in Expanding Access in Rural Communities,” highlighted the development of two of 51��Ƶ’s fellowship programs the Harrison Fellows and the Richmond Area Bilingual Fellows (RAB Fellows) Program. As part of the presentation, Matos—a recent RAB Fellow—shared a powerful case study describing her work with a Latinx/e client in a rural community. Her story illustrated how intentional language use, cultural attunement, and community partnerships can bridge long-standing gaps in access to mental health care.

Dr. Bárcenas and Dr. Ramirez offered broader insights drawn from the seminary’s fellowship models, emphasizing lessons learned and practical recommendations for play therapists who wish to extend services into rural and marginalized areas. Their discussion underscored a key theme of the conference: that culturally grounded play therapy can be a transformative tool for healing when accessibility and cultural competence go hand in hand.

In addition, Dr. Bárcenas and Dr. Ramirez discussed lessons learned and recommendations for play therapists considering expanding services to rural places.��

“It was encouraging to see so much interest in the topic and recognition of the challenges that come with providing counseling services to children and families in rural areas,” shared Bárcenas. “The level of engagement emphasized the importance of ongoing training and awareness around this issue, and it reaffirmed that the work we’re doing is relevant —helping bridge gaps in access to mental health care for rural communities.”��

��

The Harrison Fellows Program supports counseling students who commit to serving clients in designated rural and underserved areas of Texas. Fellows receive advanced clinical training, site placements in community settings, and mentoring from faculty who specialize in culturally responsive and trauma-informed care.

The RAB Fellows Program prepares bilingual Spanish-English counselors to address the growing mental health needs of Latinx/e communities, particularly in the Richmond-Rosenberg region. The program combines financial support with immersive field placements, enabling students to gain hands-on experience providing counseling in clients’ first language and within their cultural contexts.

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Introducing Community Conversations from the Iona Collaborative: Tools for the Church in the Age of Exhaustion

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 17:26:11 +0000

Leading in a small or bi-vocational church can be both deeply rewarding and profoundly exhausting—and often, those two realities coexist. That’s why the Iona Collaborative is launching Community Conversations, a new initiative designed to provide space for leaders to rest, connect, and grow.

Over the past five years, through our work with over 50 small and bi-vocational churches, we’ve noticed a profound truth emerging: churches are tired. Clergy, deacons, lay leaders, and those who support them are navigating immense pressures, often with limited resources and little time to connect with one another. As the world and the church continue to change rapidly, it becomes even more important for leaders to stay aware of exhaustion levels, energy limits, and the expectations they place on themselves and their congregations.

Community Conversations is our response: a space for spiritual and practical support, rooted in connection and shared wisdom.

What Are Community Conversations?

Community Conversations are monthly online gatherings for anyone serving or supporting bi-vocational churches, including clergy, lay leaders, diocesan canons, and ministry partners from across the country (we’ve already had participants from Hawai’i to New Hampshire join us!).

Together, we explore themes that help us respond to ministry challenges with depth, courage, and grace. The overarching theme for this year is:

Church in the Age of Exhaustion: Tools for When You’re Tired

Each online session is facilitated by Iona Collaborative spiritual directors and is focused on a particular topic. After a centering reflection and short presentation, participants move into online breakout rooms with an Iona spiritual director for further conversation and sharing. As appropriate, tools from the Iona Congregational Spirituality Toolkit are used, as well as tools developed specifically for Community Conversations. At a recent gathering, a tool focusing on self-compassion was informed by the work of Dr. Kristen Neff at the University of Texas at Austin.��

“After working with our Community Conversations tool for self-compassion, more than one participant said they felt remarkably ‘lighter.’ One person recognized that she had been actively carrying feelings of guilt and self-condemnation for a problem at church that she had no responsibility for or control over. She was grateful for new inner freedom.” – Iona Spiritual Director, Janet Davis

Future topics will grow from the needs and insights shared in each gathering. Each session stands on its own, so while participants are welcome to attend as often as they can, there is no requirement to attend every session. Community Conversations will continue through Spring 2026, offering ongoing support for leaders navigating ministry in a weary yet hope-filled time.

“Both clergy and lay members in a breakout group shared how the reflection and the tool allowed them to see there is no single way to solve what is before them, and how creating space within allows or invites them to identify personal as well as parish assets, or strengths, to carry them forward.” – Iona Spiritual Director, Rosemary S. Hagan

What’s Coming Up?

Our next Community Conversation will be held online on Thursday, November 20, from 6:30-7:30 PM CT. The topic will be: Practicing Sabbath as a Whole Church. We’ll discover how congregations can collectively embrace practices of rest and renewal, even in the midst of busy ministry seasons. Together, we’ll explore practical tools and spiritual practices that build resilience and renew our ministries.

Community Conversations will take place on the following dates in 2026: February 5, March 12, and April 16. All gatherings will take place on Zoom and will be from 6:30-7:30 PM CT.��

Join Us

Whether you’re a seasoned leader or just finding your way, Community Conversations invites you into a circle of support, discovery, and shared wisdom.

Sign up for the November 20 Community Conversation on the Iona website [link: ] beginning November 11, and come rest, connect, and uncover the tools already within and around you.

Together, we are cultivating resilience for the Church in the age of exhaustion.

“One clergy member, feeling discouraged, shared that she felt ‘supported and seen’ as she listened to others express their own need for self-compassion in the demanding work of ministry. Their honesty reminded her that she is not alone in her struggles—and that tending to her own spirit is sacred work.” – Iona Spiritual Director, April Williams

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51��Ƶ Academic Dean Participates in Historic Vatican Events Honoring St. John Henry Newman

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 17:22:40 +0000

The Rev. Benjamin King, Ph.D., Academic Dean and Duncalf-Villavoso Professor of Church History at 51��Ƶ, was among the honored guests in Rome recently as the Vatican celebrated St. John Henry Newman being named the 38th Doctor of the Universal Church. Dr. King, a noted Newman scholar, was one of two non-Catholic contributors to the positio, the Vatican document advancing Newman’s cause for this historic declaration.

Last weekend’s events acknowledged Newman’s influence in the Anglican as well as Catholic communions. On Friday, October 31, Dr. King presented at a day-long symposium on Newman held at the Pontifical Gregorian University, where scholars from around the world reflected on Newman’s theological legacy and his enduring contributions to education and ecclesial life.

On Saturday, November 1, Dr. King joined the Anglican delegation attending the Mass in St. Peter’s Square at which Pope Leo XIV formally declared Newman a Doctor of the Church. Prior to the liturgy, the delegation had a papal audience, during which Dr. King was personally introduced to Pope Leo as “the Anglican contributor to the positio.” This recognition underscored Newman’s unique significance as a figure who lived and developed key theological insights within both Anglican and Catholic traditions.

The Anglican delegation—led by the Archbishop of York, the Most Rev. Stephen Cottrell, and including the Rt. Rev. Dr. Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford—was welcomed by the Vatican in acknowledgment of the fact that Newman spent nearly half of his life as an Anglican priest, theologian, and preacher before his reception into the Roman Catholic Church. Their inclusion signaled the deep ecumenical resonance of Newman’s life and thought.

Newman’s naming as a Doctor of the Church affirms his enduring role in shaping modern Christian understandings of conscience, formation, and the development of doctrine.��

“It is deeply meaningful that the Vatican considers Newman an ecumenical saint,” Dr. King said. “As an Episcopalian, I have been welcomed into the process of naming Newman a Doctor of the Church, and in Rome I was moved by the extent to which Anglicans were included in the celebrations. It is remarkable that Newman, who developed many of his most important theological ideas while an Anglican, is now regarded as a co-patron of Catholic education alongside no less a theologian than Thomas Aquinas.”

The Rt. Rev. Kathryn M. Ryan, Suffragan Bishop of the Diocese of Texas shared, “Dr. King’s scholarship and presence in Rome reflect 51��Ƶ’s commitment to theological depth, ecumenical relationship, and faithful engagement with the global church.”

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Rev. Dr. Dominique Robinson Recognized for Faithful, Creative Leadership by Candler School of Theology

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 17:11:08 +0000

51��Ƶ celebrates Rev. Dr. Dominique A. Robinson, Assistant Professor of Preaching, who was recognized by her alma mater, Candler School of Theology at Emory University, with the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award for Faithful and Creative Leadership. The award, presented on October 23, honors graduates whose ministries exemplify innovation, imagination, and deep faithfulness to the Gospel—qualities that have defined Dr. Robinson’s teaching and preaching throughout her career.

Candler shared in a press release, “The Distinguished Alumni Awards celebrate Candler graduates who embody the school’s mission through their service, creativity, and dedication to transforming communities.” Robinson received the award “in recognition for her extraordinary contributions as a Womanist homiletician, visionary scholar, and courageous advocate for justice. The first African American full-time faculty member at the 51��Ƶ, her groundbreaking research led to the creation of iHomiletic: Preaching that Clicks, a consulting service that equips faith leaders to engage technology and social media linguistics in preaching. Robinson’s pioneering work in digital homiletics, coupled with her leadership as inaugural dean of Julius S. Scott Sr. Chapel at Wiley College, continues to shape the next generation of preachers. An itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, she also serves as project manager for the AMEZ Compelling Preaching Initiative, developing resources that strengthen Black Methodist preaching traditions. Robinson’s prophetic scholarship, creativity, and commitment to faith-filled innovation exemplify Candler’s vision for leadership in a changing world.” Read the full press release .

“I am deeply honored to receive the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award for Faithful and Creative Leadership from Candler School of Theology,” shared Dr. Robinson. “51��Ƶ has given me a sacred space to practice and refine my leadership as a preaching professor while nurturing ecumenical relationships that expand my perspective and deepen my call. I am profoundly grateful for the 51��Ƶ community that surrounds me with encouragement and care as I complete my Ph.D. and continue to grow as a faith leader, scholar, and teacher committed to forming the next generation of preachers.”

“We are so fortunate to have Dr. Robinson in this community,” shared academic dean, the Rev. Benjamin King, Ph.D. “Her presence on the faculty and in the classroom greatly enriches the seminary, while her amazing preaching speaks for itself. Candler chose well when they gave her the Distinguished Alumni Award and we are grateful beneficiaries of her faithful and creative leadership.”

Watch Dr. Robinson’s acceptance speech at Candler School of Theology .

Photographer: Cecelia Jefferson, Website: Instagram: @cece.ann.photography

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Celebrating Deaf Awareness Month and Deaf Latine Heritage

Tatiana Hoecker — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 19:20:56 +0000

September was Deaf Awareness Month, and our seminary community had several opportunities to learn from and connect with the Deaf community. Elizabeth Holland, MDiv student, shared resources for learning ASL and announced upcoming events. Several students began taking online classes through the Oklahoma School for the Deaf and have shared positive feedback about their experience.

On September 27, the Rev. Nancy Frausto and Elizabeth led a group to Abuela’s Casa, an event hosted by Laura Monsalve, a representative of the National Hispanic Latino Association of the Deaf (NHLAD), who invited 51��Ƶ to join in celebrating Deaf Latine culture, history, and community. Through stories, vendors, and shared meals, we experienced comunidad and ��ǳ��貹ñ��Գٴ�—bearing witness to and walking alongside the Deaf community. While we were there, many Deaf participants came up to us, expressed their joy at being seen, and welcomed us into their space.

On October 4th, Elizabeth Holland and Sam McRae, MDiv student, joined Good Shepherd on the Hill’s vendor booth at the Texas School for the Deaf Homecoming event. They shared news about The Hill’s interpreted worship service, and The Hill welcomed several new Deaf visitors to church the next day.��

Then on October 9th, Elizabeth Holland led a CIS of the Feast of Gallaudet and Syle (transposed from August 27th), who are apostles and saints to the Deaf in the Episcopal Church. Fr. Erich Krengel, a Deaf Episcopal priest from Connecticut and the vicar of St. Ann’s Church for the Deaf in New York (the oldest Deaf church in America), was invited to preach, and he co-celebrated with Rev. Frausto in a trilingual ASL-centered Eucharist that had ASL, English, and Spanish. Members of the Deaf community came in, shared space with the seminary community, and worshiped together. After the service, everyone went to the Carne Asada hosted by the Latinx Concentration. Monica, a Photographer, and Laura, an Empanada chef, both from the Deaf Latine community, were invited to share their gifts.

There is beauty found in intersectional identities: Deaf, Latine, Hearing, and Faithful. As we continue to learn and grow together, may we deepen our practice of inclusion and celebrate the fullness of God’s Beloved Community, where every sign, story, and language reveals the divine love of God.

��

By Elizabeth Holland, Master of Divinity student from the Diocese of Olympia

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Seminary Students Make Annual Visit to the Harry Ransom Center at UT Austin

Tatiana Hoecker — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 14:51:04 +0000

Students from 51��Ƶ made a visit to the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin on October 3, 2025.�� On what has become an annual field trip arranged by 51��Ƶ professor Dr. Steve Bishop, Associate Professor of Old Testament, seminarians accompanied by Dr. Bishop and Dr. Jeehei Park, Assistant Professor of New Testament, enjoyed an informative tour of early Bibles and related manuscripts by Aaron T. Pratt. Dr. Pratt is the Carl and Lily Pforzheimer Curator of Early Books and Manuscripts at the Ransom Center.

The history of bibliology – early bookmaking — was one focus of the program, and students learned about the materials and processes used to create early books from Europe, Africa, and Asia. Resources presented included manuscripts, Christian or Jewish scriptures printed before the invention of moveable type, early prayerbooks, significant early printed Bibles, and two bon mots: a manuscript commentary of a psalm by Isaac Newton and a 1692 copy of John Milton’s Paradise Lost.�� Among the several important editions of the Bible examined were a sample page from the Gutenberg Bible (1455), a copy of the first printed full English translation of the Bible by Miles Coverdale (1535-1537), the first complete Spanish Bible (La Biblia Reina-Valera 1569), a copy of the “Great He” edition of the 1611 Authorized Version (King James), an Ethiopian Bible in a unique Ge’ez typeface, a Douay-Reims Catholic New Testament (1582), and a Biblia sacra polyglottal (The Plantin Polyglot Bible). Students were also fascinated by an early wood block printed Chinese Bible.

The Ransom Center’s large collection of religious texts, particularly those related to Christianity and Judaism, offer a wealth of resources to the seminary’s students, and the Bible faculty of the Episcopal 51��Ƶ have been offering this extracurricular event annually for many years. The experience of seeing such materials firsthand expands upon class readings and discussions on the history of both translations of religious texts and the perspectives of different Judeo-Christian communities over many centuries.��

By Kay Brizzolara, Master of Divinity student from the Diocese of Northwest Texas

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Building Connections Through Legacy: 51��Ƶ Celebrates John E. Hines

Tatiana Hoecker — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 18:48:09 +0000

“The Church must be where the action is—where human beings are struggling to make sense of their lives, where injustice and suffering exist, where the Gospel must be both preached and lived.”

The Rt. Rev. John Hines

in his 1966 address to the General Convention of The Episcopal Church, shortly after becoming Presiding Bishop

On Tuesday, October 7, 2025, the community of 51��Ƶ gathered to honor the vision and legacy of its founder, the Rt. Rev. John E. Hines. The annual John Hines Day celebration began with a Eucharist in Christ Chapel and continued with a community luncheon in Howell Dining Hall, where students, faculty, staff, trustees, and friends reflected on the seminary’s enduring mission and the example set by its founder.

The Rt. Rev. John Hines

Founded in 1952 by Bishop Hines—then the fourth Bishop of Texas and later Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church (1965–1974)—51��Ƶ was envisioned as a seminary “for the whole church,” a place where theological education would engage the realities of culture, social change, and human need. During his tenure as bishop and national church leader, Hines championed liturgical renewal, civil rights, and the inclusion of women and people of color in leadership. His prophetic insistence that the Church must stand “where the action is” placed him at the forefront of social justice movements in the 1960s and 1970s.

The Rev. Jemonde Taylor

This year’s preacher, the Rev. Jemonde Taylor, rector of St. Ambrose Episcopal Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, and a member of the 51��Ƶ Board of Trustees, offered a sermon that drew on Hines’s courage and conviction, reminding listeners that faithfulness often means risking comfort for the sake of truth. The Rt. Rev. Kathryn M. Ryan, Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Texas, presided at the service. Among those in attendance were members of the Board of Trustees, several members of the John Hines Legacy Society, and Kenneth Kesselus, author of John E. Hines: Granite on Fire, the definitive biography of the seminary’s founder.

Watch the Rev. Jemonde Taylor’s sermon here.

At the luncheon that followed, attendees were encouraged to sit with people they did not already know, fostering the spirit of community and shared purpose that Bishop Hines championed. Each table included cards featuring highlights from Hines’s life and ministry and questions inviting reflection on how his vision continues to guide 51��Ƶ today.

Bishop Hines’s legacy lives on not only in the students and graduates of 51��Ƶ, but also through those who choose to sustain his vision through legacy giving. Members of the John Hines Legacy Society ensure that the seminary remains a place of formation, scholarship, and service for generations to come. Their planned gifts strengthen the endowment, expand scholarship support, and sustain the mission Bishop Hines set forth more than seventy years ago—to form leaders for “the whole church” in a changing world.

Want to learn more about the and how to make a legacy gift? Contact April Kerwin, Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving at 512.439.0326 or april.kerwin@ssw.edu

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51��Ƶ Senior Travels to the Church of England with Seminary Consultation on Mission Grant

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 19:23:56 +0000

The Rev. Canon Kate Moore and Dcn. Timothy Beltran del Rio in Chelmsford Cathedral

Over five weeks this summer, Senior Master of Divinity and Transitional Deacon Timothy Beltran del Rio (Diocese of Chicago) spent time in the UK, observing, discussing, and learning about “mission” in the Church of England from clergy and lay leaders from over a dozen Church of England parishes. This was made possible by the Seminary Consultation on Mission grant from The Episcopal Church.

Among the missional work Timothy observed, he visited and spoke with the principals of two Church of England schools, learning about Christian education in England. One-third of all publicly funded schools in England are run by the Church of England, and many local vicars and cathedral clergy are involved in running multiple worship services a week for schools overseen by the church. One of these is Chelmsford Cathedral, where Timothy observed multiple religious education field trips that children took from the Cathedral School. One of the bishops even makes a point of annually marking the graduation of lower grades into the UK equivalent of high school with a special service and blessing. Across numerous venues, the missional opportunity that the Church of England has in education was often high on church leaders’ lists of important missional work. Notably, many leaders also commented on what they perceived as a lack of priority and resourcing by the larger church for this important work. Those clergy and lay leaders who are involved, however, seem deeply devoted to ensuring that God’s mission is taking place and made available to the youth of England.

Another missional moment Timothy encountered was the Langthorne Festival, an event that Holy Trinity and St. Augustine of Hippo in London’s East End hosts annually in conjunction with local community partners. This event was brought about within this parish by a priest’s commitment to community organizing principles. Through her relationship-building, the congregation has grown from an average Sunday attendance of approximately six congregants to around thirty-five over the last few years, with highly invested wardens and vestry working together to enact God’s mission in the world. The congregation has come to life and is leaning heavily into relationships with the local community (one plagued by poverty and knife crime). Through the community organizing work, Holy Trinity and St. Augustine, alongside community partners, transform and reclaim Langthorne Park annually for a weekend, turning a park that is often a center of crime into a multicultural and multigenerational venue for live music, food trucks, and community building fun. Due to the success of this event, the local city council has approved changes to Langthorne Park that will increase community access to it while discouraging criminal activity. This display of God’s mission active in a troubled community was beautiful, and many aspects of their work were made possible due to their unique placement in the community.

These are just two of dozens of learning experiences that Dcn. Timothy was able to experience this past summer thanks to the Seminary Consultation on Mission, contributing to his continued formation and preparation for the priesthood.

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51��Ƶ Students Honor Jonathan Daniels at Annual Pilgrimage

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 18:57:44 +0000

This past August, Dr. Marlon Johnson, Dean of Community Life, attended the annual Jonathan Daniels Civil Rights Pilgrimage to Alabama with 51��Ƶ students. The Rev. Eileen O’Brien, Rector of St. James’ Episcopal Church in Austin also traveled with the group.��

This year the pilgrimage marked 60 years since Jonathan Daniels was killed. Bishop Michael Curry, former Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, preached at a special service held in the courthouse in Hayneville, Alabama to honor the anniversary.��

The pilgrimage visited the Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Sites, and many historic sites associated with the civil rights movement, including the Dr. Richard Harris House, the Edmund Pettus Bridge, and Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham.

Iwao Asakura, a 51��Ƶ Master of Divinity senior, attended the pilgrimage and was interviewed by WBHM, a local radio station in Alabama. Asakura shared his experience of the trip and how he relates to Daniels. Read and listen to the story .

Read more about Jonathan Daniels and the history of this important pilgrimage .

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Dr. Stephanie Ramirez Leads Special Issue of Anglican Theological Review on Faith and Mental Health

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 17:17:54 +0000

In the Summer 2025 edition of Anglican Theological Review, Volume 107, Issue 3, Dr. Stephanie Ramirez, Associate Professor of Counselor Education at 51��Ƶ, played a central editorial role in the special issue titled “Practicing Theology: Congregations and Clergy on the Frontlines of the Mental Health Crisis.”��

Ramirez served as the guest editor for this special issue. As guest editor, she helped shape the thematic focus, solicited contributions, and guided the framing of articles around how congregations and clergy are responding to the ongoing mental health crisis.

The issue explores how theology and faith communities are engaging with mental health—especially as the crisis has deepened in the pandemic’s aftermath. Ramirez’s leadership in this area is important to not just theological reflection but to theology that interacts with pressing social and pastoral realities. The topics include pastoral care, congregational responses, theological education, and intersections of faith, identity, culture, and mental health.��

By bringing together scholars and practitioners under this theme, Ramirez helped extend the conversation beyond academic theology into lived experience and ministry contexts.��

Learn more about this issue .

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51��Ƶ Welcomes 51 New Students at Matriculation

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 15:15:27 +0000

On Sunday, August 24, 2025 51��Ƶ celebrated matriculation with evening prayer in Christ Chapel and welcomed 51 new students to the community. Matriculation is among the seminary’s most beloved traditions as it includes each new student signing their name to the same book that hundreds before them have signed. The Academic Dean, the Rev. Benjamin King, Ph.D., preached an inspiring sermon. Three deans were installed during the service including the Rev. Sarah Mast as Dean of Chapel, Dr. Marlon Johnson as Dean of Community Life, and the Rev. Benjamin King, Ph.D., as Academic Dean.��

The new students are distributed among 51��Ƶ’s Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Master of Spiritual Direction, and Diploma in Anglican Studies programs.

L-R: Charlie Cook, the Rev. Jim Harrington, and Harrington’s family

Also a tradition at the Matriculation service, 51��Ƶ awarded the Charles J. Cook Servant Leadership Award to the Rev. Jim Harrington founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project and Missioner at St. James Episcopal Church. The Cook Award was created in 2009 by the faculty to honor their colleague and 51��Ƶ alum Charlie Cook on the occasion of his retirement.

During the service, Harrington gifted the seminary with a signed print titled, “El Azadón” by Amado M. Peña, Jr. commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1966 Farm Worker Strike and March to Austin.��

Read the citation for the Rev. Jim Harrington read at the presentation of the Cook Award.

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The Rev. Lecia Brannon Named Candidate for Bishop of North Dakota

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 15:13:15 +0000

The Rev. Lecia Diaz Brannon

It is with joy that 51��Ƶ shares the news that the Rev. Lecia Diaz Brannon, Director of Alumni Relations, has been invited and has accepted the call to be one of the candidates running for Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Dakota.

“It’s a great honor for Lecia to be invited into this process of discernment,” says dean and president, Scott Bader-Saye. “Her gifts and skills will be of great use to the church wherever she ends up. We hope the process is meaningful and leads to clarity as the diocese and the candidates discern the future of God’s work in North Dakota.”

Discerning a call to serve as a bishop in The Episcopal Church is a lengthy, prayerful process grounded in mutual discernment between the candidate and the diocese. This process will culminate in an election to be held this fall.

Brannon shared, “On Monday, August 4th the slate of candidates for the election of the 12th Bishop of the Diocese of North Dakota was announced publicly and by grace, I am one of their candidates. This holy journey is one of discovery of my identity and calling as a disciple and a priest. I am grateful for the 51��Ƶ community as you are vital in my formation leading to this moment. Your prayers for the Diocese of North Dakota and the candidates are welcome and appreciated.”

The election will take place at the Diocese of North Dakota’s convention on October 25th. Lecia will continue in her role at 51��Ƶ until the election outcome is known and next steps are established.��

You can read more from the from the Diocese of North Dakota as well as this from Episcopal News Service.��

Please join the 51��Ƶ community in wishing Lecia the best of luck as she continues to discern the path forward with the Diocese of North Dakota.

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Exploring Early Christianity: A Travel Seminar to Turkey and Greece

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 14:54:43 +0000

By The Rev. Jeehei Park, PhD, Assistant Professor of New Testament

Fourteen members of 51��Ƶ, together with four friends from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary (APTS), traveled to Türkiye and Greece from May 24 to June 6. It was a journey rich with adventure, exploration, fellowship, and laughter.

This trip was intended to be more than a pilgrimage. I encouraged students to imagine the world in which the earliest followers of Christ lived—earning their livelihoods, engaging with people of varied backgrounds, and passing by temples dedicated to the imperial cult—while wrestling with how to define and live out their faith. We stood in a third-century shop in the heart of Sardis owned by a Jewish merchant, read an inscription in Pergamon that hailed a Roman emperor as kyrios, and walked the Via Egnatia, the ancient road linking the Adriatic Sea to Istanbul since the second century CE. In these encounters, participants saw that Christianity was never born in isolation; from its earliest days, it was embedded in complex political, cultural, and social contexts—just as our faith today cannot be separated from our own. Many expressed that the trip profoundly broadened and transformed their understanding of the New Testament.

Our travels were extensive: Istanbul, Ephesos, Sardis, Pergamon, Assos, Kavala, Philippi, Thessaloniki, Meteora, Delphi, Corinth, and Athens. Yet each day was marked by joy as we shared meals, rides, and conversation. I was deeply grateful for the openness and curiosity everyone brought as they engaged new cultures—from tasting unfamiliar dishes to navigating local customs. It was a special delight to share the road with our friends from APTS, including Dr. Rod Caruthers, with whom I co-led the trip, and to be guided by our beloved companions, Gülin Pazaroğlu and Niki Vlachou, whose deep knowledge was matched by their humor, kindness, and warmth.

Ellen Huckabay, 51��Ƶ Master of Divinity senior, shared, “The travel seminar to Turkey and Greece was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore early Christianity under the expert guidance of Dr. Jeehei Park and Dr. Rodney Caruthers. I feel incredibly privileged to have visited the lands where some of the first, tender shoots of the Christian religion germinated and began to take root. Immersing myself in the historical and cultural context of the early church has profoundly shaped my understanding of the New Testament and will continue to inform my exegesis and theology for years to come. Dr. Park often reminded us that we were not on a spiritual pilgrimage to follow the footsteps of Paul, and she was right! The seminar experience was something much deeper: an academic and theological engagement that not only enhanced my studies in biblical and church history but also strengthened my spiritual formation and vocation as a priest.”

I proposed this trip in hopes of reigniting and expanding our travel seminar program, and it would not have been possible without the steadfast support of Dr. Scott Bader-Saye and Mr. Fred Clement. I am deeply grateful to these two leaders—and to every participant—for affirming the enduring value of such firsthand experience.

“One of my favorite moments came in a kitchen, not a cathedral,” reflected Tina Francis Mutungu, 51��Ƶ Master of Divinity senior. “A family welcomed us for an olive oil tasting that became a quiet Eucharist of everyday things: tomatoes from a neighbor’s garden, thick Greek yogurt drizzled with oil, briny feta, dark chocolate with sea salt, and cinnamon-dusted semolina halva—dense, earthy, sweet. We ate, we laughed, we nodded in the kind of silence that speaks its own benediction. It wasn’t liturgy, but it was grace poured out like oil in a language we didn’t need to translate. Maybe that grace was for all of us—for the travelers and the hosts, for those at the table and those who came before us.

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A Legacy of Quiet Stewardship: Remembering Harold and Patricia Booher

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 14:35:52 +0000

Earlier this summer, 51��Ƶ mourned the passing of one of its most enduring figures. Harold Booher, longtime professor and librarian, died on June 23, 2025, at the age of 95. With his passing, the seminary community reflects on a legacy of devotion, hospitality, scholarship, and quiet leadership that shaped the institution for more than three decades.

From 1967 to 2000, Harold served as Director of the Library and Professor of Theological Literature and New Testament. His wife, Pat Booher, joined him as Assistant Librarian in 1972. Together, they were the steady heartbeat of the seminary—a couple whose lives were deeply woven into the rhythm of academic life, institutional memory, and pastoral presence.

“Harold’s steady presence and commitment to 51��Ƶ is remembered fondly by all who knew him,” says Dean and President Scott Bader-Saye. “Through their commitment and care, Harold and Pat laid a strong foundation for our current library holdings. Their legacy at 51��Ƶ is rich and their work continues to pay dividends for all of our library patrons. We are blessed to be able to remember them and tell their story.”

“Harold and Pat were more than faculty and staff,” said one longtime colleague. “They were the soul of this place.”

The Boohers began their days in typical fashion—arriving early, turning on the lights in the library, unfolding The New York Times, and preparing to serve. Their work was consistent, humble, and almost invisible in its dependability. Yet their impact was unmistakable. Upon their retirement in 2000, the seminary renamed its library in their honor. When the new Bishop Dena A. Harrison Library opened in 2023, the book collection itself retained the Booher name, a testament to the mark they left on generations of students and faculty.

In the Spring 2000 issue of Ratherview, Professor Will Spong likened Harold to a guardian of memory, invoking Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 to describe a man who preserved knowledge not only in books but in spirit. “Harold was and is the guardian of our tradition,” Spong wrote. “He will call no attention to himself. He will ask for nothing. It is his way.”

Pat, too, was a beloved presence, known for her signature laugh—“a full, rich laugh full of wide open spaces and stars the size of magnolia blossoms,” wrote Mikail McIntosh-Doty, a former colleague in the library. Pat brought warmth and levity to the seminary, often hosting faculty gatherings with food, hospitality, and the occasional Harvey Wallbanger. She drove for Meals on Wheels, never missed a colleague’s birthday, and had a fearless streak—she once integrated a hotel restaurant in Africa by sheer force of will and moral clarity.

The Boohers’ love story began in Africa, where Harold served as a missionary and Pat, a West Texas native with expert marksmanship (she once shot a lion), caught his attention and heart. They built a life of intention and generosity, raising two sons, opening their home to students and colleagues alike.

They were deeply devoted to their three grandsons—attending every in-town game of softball, soccer, or T-ball—and to their famously grumpy cat, Mange, who came to rule their household despite frequent complaints. Their lives were marked not by spectacle, but by steadfastness: Harold preaching in chapel with precise exegesis and subtle shifts in body language to convey meaning; Pat waking at 4 a.m. to make low-fat Welsh scones for even the smallest occasion.

When Pat passed away in 2019, she left behind a legacy of fierce love, vibrant humor, and faithful service. With Harold’s passing this June, the seminary bids farewell to a beloved teacher, colleague, and friend whose shrug could say more than most could with a speech.

Their lives—so deeply entwined with the daily life of 51��Ƶ—leave a void, but also a living legacy. Their names may adorn a collection, but their spirit endures in every story shared, every act of quiet kindness, and every book opened in pursuit of truth.

As McIntosh-Doty once wrote: “Together they have done amazing things, always as acts of love.”

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51��Ƶ Academic Dean Contributes to Vatican Process Naming Saint John Henry Newman a Doctor of the Church

Tatiana Hoecker — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 14:51:19 +0000

In September 2024, the Rev. Benjamin King, Ph.D. traveled to Oxford, England to deliver a keynote address at the international conference “Newman as Preacher,” held in honor of the bicentennial of St. John Henry Newman’s first sermon in Oxford. His keynote, titled “Preaching the Church Fathers for Good and for Ill,” was well received and is now published�� in the Newman Studies Journal. While in Oxford, he also preached from Newman’s former pulpit at the Sunday Eucharist at the historic University Church.

The Rev. Benjamin King, Ph.D.

In July 2025, the Vatican reported that Pope Leo XIV will soon confer on St. John Henry Newman the title of Doctor of the Universal Church. Dr. King was among the twenty international scholars, most of whom were Catholic, who contributed to the theological document (or positio) that the cardinals and bishops read before deciding to make this conferral. King’s contribution to the positio concerned Newman’s scholarship of the Church Fathers. On a related topic, Dr. King completed a chapter for the forthcoming book Newman and Nicaea, which is scheduled for publication in 2026.��

A major highlight of the year was the publication of his own book, The Oxford Movement and the People of God: Enslavement, Education, and Empire, released by Oxford University Press in January 2025. The book has already received international critical acclaim, including effusive reviews in the Journal of Anglican Studies and the Theologische Literaturzeitung. In support of this work, Dr. King produced an educational video for ChurchNext, making the history of the Oxford Movement more accessible to the wider Episcopal Church.

John Henry Newman

Looking ahead, Dr. King has been invited by the Historiographer of the Episcopal Church to contribute an article to a commemorative issue of Anglican and Episcopal History, marking the 250th anniversary of the Episcopal Church. This invitation underscores his ongoing role as a leading voice in Anglican historical studies.

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Proclaiming the Kingdom: A Seminarian’s Experience at the 2025 Preaching Excellence Program Conference

Tatiana Hoecker — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 19:00:55 +0000

By Elizabeth Holland, postulant from the Diocese of Olympia, MDiv Class of 2026

In May, I attended the Preaching Excellence Program (PEP) Conference in Richmond, Virginia, hosted by The Episcopal Preaching Foundation (EPF). PEP was founded in 1987 by A. Gary Shilling and aims to strengthen preachers within The Episcopal Church. This year’s theme was “Jesus Sent Them Out to Proclaim the Kingdom” (Luke 9:2).

Six rising seniors from the 51��Ƶ, including myself (Diocese of Olympia), Jennifer Murphy (Diocese of West Texas) Paige Trivett (Diocese of Virginia), Jewels Wolf (Diocese of the Rio Grande), Jimmy Haney (Diocese of Northwest Texas), and Iwao Asakura (Diocese of Texas), joined about 45 other Episcopal and Anglican seminarians from dioceses, seminaries, and local formation programs from across the U.S. and Canada.��

The PEP Conference focused on enhancing preaching skills and fostering connections. Each meal was served buffet-style to encourage us to sit with different people so that we could share ourselves and our seminary experiences and get to know one another a bit more. Prayer was a central part of our experience, with Morning and Evening Prayers highlighting various worship styles, preaching styles, and reinforcing the idea that liturgy is dynamic and adaptable.

Daily workshops provided insights into different preaching styles and techniques. We were divided into smaller groups with seminarians from various schools, where we delivered sermons and offered constructive feedback. These groups quickly felt like family, allowing us to support one another in our growth.

One workshop I attended, “The Word Encountered: Art, Embodiment, and Interpretation,” led by Susan Ironside and Christine Parton Burkett, encouraged us to explore intersections of art and scripture through creative activities such as reading a passage in a group with different characters, role-playing a passage, and also reading the passage with different emphasis. Another workshop, “Instant Preaching,” led by former 51��Ƶ professor Micah Jackson, challenged us with a scenario that gives new (and experienced) preachers nightmares: “You arrive at church right before the service, and the senior priest isn’t there. You have five minutes to prepare a sermon—go!” – an exhilarating experience simulating real-world preaching challenges. Nikki Mathis’ workshop on trauma-responsive preaching and Sister Miriam Elizabeth’s beading session also enriched our preaching development.

The Rev. Nancy Frausto, the Director of Latinx Studies at 51��Ƶ, played an active role at PEP. She supported us and hosted a dinner for those interested in multicultural ministries. The Rev. Nandra Perry, Director of the Iona Collaborative, presented on local formation programs, emphasizing that there are pathways to the priesthood that differ from the norm of traditional seminary routes.

Several staff and volunteers at PEP have either graduated from or been affiliated with 51��Ƶ, and it was wonderful to meet some of them. The relationships built during the conference were invaluable. Some of my classmates and I served in various roles during services, such as reader, singer, or cantor, which was a beautiful experience, and allowed us to collaborate and make new friends.

PEP provided a welcoming environment that encouraged authenticity. A poignant takeaway was a message from Sister Miriam Elizabeth about “finding your Elizabeth” – a supportive person who lifts you up, helps you carry burdens, and encourages you to confront challenges, even when you feel unprepared. Now back in Austin, I am excited to incorporate what I have learned from PEP into my seminary life and field education sites. I also want to continue supporting others on their journeys and possibly being an Elizabeth for someone else’s Mary.

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Harrison Library Temporarily Closed for Acoustical Improvements

Tatiana Hoecker — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 13:46:41 +0000

Since opening in September 2023, the Harrison Library has become a lively and well-used space by students, faculty, and our extended community. To enhance the overall experience of the library, the seminary will install acoustical treatments this summer that will improve sound quality throughout the building.

As part of this work, the library closed on Monday, June 9, at 5 p.m. and will remain closed for approximately 4–6 weeks. We anticipate reopening by mid-summer and will share more details in early July.

While the library is closed, here’s how you can access support and resources:

Book Requests & Research Assistance: Library staff are available throughout the summer to help with research questions and book requests. Contact them at library@ssw.edu or 512-478-5212.
Meeting Space: For help locating an alternative meeting space on campus, email meetingspace@ssw.edu.
Recording Studios: The One Button Studio and the larger recording studio will be inaccessible during construction. For any questions about future usage of the studios, contact communications@ssw.edu.

Additionally, 51��Ƶ students are welcome to use at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, located just half a mile from the Harrison Library. Your 51��Ƶ library card will be honored there.

We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work to create a quieter, more focused learning space. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Harrison Library later this summer.

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Equipped to Serve: Celebrating the Class of 2025

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 16:31:35 +0000

Commencement week at 51��Ƶ was marked by meaningful liturgies, joyful celebrations, and long-standing traditions as the Class of 2025 graduated. 51��Ƶ conferred degrees on 28 graduates during its 2025 Commencement, held May 21 at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Austin, Texas. The ceremony honored students across all degree programs, including the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Master of Arts in Religion, Master of Arts in Spiritual Direction, and the Diploma in Anglican Studies.

Click here to give a gift in honor of the Class of 2025

The seminary also awarded honorary doctorates to two distinguished individuals, including Bryan A. Stevenson, renowned public interest lawyer and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) and the Honorable Linnet Deily, former U.S. ambassador to the World Trade Organization. Stevenson also delivered the commencement sermon, offering a powerful message that drew on his decades of work advocating for the marginalized and confronting systemic injustice.

“This was a very moving and meaningful commencement,” said Dr. Scott Bader-Saye, dean and president. “Bryan Stevenson reminded us of the need to become proximate to those who are suffering and vulnerable, and he inspired all of the graduates to take their education and training and use it for the good of those who are least able to advocate for themselves. I was grateful to be able to honor the impressive and impactful career of Linnet Deily and to send off our graduates with a joyful celebration of their accomplishments!”

You can find the citations read for both degree recipients here for Bryan A. Stevenson and here for the Honorable Linnet Deily.

On the evening before commencement, graduates gathered in Christ Chapel for their final Holy Eucharist as students. During the service, each was presented with a Seminary Cross—a keepsake that has been gifted to 51��Ƶ graduates for generations. Dean Bader-Saye preached the sermon at this final chapel gathering, which remains available for viewing online.

Leading up to the commencement ceremony, the seminary hosted two receptions to celebrate graduates across its various degree programs. Students in the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Master of Arts in Spiritual Direction programs were honored at a dinner that included family, friends, faculty, and staff. The evening began with welcoming remarks from Dean Bader-Saye, a blessing by Dr. Gena St. David, and a greeting from Director of Alumni Relations, Lecia Brannon, who officially welcomed the graduates into the 51��Ƶ Alumni Association. After dinner, faculty members presented each graduate with personalized superlative certificates highlighting their unique contributions and strengths.

“It was a joy to host the counseling and spiritual direction graduates and their loved ones at the first annual Center graduation dinner,” said Dr. St. David. “It was a memorable evening of laughter, fond farewells, and expressions of gratitude; we extended a welcome to the alumni community and celebrated the achievements of this senior class. I am thankful for all who participated in this happy occasion.”

Graduates in the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Religion, and Diploma in Anglican Studies programs were honored with a reception at Rather House. The celebration included their formal induction into the 51��Ƶ Alumni Association, followed by dinner for the broader seminary community.

That evening concluded with Last Gathering, a beloved 51��Ƶ tradition filled with heartfelt tributes and lighthearted farewells—a chance for the community to say goodbye to the graduating class with warmth, humor, and gratitude.

Dean Bader-Saye shared, “Among our core values are Hospitality and Celebration. We certainly lived into both of those over the course of the various events leading up to commencement. I am grateful to our staff for all of the effort they put into making these end-of-year celebrations both beautiful and meaningful. It was great to see the good humor and the sad farewells all mixed together in these final days. We wish all of our graduates the best and look forward to seeing them back for our alumni events.”

A photo gallery of the Class of 2025 commencement exercises and events can be viewed here.��

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51��Ƶ Senior Awarded Episcopal Evangelism Society Grant

Tatiana Hoecker — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 16:16:20 +0000

51��Ƶ Master in Divinity senior, Tina Francis, was awarded an Episcopal Evangelism Society (EES) Grant for the Spring 2025 grant cycle. A total of six grants were awarded for this cycle. “This spring, we received an overwhelming number of applications from across the Episcopal Church,” EES shared. “After prayerful discernment, our board made the difficult decision to fund the most compelling and clearly evangelistic proposals – those that offer innovation, clarity of vision, and deep resonance with the mission of sharing the Good News of Jesus.”

Tina’s project is titled “Faces of Faith” and she hopes to capture the “diversity of Episcopal life in Texas through photography and narrative.” Tina intends to use social media, workshops, and exhibits to share her work and invite others to join in and create community. “For Tina, evangelism is a ministry of storytelling – honoring the sacred in ordinary people and creating spaces where others feel seen, valued, and welcomed into the Church,” shared EES.

Since 2007, EES has awarded 51��Ƶ students, faculty, and staff 23 grants. Projects have ranged from multicultural ministry, global partnerships and mission trips, pastoral care for veterans, video game chaplaincy, and agrarian ministries. You can read more about past 51��Ƶ EES grant recipients and their projects on the.

Francis was recently selected as a member of the 2026 cohort of the Trinity Leadership Fellows program. The full announcement about that honor can be found here.��

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51��Ƶ Celebrates with Episcopal Communicators at Annual Conference

Tatiana Hoecker — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 16:11:20 +0000

51��Ƶ shared fellowship with communicators from across the church at this year’s Episcopal Communicators Conference, including bringing home two Polly Bond awards and reaffirming its leadership within the Episcopal Church’s communications community.

Eric Scott, Vice President for Advancement and Communications, and Tatiana Suggs-Perea, Director of Communications, represented 51��Ƶ among more than 120 Episcopal communicators from across the country who gathered in Oklahoma City for the annual gathering.

“Episcopal Communicators are the heart of the church,” said Scott. “This annual gathering empowers and affirms these important lay leaders who do so much of the work of making church happen. Every year, I’m inspired by the people I meet and their commitment to these ministries of communication. We learn, we laugh, and we recognize in each other these unique jobs we have that so many of us cherish. It is one of my favorite weeks of the year.”

Tatiana Suggs-Perea, President of the House of Deputies, Julia Ayala Harris, and Eric Scott posing with 51��Ƶ’s newest Polly Bond Awards

51��Ƶ received two Polly Bond Awards for excellence in graphic design, honoring the seminary’s creative contributions to Episcopal communications. The winning entries—“Keep Seminary Weird” and “Welcome to the Episcopool”—stood out for their playful and locally rooted designs.

The “Keep Seminary Weird” graphic, inspired by Austin’s iconic slogan, was part of a suite of materials distributed at the 2024 General Convention. It celebrated the seminary’s deep connection to its city and cultural context. “Welcome to the Episcopool,” meanwhile, is a sign proudly displayed outside the swimming pool at College Courts, offering a warm and whimsical invitation to beat the Texas heat.

In addition to the design accolades, Suggs-Perea was re-elected to the board of directors for Episcopal Communicators, extending her leadership role for another two-year term. She has served on the board since 2022.

“I am honored to have been re-elected,” said Suggs-Perea. “This community has been formative for me—both professionally and personally. The conference is not just a time to gain new tools and strategies, but a chance to reconnect with friends and colleagues who care deeply about the mission of the Church.”

For more information on Episcopal Communicators and upcoming events—including a virtual conference in July 2025 and the next in-person gathering in San Diego in April 2026—visit.

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Kazu Haga to Deliver 2025 Blandy Lecture at 51��Ƶ

Tatiana Hoecker — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 15:55:17 +0000

51��Ƶ is proud to announce Kazu Haga as the keynote speaker for the 57th annual Blandy Lecture, to be held on Wednesday, November 19, 2025. A respected voice in the fields of nonviolence and restorative justice, Haga brings decades of experience in social change and community healing to this year’s event, which honors the legacy of the Very Rev. Gray M. Blandy, the seminary’s founding dean.

The daylong celebration will invite alumni and guests to reengage with the seminary’s academic and spiritual life. The schedule includes the opportunity to audit a Wednesday morning class, attend an Alumni Eucharist in Christ Chapel, share lunch with the 51��Ƶ community, and participate in a late afternoon reception followed by Haga’s lecture.

You can register now here. More details and a schedule of the day will be released at the end of June.

Kazu Haga is a leading practitioner of Kingian Nonviolence, a philosophy and methodology rooted in the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He is the founder of the East Point Peace Academy, a training organization based in Oakland, California, dedicated to cultivating peace and justice through inner transformation and collective action. A longtime activist and educator, Haga works with a wide range of communities—from incarcerated individuals to youth organizers and faith-based groups—offering tools to navigate conflict, heal harm, and engage in nonviolent direct action.

He is a founding core member of the Ahimsa Collective, a restorative justice organization that bridges the worlds of criminal justice, trauma healing, and peacemaking, and is also part of the leadership circle of the Fierce Vulnerability Network. His approach to justice work is deeply influenced by his experience as a formerly incarcerated youth and his early training in nonviolence at the age of 17 while living at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta.

Haga is the author of Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm (Parallax Press, 2020) and Fierce Vulnerability: A Memoir of Healing from Trauma, Emerging through Collapse (2023), which blend personal narrative with practical philosophy to offer readers pathways toward communal healing and systemic change.

He lives with his family at Canticle Farm, an intentional interfaith community located on Lisjan Ohlone land in Oakland, California, where his work continues to be informed by principles of simplicity, justice, and mutual care.

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Dr. Maria Reyna Promoted to Associate Professor of Counselor Education

Tatiana Hoecker — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 15:52:10 +0000

At its May 2025 meeting, the Board of Trustees of 51��Ƶ accepted leadership’s recommendation and unanimously approved tenure and promotion for Dr. Maria Reyna, advancing her to the rank of Associate Professor of Counselor Education. The promotion will take effect in the summer of 2025.

Dr. Scott Bader-Saye, dean and president, praised the promotion as a well-earned recognition of Dr. Reyna’s scholarly contributions and her ongoing impact on the institution. “Maria is an outstanding scholar and teacher,” said Dr. Bader-Saye. “She is deeply committed to her students and to the distinctive ethos of the counseling department. She is also a highly capable administrator, having significantly improved our departmental assessment practices—no small feat. We are fortunate to benefit from her gifts and dedication as she continues to help form future counselors.”

Reflecting on the milestone, Dr. Reyna expressed deep appreciation for her professional community and the personal significance of the moment. “I’m filled with gratitude and joy to be promoted and granted tenure as an Associate Professor of Counseling at the 51��Ƶ,” she said. “This moment feels incredibly meaningful—not just as a professional milestone, but as a reflection of the relationships, growth, and purpose that have shaped my journey so far. I feel honored to wear the legacies of my ancestors, and I am humbled at the opportunity to participate in the sacred work of counseling and counselor education.”

Dr. Reyna is a licensed professional counselor supervisor (LPC-S) in Texas. She came to 51��Ƶ in 2019 from a position as a full-time senior lecturer in the UNT Counseling Program, where she taught didactic courses and provided clinical supervision for master’s counseling students in multiple stages of clinical development. Her research and teaching interests include counselor development, attachment theory, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in clinical and educational contexts. She completed her doctoral work at the University of North Texas, where she received advanced training in play and filial therapy. Her clinical experience spans a range of settings, including inpatient psychiatric facilities, substance use recovery programs, and community mental health agencies.

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Key Administrative Appointments and Departmental Restructuring Signals Growth and Opportunity

Tatiana Hoecker — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 16:02:11 +0000

As he concludes his first full year as dean and president of 51��Ƶ, Dr. Scott Bader-Saye has announced a series of important staffing and organizational changes aimed at strengthening the seminary’s leadership and enhancing operational effectiveness.

Among the notable appointments is the naming of Beth Jordan as Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services. Jordan, who served as interim in the role during the Spring 2025 semester, has been with 51��Ƶ since 2008 and is one of the seminary’s longest-serving employees.

“Beth’s leadership across all of our degree programs has given her a unique perspective on the seminary’s broad vocational mission,” said Bader-Saye. “She understands both The Episcopal Church and the counselor education landscape. Her strategic mindset, commitment to data-informed decisions, and deep care for our students make her an ideal fit for this role.” He added, “Beth has built an impressive track record over 17 years, helping to recruit diverse, academically strong cohorts and contributing meaningfully to 51��Ƶ’s growth and visibility.”

“It’s a privilege to walk alongside students from the moment they sign up for a campus visit to graduation,” Jordan shared. “This position provides a unique opportunity to not only collaborate with an exceptional Enrollment team, but partner with each student and build a strong community at 51��Ƶ.”��

Joining the Office of Enrollment Management is Deanna Sadek, who has been hired as Administrative Assistant. Sadek will provide crucial administrative support as well as improving efficiency and service to prospective and current students. Her extensive expertise in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) databases is invaluable as we work toward enhancing the online student experience for financial aid processing, housing management, and work-study coordination.

Also, in an important organizational change, the seminary will merge its Institutional Advancement and Communications and Marketing offices into a single unit: the Office of Advancement and Communications. The new department will be led by Eric Scott, who has served as Vice President for Communications and Marketing since 2020. Scott’s career includes prior roles at 51��Ƶ as Director of Communications and Director of Major Gifts, as well as senior development positions at ZACH Theatre and Any Baby Can.

“Eric brings more than 25 years of experience in fundraising, communications, and event leadership,” said Bader-Saye. “He’s long been one of 51��Ƶ’s most committed champions, and his background in both advancement and communications uniquely positions him to lead this integrated department. His energy, creativity, and strategic insight will serve the seminary well in this expanded role.”

As part of the departmental merger, Tatiana Suggs-Perea has been promoted to Director of Communications. Suggs-Perea previously served as Communications Manager and is widely recognized for her work in Episcopal Communicators.

“Tatiana brings creativity, a deep understanding of the church, and a passion for sharing 51��Ƶ’s mission,” said Scott. “Her leadership in Episcopal communications circles and her vision for how we tell our story will be central to the success of this new department. I’m excited to see her step into this role and flourish.”

These leadership changes come on the heels of earlier appointments in the Office of the Academic Dean and the Dean of Chapel, signaling a season of strategic renewal and alignment at 51��Ƶ.

“It is exciting to see this leadership team come together so wonderfully,” added Dr. Bader-Saye. “Between them, Beth and Eric have over 30 years of service at 51��Ƶ. They bring a level of experience and commitment that will serve this seminary well. Having them work alongside gifted leaders like Ben and Sarah and the rest of the President’s Cabinet makes me feel hopeful and proud of what the seminary will achieve in the future.”

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The Rev. Benjamin King, Ph.D. Named Academic Dean

Tatiana Hoecker — Fri, 30 May 2025 16:04:19 +0000

51��Ƶ recently announced that the Rev. Benjamin King, Ph.D., has been named Academic Dean after serving the past year in that role in an interim capacity.

“During this past academic year, Ben King proved himself to be an invaluable asset as interim Academic Dean,” said Dr. Scott Bader-Saye, dean and president. “In fact, over the past few months the faculty has actively campaigned for me to make this position permanent. This signaled to me that they were seeing what I was seeing—that Ben is a gifted leader with both the organizational and relational skills needed to do this job well. In addition, he is an accomplished scholar who will be a great support to the faculty in their own writing and scholarship. I am very pleased that he has said yes to the invitation to remove ‘interim’ from his title!”

“When I arrived at 51��Ƶ I found a wonderful team of colleagues and a great group of students, all of whom are making a difference in the Church or in the field of counseling,” shared King. “I soon realized that the commitment of this seminary to be a place of Beloved Community was one I have been working on throughout my 25 years of ministry as parish priest, professor, and administrator. I relish the opportunity to maintain the strong academic foundations on which our graduates from our theology programs, from the Iona Collaborative, and from our counseling and spiritual direction programs will ground their lives of service.”

Since 2023, King has also served as the Duncalf-Villavoso Professor of Church History at 51��Ƶ and teaches the core courses in Church History as well as electives in Anglican theology and history. His current areas of research are the Oxford Movement, particularly the theology of John Henry Newman; the development of the Anglican Communion; and the Episcopal Church’s historic entanglement with slavery.

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51��Ƶ Hires the Rev. Sarah Mast as Dean of Chapel

Tatiana Hoecker — Wed, 28 May 2025 14:31:41 +0000

51��Ƶ has announced the appointment of the Rev. Sarah Mast as its new Dean of Chapel. Mast, who has been serving as Curate at Holy Family Episcopal Church in Houston, will begin her new role on July 1, 2025.

“I am so excited that Sarah Mast will be joining us this fall as our Dean of Chapel,” shared��Scott Bader-Saye, dean and president. “Sarah is a graduate of the seminary who brings not only strong academic and liturgical skills but also a deep knowledge of and commitment to our ethos and values as an institution. The Dean of Chapel role includes serving as chaplain to the community, and with over ten years of experience as a therapist and social worker prior to becoming a priest, Sarah brings great expertise in this area. Her presence will enrich our community in many ways, and I can’t wait to begin working with her.”

Mast was ordained to the priesthood in February 2024. During her curacy at Holy Family, she was involved in various ministries, including pastoral care and community engagement.

Mast shared, “I am delighted to return to 51��Ƶ in order to participate in the spiritual nurturing and formation of people called to healing and ministry. Christ Chapel has long been a meaningful place of worship for me, and guiding this community as Dean of Chapel is an exciting way to serve the Church.”��

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51��Ƶ Alum Consecrated as Bishop of West Missouri

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 06 May 2025 20:05:38 +0000

On Saturday, May 3rd, 51��Ƶ Alum, the Very Rev. Amy Dafler Meaux was consecrated as the IX Bishop of the Diocese of West Missouri. The service took place at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral in Kansas City. She is the first female bishop to be consecrated as diocesan bishop in West Missouri.

“Being present for the ordination and consecration of Bishop Amy Dafler Meaux was a sacred and joyful experience,” shared the Rev. Lecia Brannon, Director of Donor Relations. “Bishop Amy deeply values her connection to 51��Ƶ evidenced by her relationship with her classmates, her commitment to community and her devotion to sharing in ministry alongside those she is called to serve. Her leadership is a gift to the Diocese of West Missouri and the church.”

Bishop Meaux graduated from 51��Ƶ with a Master in Divinity in 2002. Prior to being elected bishop, Meaux served as the dean and rector of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Little Rock, Arkansas.��

Read more about Bishop Meaux from Episcopal News Service and a video of the consecration can be found .

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Community Gathers to Celebrate Launch of Soul by 51��Ƶ Arts Journal

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 06 May 2025 19:59:46 +0000

Dozens of artists, writers, and community members from across Central Texas gathered on the evening of Friday, April 25, to celebrate the release of the 11th edition of Soul by 51��Ƶ, the annual literary and visual arts journal published by the Center for Writing and the Arts (CWA) at 51��Ƶ.

The launch event transformed the Bishop Dena A. Harrison library into a vibrant hub of creativity. Guests enjoyed a gallery exhibition of visual art from contributors, live readings by featured writers, and musical performances by the Duane Carter Band. Adding a touch of improvisational creativity to the evening, poets from Typewriter Rodeo — Sean Petrie and Bianca Perez — crafted personalized poems for attendees on the spot using vintage typewriters.

Claire Colombo, director of the CWA and editor of the journal, spoke to the significance of the evening. “It was a delight, as always, to hold space not only for the creative works of our contributors, but also for the courageous sharing of those works,” she said. “The long arc of the creative process includes countless hours of making — usually in solitude — and then a very public moment in which we release what we’ve made into the world. That moment can be harrowing — and yet, when done in community, it often ends up being a moment of great joy, and even transcendence.”

This year’s journal is themed around “belonging,” and features the work of more than 30 artists and writers, including students, faculty, staff, and members of the broader 51��Ƶ community. During the event, Colombo expressed gratitude to contributors for both their artistic offerings and for fostering a sense of community and inclusion through their work.

Dean and President of 51��Ƶ, Scott Bader-Saye, Ph.D., shared, “This event was a beautiful and fitting culmination of months of effort on the part of Dr. Claire Colombo and her team. Art and poetry are ways that we seek to uncover the deep meaning of things and to reveal the presence of God in the ordinary. The contributions to this year’s journal were insightful, playful, and profound—sometimes all at once. It was great to be able to welcome members of the wider Central Texas community to our campus for this event and to receive the gift of their creativity.”

The evening concluded with live readings from the 2025 edition of the journal, with several contributors sharing their poetry aloud to an appreciative audience.

“This was a true celebration of the arts in community,” said Colombo.

The digital collection of this year’s issue of Soul by 51��Ƶ can be found on , and print copies can be obtained in the 51��Ƶ bookstore.

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Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month at 51��Ƶ

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 06 May 2025 19:41:19 +0000

Austin, TX — 51��Ƶ Seminary marked Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with vibrant events celebrating the theological contributions, cultural heritage, and spiritual leadership of AAPI communities across the Episcopal Church.

The observance of AAPI Heritage Month at 51��Ƶ reflects the seminary’s commitment to diversity, justice, and intercultural formation. The first of two significant events took place on April 28th, when renowned theologian Dr. Kwok Pui Lan preached at the Monday Eucharist. A leading voice in Asian feminist and postcolonial theology, Dr. Kwok is internationally known for her work on decolonizing Christian theology. She currently serves as Distinguished Scholar at the Episcopal Divinity School and has held faculty positions at Emory University and other theological institutions. Following worship, Dr. Kwok joined students for a Community Hour conversation centered on her latest book, The Anglican Tradition from a Postcolonial Perspective, exploring how Anglicanism—and global Christianity more broadly—must reckon with histories of empire and migration. Dr. Kwok’s sermon at Christ Chapel can be viewed here.

“It was a day filled with inspiration,” shared Rev. Dr. Jeehei Park, Assistant Professor of New Testament. “In her sermon on Mark 1:1-15, Dr. Kwok encourages us to write our own stories boldly, just as Mark did. During Community Hour, she offered a compelling book talk in which she graciously shared her wisdom and theological journey–beginning in Hong Kong and evolving into a practice of resistance and resilience through collaboration with diverse theologians. While touring the library, she was impressed by the range of our teaching and learning resources, including our writing center and two recording studios.”

The celebration continued on May 1st with the annual AAPI Heritage Eucharist, organized by the Rev. Dr. Park and a team of students. The Rev. Peggy Lo, rector at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Austin, presided and preached. Her sermon offered a powerful reflection on the challenges and joys of serving as an AAPI leader in a predominantly white denomination, while also honoring the strength of ecumenical community among Asian American Christians, and how diversity enriches our lives. A recording of the Rev. Peggy Lo’s sermon can be found here.

Attendees gathered afterward at the Lower Commons at the Harrison Library for a shared meal, enjoying Korean-Mexican fusion from local food truck Chi’lantro and a variety of traditional Asian snacks. The chapel was adorned with colorful origami cranes, symbolizing peace and collective resilience.

“I am so grateful to the Rev. Peggy Lo for preaching and presiding at our AAPI Eucharist; to Dr. Kwok Pui-Lan for sharing her wisdom, humor, and insight with us; and to Dr. Jeehei Park for organizing these events and lining up our wonderful guests,” said Dr. Scott Bader-Saye, dean and president. “Asian American contributions to the church—theologically, musically, and liturgically—are not always elevated in the church’s current conversations about diversity, so it was particularly enriching and rewarding to be able to celebrate and engage with these voices.” By lifting up AAPI voices from both Episcopal and broader Christian contexts, these events created sacred space for dialogue, connection, and celebration, reminding the community of the beauty and strength that emerges when the Church embraces its global and multicultural identity.

Rev. Dr. Park reflected on the event, “We reaffirmed our commitment to beloved community during the Eucharist in celebration of Asian Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The guest preacher and presider was the Rev. Peggy Lo. In her sermon, she beautifully expressed the importance of celebrating our different identities and heritages alongside our shared Christian identity. My sincere thanks go to students, Iwao Asakura and Tina Francis for their work.”

Together, these events created space for joyful fellowship, thoughtful theological engagement, and an affirmation of the many ways AAPI identities enrich the life of the seminary and the wider Church.

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