51��Ƶ

51��Ƶ Announces Leadership Transition in Counseling Program

Tatiana Hoecker — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 15:12:30 +0000

Dr. Gena St. David to depart after nearly 15 years of service; Dr. Awa Jangha named director of the Loise Henderson Wessendorff Center for Counseling and Spirituality

51��Ƶ announces the departure of Dr. Gena St. David, director of the Loise Henderson Wessendorff Center for Counseling and Spirituality, following nearly 15 years of distinguished service to the seminary. Dr. Awa Jangha, a longtime member of the counseling faculty and nationally recognized leader in counselor education, will succeed St. David as director of the center.

St. David has played a central role in establishing 51��Ƶ’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program as a distinctive leader in counselor education, particularly in the integration of spirituality, multicultural competency, and a commitment to serving historically underserved communities.

St. David first joined 51��Ƶ in 2012 as an adjunct instructor at the invitation of then-Dean and President Cynthia Kittredge. She became a full-time faculty member in 2015, the same year the seminary established the Loise Henderson Wessendorff Center for Counseling and Spirituality. Working alongside colleagues, including Dr. Stephanie Ramirez and founding director Dave Scheider, she helped build the center’s curriculum, expand its faculty, and establish the foundations for its growth. She became director of the center in 2019.

During her tenure, the counseling program more than tripled its enrollment and expanded to six core faculty members. St. David helped guide the development of the program’s accreditation efforts and contributed to securing nearly $10 million in grant and endowment support, including funding for three endowed faculty chairs.

Among her most significant contributions was helping establish innovative initiatives that connect counselor education with community needs. These include the Bishop Dena Harrison Fellowship Program and the Richmond/Rosenberg Bilingual Fellowship Program, which support graduates serving underserved communities; the Latinx Counseling Concentration; and programs advancing spiritual integration and racial healing.

An accomplished scholar and author, St. David published two books during her time at 51��Ƶ, The Brain and the Spirit (2021) and The Nonviolent Brain (2026), along with research and program evaluation studies exploring the relationship between counseling, spirituality, and human wellbeing.

“So many of us are beneficiaries of the contributions Dr. St David has made to our common life in her 15 years of service,” said the Rev. Benjamin King, Ph.D., academic dean. “She has worked tirelessly with the counseling faculty to make ours a beacon of anti-racism among counseling programs. She has richly collaborated with the theology faculty by learning with them as well as helping them deepen their theological insights. She has transformed the lives of so many students by her teaching and by modeling for them how to be a great human being. We are all better because of her time among us.”

Reflecting on her years at 51��Ƶ, St. David expressed gratitude for the colleagues, students, and alumni who have helped shape the program.

“It has been the honor of my professional life to help build the counseling program at 51��Ƶ over these past nearly fifteen years,” St. David said. “I am deeply grateful — to Cynthia Kittredge for first bringing me on, to the faculty and staff who built this program alongside me, and to every student and alum who has trusted us with their formation as counselors.”

Dr. St. David was previously announced as a featured speaker for this year’s Blandy Lectures, an occasion that now takes on special significance as she prepares to conclude her time at 51��Ƶ. This year’s Blandy programming will also provide an opportunity for the seminary community to celebrate her service and recognize her contributions to the institution, its students, and the counseling profession.

St. David will continue her professional work in individual, couples, family, and trauma therapy, as well as writing, speaking, and consulting on nonviolence and practices of care that support the wellbeing of individuals, communities, and the wider world.

Dr. Awa Jangha Named New Director

As 51��Ƶ celebrates St. David’s contributions, the seminary also announces the appointment of Dr. Awa Jangha as the next director of the Loise Henderson Wessendorff Center for Counseling and Spirituality. Dr. St. David’s last day at 51��Ƶ will be December 31, 2026. Dr. Jangha will begin in her new role on January 1, 2027.

A member of 51��Ƶ’s faculty since 2016, Jangha brings extensive experience as an educator, clinician, scholar, and leader in the counseling profession. Her work has been especially influential in advancing spiritually integrated counseling and culturally responsive approaches to mental health care.

“Gena has been such a fantastic leader and colleague,” said Dr. Jangha.�� “She embodies both grace and strength- qualities which have fostered growth and flourishing within our counseling program. I am glad to carry on the wonderful work Dr. St. David has begun and I look forward to continuing to cultivate the richness of the MHC program.”

Jangha recently received the Meritorious Service Award from the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC), recognizing her leadership of a national task force that revised the profession’s Spiritual and Religious Competencies and Best Practices. At 51��Ƶ, she has helped shape the counseling curriculum and co-developed the Spiritual Integration in Scholars program, further strengthening the center’s distinctive approach to counselor formation.

“My sadness that Dr. St. David is leaving is mitigated by my delight that Dr Jangha will succeed her as director,” said the Rev. King. “Dr. Jangha already serves 51��Ƶ so well and makes great contributions to her field. The Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling just gave her their meritorious service award for 2026. She will now share such expertise with us in a leadership capacity.”

St. David expressed particular enthusiasm for Jangha’s appointment.

“I’m so proud of the program we’ve built together, and of the alumni community of talented, compassionate, culturally responsive, and spiritually integrated counselors it continues to grow,” St. David said. “I’m also delighted that Dr. Awa Jangha will be stepping into the role as the new director. Awa brings extraordinary national leadership to this role. The seminary’s counseling program, students, and community partners are in wonderful hands.”

Under Jangha’s leadership, the center will continue its commitment to preparing skilled, compassionate mental health professionals who integrate clinical excellence, spiritual understanding, and cultural responsiveness in service to individuals and communities.

51��Ƶ extends its deep gratitude to Dr. St. David for her extraordinary contributions to the institution and the counseling profession, and warmly welcomes Dr. Jangha into this new leadership role.

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Episcopal Bishops Visit 51��Ƶ During Fall House of Bishops Meeting

Tatiana Hoecker — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 20:01:38 +0000

A group of Episcopal bishops visited 51��Ƶ on Saturday, September 26, taking time away from the House of Bishops’ fall meeting at Camp Allen to tour the Austin campus and spend time with seminarians.

The visit took place during the September 22–28 gathering at Camp Allen Conference Center in Navasota, Texas, which brought together 118 bishops and bishops-elect representing 93 dioceses and special ministries across 17 countries and territories. The gathering focused on the challenges and opportunities facing The Episcopal Church, including theological education, church planting, congregational vitality, and the church’s evolving mission.

For the bishops who made the trip to Austin, the visit offered an opportunity to see theological education in action and strengthen connections with seminarians preparing for ministry in their dioceses.

“What a joy to welcome so many bishops to come to the 51��Ƶ on their sabbath Saturday during the recent House of Bishops meeting at Camp Allen! Their seminarians were so happy to be with them, and they with their seminarians! We all enjoyed a delicious lunch and the bishops enjoyed a tour of 51��Ƶ,” said the Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce, interim dean and president of 51��Ƶ.

The bishops were welcomed at Rather House before embarking on a campus tour led by Eric Scott, 51��Ƶ’s vice president for advancement and communications. The tour itinerary highlighted the seminary’s historic and contemporary spaces, including Christ Chapel, the Seminary Oak, the Bishop Dena A. Harrison Library, the seminary’s two recording studios, and the learning chapel. The bishops also had an opportunity to see spaces supporting student life and formation across campus.

“It was such a joy to see the 51��Ƶ in action–to meet students, see the campus and library, and encounter how they are forming clergy and lay leaders for the future,” said the the Rt. Rev. Jennifer A. Reddall, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona, who was among the visiting bishops. “I left with hope for our church, and gratitude for the faculty and staff engaging with students.”��

“This was a wonderful opportunity to show these bishops the 51��Ƶ of today. Whether we visited the historic places that have shaped generations of Episcopal leaders or the forward thinking teaching facilities that prepare people for the church of tomorrow, it was a joy to share our contributions to theological education at a time we know these Bishops are deeply discerning it.” Scott said. “But the best part was seeing the connections between the bishops and our students. Those relationships are so important, and it was a real pleasure to bring everyone together here on campus.”

Following the tour, the bishops joined 51��Ƶ seminarians for a local BBQ lunch in Howell Dining Hall. The informal gathering provided time for conversation, fellowship, and opportunities for bishops to reconnect with students from their dioceses.

The campus visit came during a significant week for Episcopal Church leadership. The House of Bishops also welcomed Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally to Camp Allen on September 25, during her first visit to the United States as archbishop. Throughout the gathering, bishops considered Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe’s developing strategic vision for the church and reflected on the importance of strengthening relationships and supporting the church’s future leadership.

In a pastoral message issued at the conclusion of the meeting, the bishops specifically identified theological education among the ministries essential to the vitality of The Episcopal Church.

The September 26 visit offered a tangible expression of that commitment, bringing together bishops, seminarians, and the seminary community in the shared work of forming leaders for the church.

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Honoring the Past, Celebrating Our Community: John Hines Day and Hispanic Heritage Month

Tatiana Hoecker — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 15:38:52 +0000

On Tuesday, October 6, the community of 51��Ƶ gathered to celebrate the life and legacy of its founder, the Rt. Rev. John E. Hines. The annual observance brought together students, faculty, staff, alumni, the Board of Trustees, and friends of the seminary for worship, fellowship, and a celebration of 51��Ƶ’s enduring mission.

The traditional midday Eucharist in Christ Chapel was followed by a celebratory luncheon in Howell Dining Hall. Rev. Dr. Dominique Robinson, the Bishop John E. Hines Assistant Professor of Preaching, delivered the sermon, and the Rt. Rev. Kathryn M. Ryan, Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Texas, presided at the service.��

The celebration also continued 51��Ƶ’s recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, highlighting the diversity of the seminary community and creating space to honor the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities. This celebration reflects 51��Ƶ’s ongoing commitment to a theological education shaped by the many voices and experiences that enrich the Church and the world.

Founded in 1952 by Bishop Hines, who later served as Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church from 1965 to 1974, 51��Ƶ was envisioned as a seminary for the whole Church. Hines championed liturgical renewal, civil rights, and the inclusion of women and people of color in leadership. His commitment to social justice and his belief that the Church must engage the realities of the world continue to inform 51��Ƶ’s mission today.

During the luncheon, members of the John Hines Legacy Society were recognized and honored for their commitment to sustaining the seminary’s work for future generations. John Hines Day offers the 51��Ƶ community an opportunity to give thanks for its founder, celebrate the people who carry his vision forward, and renew its commitment to forming faithful leaders for the Church and the world.

The Rev. Nancy Frausto, Director of the Latinx Studies Program, Lecturer in Multicultural Ministries, and Director of Community Worship (appointed at the start of the fall semester), organized a vibrant celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month at 51��Ƶ. The month’s festivities began with an opening Eucharist on September 17, featuring mariachi music, followed by a delicious community meal in Howell Dining Hall. Two guests from 51��Ƶ’s partner seminary, Seminario Episcopal San Pedro y San Pablo in Puerto Rico, came to campus to join the celebration.��

“This year, Hispanic Heritage Month at 51��Ƶ focused on building community, strengthening partnerships, and celebrating the joy and resilience of Latino people,” shared Frausto. “One of the most exciting developments has been the progress we are making in building a partnership between 51��Ƶ and Seminario Episcopal San Pedro y San Pablo in Puerto Rico. Bringing these two theological schools together opens wonderful possibilities for collaboration, mutual learning, and strengthening theological education for the wider Episcopal Church.”

Students also gathered for a themed Community Hour, where they played Lotería and enjoyed special treats celebrating Hispanic heritage. Later in the month, a current Master of Divinity student led a dance class set to Latino music, bringing the community together through movement, music, and shared celebration.

Frausto reflected, “What a beautiful way to conclude Hispanic Heritage Month by celebrating the life and legacy of Bishop John E. Hines. His vision for 51��Ƶ was of a theological school that would help shape a different kind of Church, one where people of all races, cultures, backgrounds, and languages would not simply be welcomed or included, but would help lead and shape the Church’s future. That is the vision we continue to work toward at 51��Ƶ. Hispanic Heritage Month is not simply about celebrating Latino culture for a few weeks. It reminds us of the gifts our Latino siblings bring to the Church, the importance of building genuine relationships across cultures, and our shared calling to build a Church where everyone truly belongs.”

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The 51��Ƶ Five: The Rev. Minerva Skeith

Tatiana Hoecker — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 19:06:19 +0000

What happens when 51��Ƶ alumni take what they learned here out into the world? The 51��Ƶ Five is our new alumni spotlight, offering a glimpse into the lives, ministries, and perspectives of 51��Ƶ graduates. Each month, we’ll catch up with an alum to hear what they’re carrying with them, where their vocation has taken them, and what is inspiring—or challenging—them today.

Kicking off the series is the Rev. Minerva Skeith ’19. We’re delighted to hear from Minerva about her time at 51��Ƶ, her life and ministry since graduation, and the questions, ideas, and sources of hope that are capturing her attention these days.

1. When you think back on your time at 51��Ƶ, what is one moment, person, or place that comes immediately to mind, and why has it stayed with you?

There are many people who impacted me during my time at SSW.�� One person in particular stands out because of their willingness to be vulnerable in a way I had not experienced before. They suffered from chronic depression.�� I would have never known if they had not been willing to share their experience with their classmates.��

One morning as we were gathering before one of our classes, we were all checking in with each other asking how we were doing.�� They, without any shame or trepidation, shared that they were concerned because they were going to the doctor later that day to get their medication for depression adjusted.��

At that moment, they taught me how to talk about mental illness in away that I couldn’t before. Because of them, I have been able to have conversations with the parishioners with mental illness or whose loved ones are dealing with mental illness without feeling uncomfortable or embarrassed for them.��

2. What did 51��Ƶ teach you that you did not fully understand until you were out in the world doing the work?

The concept of being present is something that I learned in my head, but did not fully understand nor had experienced its power.�� As a pastor, there are many struggles and sufferings�� that people share with me.�� I have come to better understand and feel the power of holding someone’s hand because there is nothing else that can be done.�� I am not able to organize to address the issue, I am not able to write a check from the discretionary fund, I am not able to offer a remedy, I do not even have any words.�� Yet, my�� being there, with them, is transformative for both of us.

3. Where has your vocation taken you since graduation, and what is energizing or challenging you most in your life and ministry right now?

I currently serve as the rector of St. John’s in Austin.�� It is a blessing to be part of this faith community that tries to live out its mission.�� As part of Central Texas Interfaith the congregation works to impact the lives of people in our neighborhood and the city.�� Last year the city bought land from St. John’s and committed to build a neighborhood park. St. John’s had learned about the need for more greenspace from its neighbors during conversations with the neighborhood association and neighborhood walks.�� This effort has brought energy to both our congregation and our neighborhood.��

Unfortunately, St. John’s is being challenged by the current increased deportation efforts.�� The Texas State Troopers are closely working with ICE agents to arrest and deport as many people as possible.�� A state of fear is very present in our community. St. John’s is located in the middle of several well known areas that are frequently getting staked out for immigration raids. This fear is keeping people isolated from one another and away from the communities they were a part of.

4. How are you different because of your time at 51��Ƶ? Was there a particular experience that changed the way you understand yourself, your faith, or your calling?

SSW introduced me to group spiritual direction guided by Jason Minnix.�� It was a new experience for me and I was not sure what to expect.�� I am so grateful for this introduction because it opened for me a new way for me to reflect on what I was experiencing.�� It was not about fixing or finding solutions, but about looking for God in the midst of life.��

Thanks to SSW, I continue to meet with Jason every other month.�� This opportunity allows me to reflect on how God is working in my life and the life of the people I care about.��

5. What is capturing your attention these days, whether a question you are wrestling with, something you are reading or listening to, or a source of hope you keep returning to?

The current political, economic, and social struggles facing our community can at times feel overwhelming.�� I am grateful for serving in a community of faith that continues to encourage me and remind me of all the blessings in my life and the life of our community.�� Their deep faith in Jesus deepens my own faith.�� They remind me that our God has always walked alongside us and has always heard our cry.�� God not only hears our cry but responds to us.��

Stories of people’s trust in God, reinforce my strong belief that God will always make things right. All the pain and suffering will be transformed into joy.�� “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be our shepherd; ‘he will lead us to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.’” Revelation 7:17.��

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

Tatiana Hoecker — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 18:22:55 +0000

Students from 51��Ƶ made a visit to the at the University of Texas at Austin on October 2, 2026.�� This is an annual field trip arranged by 51��Ƶ professor Dr. Steve Bishop, Associate Professor of Old Testament. Seminarians enjoyed an informative tour of early Bibles and related manuscripts by Julia O’Keefe, Head of Instruction & Archival Engagement, Harry Ransom Center.

Resources presented included manuscripts, Christian scriptures produced before the invention of moveable type, significant early printed Bibles, and three bon mots: a hand written commentary of a psalm by Isaac Newton, a 1692 copy of John Milton’s Paradise Lost, an early Chinese wood block print of the gospel of Matthew.�� Among the several important editions of the Bible examined were a 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 first 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 51��Ƶ have been offering this extracurricular event annually for two decades.

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Rev. Dr. Dominique Robinson

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 20:00:51 +0000

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The Rev. Dr. Dominique Robinson

Keela.Vaughn — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 18:20:55 +0000

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Emily Rakassi

Keela.Vaughn — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:41:00 +0000

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The Rev. Dr. Dominique Robinson

Keela.Vaughn — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 19:45:00 +0000

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The Rev. Nancy Frausto

Keela.Vaughn — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 01:30:00 +0000

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The Rev. Dr. Dominique Robinson

Keela.Vaughn — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 18:45:11 +0000

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Backpacks, Blessings & New Beginnings: 51��Ƶ Welcomes 43 New Students

Tatiana Hoecker — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 15:56:56 +0000

Each year the seminary slowly begins to awaken from its summer slumber when new student orientation begins in August. This year 51��Ƶ welcomed 43 new students in all degree programs to campus. Orientation is a welcome time on campus as faculty, staff and current students get to know the newest members of the 51��Ƶ community and they get to know each other.��

This year during orientation, 51��Ƶ hosted a Back-to-School Eucharist in Christ Chapel. The Rev. Nancy Frausto, Director of the Latinx Studies Program, Lecturer in Multicultural Ministries, and Director of Community Worship, along with students, organized this service to include a blessing of backpacks as well as prayers for faculty, staff, returning students, new students, and families. 51��Ƶ’s interim dean and president, the Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce, preached a sermon about new beginnings.��

Frusto shared, “We began the academic year with a beautiful Back-to-School Blessing of the Backpacks and Eucharist, welcoming new and returning students and the wider seminary community. It was especially moving to see so many of our students and their children come forward with their backpacks to receive a blessing for the year ahead. One of the most meaningful parts of the liturgy was the opportunity for the different parts of our community to pray for one another. Returning students offered prayers for our new students; faculty prayed for all our students; and students, in turn, prayed over the faculty. Faculty and students then joined together in prayer for our staff. We also added a special prayer for the family members, children, parents, partners, and friends whose love and support make it possible for our students to be here studying at 51��Ƶ. It was an extraordinarily beautiful moment and a reminder that our formation and ministry never happen in isolation. There is always a larger community holding us, supporting us, and praying for us.”

Following Eucharist, everyone joined for Community Night in the dining hall where departments and groups across campus each had a booth with information about their work and dinner was shared for families to enjoy.

“New student orientation was a wonderful introduction to 51��Ƶ for our new students,” reflected Beth Jordan, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Services. “One of the highlights of the week was our Back-to-School Blessing followed by a meal and Community Night in Howell Dining Hall. Student groups, faculty and staff, and the Iona Collaborative were represented around the room, giving students an opportunity to meet people from across the seminary and learn more about the ways they can be involved in our community.”

As is tradition the evening before classes began, 51��Ƶ hosted a Matriculation evening prayer service in Christ Chapel. 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.

Also a tradition at the Matriculation service, 51��Ƶ awarded the Charles J. Cook Servant Leadership Award to the Rev. Minerva Skeith, Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas. 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.

Also announced at Matriculation was the recipient of the inaugural Wimberly-Harrison Prize. Named in honor of the Right Reverend Don Wimberly and the Right Reverend Dena Harrison, this prize is awarded by the Dean and President to support faculty sabbatical research, writing, travel, and related scholarly work. The awardee was announced as Dr. Gustavo ��á��Բ��, Assistant Professor of Counselor Education. Dr. ��á��Բ�� sabbatical work will center on developing a culturally and spiritually responsive conceptual framework for studying spirituality in Latinx immigrant children in the United States.

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58th Blandy Lecture to Explore the Future of Mental Health and Theology

Tatiana Hoecker — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 15:55:53 +0000

51��Ƶ is pleased to announce the theme of the 58th Annual Blandy Lecture and Alumni Convocation, taking place Thursday, November 19, 2026. This year’s lecture, “The Future of an Inclusion: Charting New Pathways for the Integration of Mental Health and Theology,” will bring together two of 51��Ƶ’s leading voices to explore the intersections of faith, psychology, neuroscience, and healing.

Anthony Baker, PhD, Clinton S. Quin Professor of Systematic Theology, and Gena St. David, PhD, Director of the Loise Henderson Wessendorff Center for Counseling and Spirituality and Professor of Counselor Education, will engage in dialogue followed by a student Q&A.

The conversation will challenge the longstanding tendency to separate psychological practice from religious faith. Drawing on St. David’s research in nonviolent practice and Baker’s work in Anglican natural theology, the speakers will consider what becomes possible when counselors and ministers take one another’s disciplines seriously. How might faith, trust, and spiritual community contribute to measurable healing? And how might empirical understandings of healing reshape theological ideas of sin, grace, confession, and repentance?

At the heart of the conversation is a provocative question: Might this mutual inclusion rewrite the future of Freud’s illusion?

The Rev. Robert Pace, PhD

The Alumni Association of 51��Ƶ is pleased to announce the Rev. Robert Pace, PhD (MDiv ‘12), Rector at Trinity Episcopal Church in Fort Worth, Texas is this year’s Hal Brook Perry Award recipient and Will Boesl (MSF ‘20), Director of Ministry Formation at Ascension in Austin, Texas, is this year’s Dave Scheider Award recipient. Both awards will be presented during this year’s Blandy Lecture and Alumni Convocation.

William Boesl

The 58th Blandy Lecture and Alumni Convocation is part of a full day of programming, including opportunities to visit a class, alumni award presentations, Eucharist, lunch with the 51��Ƶ community, exploring the campus, Evening Prayer, and a “dinner by the bite” reception before the lecture. The event is free and open to the 51��Ƶ community and alumni.

Find out more information and RSVP here.

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The Rev. Nancy Frausto

Keela.Vaughn — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 21:12:00 +0000

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The Rev. Dr. Dominique Robinson

Keela.Vaughn — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 18:39:57 +0000

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The Rt. Rev. Diane Bruce

Keela.Vaughn — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:56:14 +0000

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The Rev. Dr. Benjamin King – Matriculation 2026

Keela.Vaughn — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:33:00 +0000

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51��Ƶ elects the Rev.��Ruthanna Hooke, PhD, as 10th dean and president

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 14:12:16 +0000

The Board of Trustees of 51��Ƶ has elected the Rev.��Ruthanna B. Hooke, PhD, as the seminary’s 10th dean and president. Hooke will begin her service on January 1, 2027.

The Rev. Ruthanna B. Hooke, PhD

Hooke comes to 51��Ƶ from Virginia Theological Seminary, where she serves as Professor of Homiletics. She joined the Virginia Theological Seminary faculty in 2003 and has held several academic and administrative leadership roles, including associate dean of students, associate dean of chapel, and sub-dean for academic assessment. She is Program Director of the Preaching Congregations Initiative and holds a joint appointment as Professor of Homiletics at The General Theological Seminary.

“I am thrilled, honored, and so happy to have been appointed as the next dean and president of 51��Ƶ,” Hooke said. “I have long been an admirer of the seminary and the mission and ethos it embodies: its commitment to creating beloved community and equipping students to serve a diverse church and world, its practices of collaborative leadership, an openness to innovation and creativity in forming leaders for the future, and a willingness to engage in conversation and seek common ground amid difference.”

“I have come to know the seminary as a place of warm hospitality, authentic community, and a strong sense of purpose,” she continued. “All these qualities make 51��Ƶ a gift to the church and the world, a precious institution which I feel blessed to steward. I am profoundly grateful for the confidence the Board of Trustees has placed in me by entrusting me with this calling, and I look forward to working with the board, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends to guide 51��Ƶ into the bright future it has before it.”

The Rt. Rev.��Kathryn M. Ryan, bishop suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and chair of the 51��Ƶ Board of Trustees, said Hooke’s experience as an educator, priest, scholar, and institutional leader will serve 51��Ƶ well as it continues to advance its mission of forming people for vocations of ministry, service, and healing.

“Dr. Hooke brings a deeply relational and collaborative approach to leadership, a distinguished record as a teacher and scholar, and an abiding commitment to the formation of leaders for the church and the world,” said Ryan. “In her meeting with the board, she demonstrated a clear understanding of 51��Ƶ’s distinctive mission and a compelling vision for strengthening its programs, broadening its relationships, and nurturing the beloved community at the heart of this institution. She will be an excellent partner for the board as we move into 51��Ƶ’s exciting future.”

Hooke was elected by the Board of Trustees following a national search conducted in partnership with the executive search firm Isaacson, Miller. The Presidential Search Committee, chaired by Josephine Hicks, executive chair of the Board of Trustees, recommended Hooke’s selection to the board. The committee included trustees, faculty members, administrators, alumni, and other representatives of the 51��Ƶ community.��

“The search committee approached this process with prayer, care, and a deep sense of responsibility for the future of 51��Ƶ,” said Hicks. “Dr. Hooke distinguished herself through the depth of her experience, the clarity of her vocation, and her ability to connect academic excellence with community, formation, and institutional leadership. Moreover, her humility and eagerness to more deeply understand 51��Ƶ were manifest throughout the process. She listened closely, engaged differences thoughtfully, and conveyed a genuine love for 51��Ƶ and its mission. We are grateful to everyone who participated in the search and are confident that Dr. Hooke is the right leader for this important chapter.”

“51��Ƶ was created and has maintained a solid presence at the forefront of mission,” said the Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, IX Bishop of Texas. “It has done so by raising up students for the faithful mission of Christ, and its alumni stretch around the world in their impact. Today, it remains at the forefront, training more clergy for ministry than any other seminary through its residential seminary and the Iona Collaborative, as well as through its ministry of pastoral care in the counseling program. We remain one of the only seminaries to focus on mission to diverse populations through our culturally rich course of study.

“Today our seminary is a leader in theological education. It is no surprise, then, that we are excited about Dr. Hooke’s call to serve as the next dean. Dr. Hooke embodies these qualities, as has her ministry leadership over the years. She arrives as a friend of Texas, and we are excited to work with her, the board, and academic leadership to take our next steps toward a bright future for the church. The calling of Dr. Hooke reveals that 51��Ƶ intends to continue a tradition of forming thoughtful, courageous, and faithful leaders the Church and the world need; as Bishop Hines imagined many years ago when he planted the seminary in the heart of Texas.”

An Episcopal priest and scholar of preaching, Hooke’s teaching and research focus on homiletics, theology, voice, embodiment, performance, biblical storytelling, and the relationship between preaching and worship. She is a Designated Linklater Voice Teacher and has taught courses including Preaching in the Anglican Tradition, Embodying the Sermon: Vocal and Physical Training for Preachers, Biblical Storytelling, and Preaching in a Time of Eco-Crisis. She also has served on the planning committee of the Homiletics and Biblical Studies Section of the Society of Biblical Literature.

Hooke is the author of Sacramental Presence: An Embodied Theology of Preaching, published in 2023, and Transforming Preaching, published in 2010. Her scholarship explores preaching as an embodied, theological, and communal practice, drawing from performance studies as well as liturgical and sacramental theology. She is co-editor of the forthcoming volume, Have Mercy: Following Jesus in Politically Perilous Times (Church Publishing, 2026), a collection of essays from seminary faculty reflecting on the political implications of core Christian commitments.

Before joining the faculty at Virginia Theological Seminary, Hooke served Episcopal congregations in Connecticut. She was ordained to the diaconate in 1998 and to the priesthood in 1999. She later served as affiliated or adjunct clergy at congregations in Virginia and Washington, D.C. She currently serves as Priest Associate at Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill in Alexandria, Virginia.��

Hooke earned a Ph.D. in religious studies, with a concentration in theology, from Yale University. She received her Master of Divinity, summa cum laude, from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale and Yale Divinity School, where she also studied at the Institute of Sacred Music. She holds a Master of Arts in performing arts from Emerson College and an undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, in comparative religion from Harvard University.

Hooke will succeed the Rt. Rev.��Diane M. Jardine Bruce, who has served as interim dean and president since January 2026. Bruce was appointed to guide 51��Ƶ through the leadership transition and support the institution during the search for its 10th dean and president.

Details regarding Hooke’s transition and installation will be announced at a later date.

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Awa Jangha Honored for Leadership in Revising National Spiritual and Religious Counseling Best Practices

Tatiana Hoecker — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 16:34:28 +0000

Awa Jangha, Ph.D., assistant professor of counselor education at 51��Ƶ, was recently recognized nationally for her leadership in advancing ethical and culturally responsive counseling practices.

At the annual virtual conference of the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC), Jangha received the organization’s Meritorious Award in recognition of her leadership as chair of the Spiritual and Religious Competencies Task Force, which revised the profession’s foundational Spiritual and Religious Competencies into the new .

Jangha served as lead author and chair of the task force from January 2024 through June 2025, guiding a collaborative, national effort to update the standards that help counselors ethically and effectively engage with clients when spiritual or religious concerns arise as part of the therapeutic process.

The revised Best Practices build upon the original 2009 competencies while emphasizing cultural humility, intersectionality, and greater clarity for counseling professionals. The updated framework also includes expanded resources to support counselors as they integrate spiritual and religious considerations into clinical practice.

“I am proud to have been part of this crucial work that emphasized cultural humility, intersectionality, and clarity within the revision process along with provision of resources to support use of the best practices,” Jangha said.

The impact of the task force’s work continues to grow. Following completion of the revision, Jangha presented on the new Best Practices at professional conferences and participated in a podcast discussing their development and significance. The task force also received confirmation that an article documenting the revision process has been accepted for publication in Counseling and Values, further contributing to scholarship in the field.

At 51��Ƶ, Jangha brings this national leadership directly into the classroom. She teaches Spiritual Integration in Counseling and Ministry, a course centered on the Spiritual and Religious Best Practices, preparing future counselors to thoughtfully and ethically integrate clients’ spiritual and religious identities into clinical care. The principles of the Best Practices are also woven throughout 51��Ƶ’s counseling curriculum as part of the seminary’s commitment to integrating spirituality across counselor education.

Jangha’s national recognition reflects 51��Ƶ’s ongoing commitment to preparing counselors who are equipped to serve the whole person with cultural responsiveness, ethical integrity, and compassionate care. Through her leadership, 51��Ƶ students benefit from learning directly from a scholar helping shape the future of counselor education and professional practice.

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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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Class of 2026 Commencement Photo Gallery

Tatiana Hoecker — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 17:01:58 +0000

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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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The Rt. Rev. Austin Keith Rios

Keela.Vaughn — Tue, 26 May 2026 15:51:30 +0000

The following citation was read and presented during the conferring of an honorary doctorate to The Rt. Rev. Austin Keith Rios at the Commencement Exercises for the Class of 2026 on May 20, 2026.

Bishop. Faithful Pastor. Loyal Friend. Yours is a ministry formed by the breadth of the Church and sustained by a deep confidence in the reconciling love of Christ. Across congregations, cultures, languages, and continents, you have given yourself to the holy work of gathering people into community, proclaiming good news, and helping the Church bear faithful witness in a divided world.

Born in Texas, you earned your Bachelor of Arts from Davidson College before coming to 51��Ƶ, where you received your Master of Divinity in 2003.

Your ordained ministry has carried you from North Carolina to Rome and now to California. In the Diocese of Western North Carolina, you served as rector of La Capilla de Santa Maria, a Spanish-speaking congregation in Hendersonville, and as Canon for Spanish-Speaking Ministries. There, you helped strengthen the Church’s witness among Latino and Spanish-speaking communities, reminding the wider Church that the Body of Christ is made more whole when every story is welcomed as gift.

For twelve years, you served as rector of St. Paul’s Within the Walls in Rome, a multilingual and multicultural Episcopal congregation in the heart of that ancient city. In that ministry, you led a community shaped by worship, hospitality, and service, including its witness through the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center. Your ministry in Rome embodied an Anglican generosity of spirit: rooted in the gospel, and alive to the presence of Christ among those seeking refuge, dignity, and hope.

In December 2023, you were elected Bishop Coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of California. On May 4, 2024, you were ordained at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, and in August 2024 you became the Ninth Bishop of California. As bishop, you now shepherd one of the Church’s most visible and complex dioceses with a vision grounded in Christ, community, healing, and shared ministry.

You have called the diocese to be “Rooted in Christ, bearing fruit for the healing of the world,” a vision that reflects both your pastoral heart and your confidence that the Church still has vital work to do in the public square.

Your ministry has been marked by fluency across difference: Spanish, Italian, and English; local parish and global Church; ancient tradition and contemporary need. You serve as Vice Chair of The Church Pension Fund Board of Trustees and have served as a deputy to General Convention, helping lead in the wider councils of the Church. As the first Latino bishop to lead the Diocese of California, you offer a witness of historic significance, not only because of the office you hold, but because of the expansive and deeply human way you inhabit it.

You are a member of a tight-knit cohort of five 51��Ƶ classmates who have connected weekly for almost 25 years. This group, who refer to themselves as ‘Team Seminary,’ say of you: “Austin shines brightly because of his deep joy, born of an authentic faith that sees him encounter the world with curiosity rather than criticism. Austin has the ‘gift of joy and wonder in all [God’s] works,’ dispositions that have built in him wells of remarkable resilience and grace.”

“Austin inspires the virtue of humility, both because he models a faithfulness that does not have his own status as its end, and because he’s good at most everything, from shooting pool, to making music, to verbatim recall of seemingly every memorable movie scene in Hollywood history. As encouraged by Laurence Tureaud, he seeks to ‘Be Somebody,’ and make the world a better place.

In gratitude for your faithful ministry, your leadership across cultures and communities, your witness to the global and multilingual Church, and your enduring connection to this seminary, the Board of Trustees of the Episcopal Theological 51��Ƶ is honored to confer upon you the degree of Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa.

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The Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe

Keela.Vaughn — Tue, 26 May 2026 15:49:17 +0000

The following citation was read and presented during the conferring of an honorary doctorate to The Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe at the Commencement Exercises for the Class of 2026 on May 20, 2026.

Pastor. Bishop. Servant leader. Steward of change. Yours is a ministry shaped by deep love for the Church and a steady confidence that, in every season of uncertainty, God is calling the people of Jesus Christ more fully into courage, humility, and common life.

Rooted in western Pennsylvania, formed by the faithful witness of local congregations, and educated at Grove City College and Virginia Theological Seminary, you discerned a call to ordained ministry at an unusually young age. From the beginning, your vocation has been marked by clarity, maturity, and a willingness to serve where the Church’s needs are most urgent. You later earned a doctorate in organizational learning and leadership from Gannon University, bringing to your ministry not only pastoral conviction, but a disciplined understanding of institutions, change, and faithful adaptation.

Ordained to the priesthood in 2000, you served as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Franklin, Pennsylvania, where you learned the daily and holy work of parish ministry. There, among a congregation and community facing their own challenges, you practiced the ministry of presence, listening, truth-telling, and reconciliation. You served not only within the walls of the Church, but in the civic life of the community, embodying a priesthood attentive to the whole life of God’s people.

In 2007, at the age of thirty-two, you were elected and consecrated Bishop of Northwestern Pennsylvania, becoming the youngest member of the House of Bishops. In that ministry, you helped a small diocese face complex realities with honesty, imagination, and hope. You led through moments that required courage and transparency, and you called the Church to trust that truth, repentance, and resilience are essential to faithful Christian witness.

Your episcopal ministry expanded as you served as Bishop Provisional of Bethlehem from 2014 to 2018 and, beginning in 2019, as Bishop Provisional of Western New York while continuing your leadership in Northwestern Pennsylvania. Through these shared episcopal partnerships, you helped model new forms of diocesan collaboration, privileging Gospel impact over institutional habit and inviting the Church to imagine structures that serve mission rather than preserve anxiety. In a time when the wider Church has been compelled to ask hard questions about sustainability, vitality, and purpose, your ministry has offered a practical and hopeful witness to adaptive leadership.

In June 2024, the House of Bishops elected you on the first ballot as the Twenty-Eighth Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, and the House of Deputies confirmed that election at the 81st General Convention. On November 1, 2024, you began your nine-year term as Presiding Bishop and Primate, succeeding the Most Rev. Michael B. Curry and taking up the ministry of chief pastor, chair of Executive Council, and public voice of this Church.

At your investiture, you called Episcopalians to become “one church in Jesus Christ,” grounded not in nostalgia or institutional self-preservation, but in shared ministry, mutual interdependence, and the proclamation of resurrection life.

Those who know your ministry recognize in you a rare combination of pastoral warmth, administrative wisdom, theological seriousness, and evangelical hope. You are a preacher and pastor, a bishop and strategist, a truth-teller and bridge-builder.

The Rt. Rev. Michael Curry, your predecessor as Presiding Bishop says of you, “There are times when the right person is summoned by the Spirit, working through ordinary human agents, to serve in what proves to be just the right moment. That was the case when in the biblical story old Mordecai challenged a young Queen Esther with the words, ‘Who knows? Perhaps you have been called to the Royal dignity for such a time as this.’ That was the case for the bishops who elected Bishop Rowe to be the Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church.”

Bishop Curry continues, “Like Mordecai we sensed and trusted that the Spirit was leading us to Bishop Rowe as is the right person to lead with us into the providential possibilities ofthis moment in our life as a church committed to living and bearing witness to the way of Jesus Christ for ‘such a time as this.’

His seasoned commitment to Jesus Christ, his depth of spirituality, his experience in and knowledge of the organizational and managerial sciences, his genuine humility, remarkable wisdom and subtle wit, all came together to suggest that he was someone who could provide the kind of faithful and effective leadership needed to serve God’s way of love and life through us as a church in ‘such a time as this.’”

In gratitude for your faithful priesthood and episcopate, your courageous and adaptive leadership, your commitment to local ministry and churchwide renewal, and your witness to the unity of the Body of Christ in a changing world, the Board of Trustees of the Episcopal Theological 51��Ƶ is honored to confer upon you the degree of Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa.

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The Honorable Lora J. Livingston

Keela.Vaughn — Tue, 26 May 2026 15:47:44 +0000

The following citation was read and presented during the conferring of an honorary doctorate to The Honorable Lora J. Livingston at the Commencement Exercises for the Class of 2026 on May 20, 2026.

Jurist. Advocate. Trailblazer. Servant of justice. Yours is a life shaped by faith, disciplined by the law, and devoted to the conviction that justice must be more than an ideal. It must be accessible, practical, humane, and available to those whose voices are too often unheard.

After graduating from the UCLA School of Law in 1982, you began your legal career with the Legal Aid Society of Central Texas. That first work was not incidental to your vocation. It revealed the deep pattern of your life: a commitment to those in need, a belief in the dignity of every person, and a determination to help the legal system serve not only the powerful, but the vulnerable and the overlooked.

In 1999, you were sworn in as Judge of the 261st District Court in Travis County, becoming the first African American woman to serve on a district court in Travis County. In that role, you brought to the bench clarity of mind, steadiness of temperament, respect for the law, and compassion for the people whose lives came before the court.

Your colleagues elected you to serve as Local Administrative District Judge for the Travis County Courts, a role you held for nine years. In that work, you helped guide one of the most consequential civic projects in the county’s legal history: the design and construction of the Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility. That facility stands not only as a courthouse, but as a public expression of your belief that justice requires both sound institutions and human welcome. You were instrumental in establishing a law library and self help center for self-represented litigants, a center that was dedicated in March of 2026 as the “Lora J. Livingston Law Library & Self-Help Center.”

Your commitment to access to justice has extended far beyond the courtroom. You have served with the Texas Equal Access to Justice Foundation, the Texas Access to Justice Commission, the Texas Center for the Judiciary, the American Bar Association, and many other organizations devoted to legal aid, indigent defense, pro bono service, and the delivery of legal services. Even in retirement, you have continued the work. After leaving the bench in 2022, you served as a Senior Judge and as Interim Director of the Texas Access to Justice Commission. In 2024, you received the Judge Merrill Hartman Pro Bono Judge Award from the State Bar of Texas, recognizing your extraordinary contribution to pro bono service and equal access to justice.

Your legacy also lives in the formation of future lawyers. The Lora J. Livingston Scholarship, created in 2023 by the Travis County Women Lawyers Association Scholarship Fund, now supports University of Texas law students who demonstrate commitment to community, access to justice, pro bono service, public service, and servant leadership.

As a longtime member of St. James’ Episcopal Church, and as senior warden during a season when that historically Black congregation was becoming an increasingly multicultural community, you helped lead with wisdom, compassion, humor, accountability, and grace. You have shown that faith need not distort justice in order to inform it, and that the deepest Christian commitments can strengthen a public life marked by fairness, restraint, and courage.

51��Ƶ has been blessed by that same wisdom. Called to the Board of Trustees in 2015, you served during a season of growth, discernment, and institutional transformation. As chair of the Faculty and Education Committee, you helped guide faculty expansion, curriculum revision, and the seminary’s ongoing commitment to Beloved Community. You helped found and champion the transformative Pauli Murray Scholarship.

Those who know you describe you as a judge who understood power as responsibility, an advocate who understood service as duty, and a Christian who understood justice as a form of love. You have helped people imagine a common life ordered by dignity, fairness, and mercy.

Your good friend and retired 51��Ƶ faculty member, the Rev. William Seth Adams, says of you, “Lora Livingston is clearly honorable and judicious. But beyond that and before that, she is very good humored, tough minded, insightfully well spoken, thoughtful, a compassionate jurist, a dear friend, devoted to St. James’ Episcopal Church in east Austin and to the Seminary. Many years ago, likely in the late 90’s, Lora and I had a take-out lunch together in her chambers at the Court House. It was during my time of pastoral responsibility for St. James’. Over lunch, I asked Lora to serve as the Senior Warden of our parish. After several thoughtful questions, she accepted. I was wonderfully pleased. It was one of many gracious and wise decisions she made in her years on the bench.

In gratitude for your pioneering judicial service, your lifelong commitment to access to justice, your leadership in the Church and civic life, your formation of future lawyers, and your faithful service to 51��Ƶ, the Board of Trustees of the Episcopal Theological 51��Ƶ is honored to confer upon you the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa.

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Robert Clarke Heidrick Jr.

Keela.Vaughn — Tue, 26 May 2026 15:45:47 +0000

The following citation was read and presented during the conferring of an honorary doctorate to Robert Clarke Heidrick Jr. at the Commencement Exercises for the Class of 2026 on May 20, 2026.

Attorney. Civic leader. Servant of the common good. Faithful son of Austin and of the Church. Yours is a life shaped by quiet conviction, public responsibility, and a deep belief that communities become stronger when people of goodwill learn to listen, build trust, and act together for the sake of their neighbors.

A native Austinite and lifelong member of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, you have lived your vocation at the intersection of faith, law, civic life, education, health care, and human dignity. From your earliest years, you understood leadership not as prominence, but as service. As a student at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, in the wake of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., you helped lead the creation of a scholarship fund for African American students, an early act that revealed the pattern of a lifetime.

You earned your undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University in 1971, and you graduated from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in 1975.

You have become known throughout Central Texas as a lawyer of integrity, a builder of institutions, and a leader whose influence is often most powerful because it is exercised without self-display. You have served the law with discipline and skill, but you have served the community with heart, patience, and uncommon generosity.

Your civic leadership has helped shape the Austin we know today.Your service has extended across some of the most important institutions in this community. You have chaired and guided organizations devoted to health, philanthropy, education, scouting, civic life, and the Church. You are or have been Chair of the Board of Travis County Hospital District (now known as Central Health), Chair of the Shivers Cancer Foundation and the Austin Geriatric Center, Transportation Chair of the Austin Area Research Organization, and a board member of the Lebermann Foundation, Capital Area United Way, the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, and St. Stephen’s Episcopal School. You have been honored by the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce as Austinite of the Year, by the Antidefamation League with its Jurisprudence Award, by the Austin Bar Foundation as a Distinguished Lawyer, and by the Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America as its Distinguished Citizen

Through your service with Central Health, you helped make possible a more just and comprehensive system of care for people who too often stood at the margins of access. The health care structures you helped establish have grown in reach and complexity, including the expansion of specialty care and diagnostic services for those served by Central Health. Such achievements are not the work of one person alone, but they are made possible by leaders who know how to gather people around a shared moral purpose. Again and again, you have been such a leader.

51��Ƶ has been among the institutions significantly blessed by your wisdom and willingness to answer the call. Your service on the Monday Connection and Pauli Murray Scholarship committees has provide steady guidance and connectivity for these important communities. As Executive Chair of the Board of Trustees, you helped guide this seminary through a consequential season of institutional growth, strategic discernment, and renewed public witness. During your board leadership, 51��Ƶ raised the funds, constructed, and opened the Bishop Dena A. Harrison Library and Learning Complex, significantly strengthening this institution’s ability to advance its important mission, rooted in the reconciling ministry of Christ, of forming people for vocations of ministry, service, and healing.

Those who know you describe you with words that do not fade with repetition: authentic, selfless, wise, steady, generous. Your good friend, the Very Rev. Cynthia Briggs Kittredge says of you, “As the board’s executive Chair, among us, every single day, Clarke embodied Christian faith, hope, and love. He kept God’s mission always at the center of conversations and decisions. Clarke’s leadership created an atmosphere of trust and encouragement that lifted all of us who worked alongside him. Even more than I admire him, I cherish Clarke as a true friend in Christ.”

In gratitude for your faithful service to Austin, your leadership in health care, education, law, philanthropy, and the Church, your steadfast devotion to 51��Ƶ, and your enduring witness to servant leadership, the Board of Trustees of the Episcopal Theological 51��Ƶ is honored to confer upon you the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa.

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The Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe – Commencement 2026

Keela.Vaughn — Wed, 20 May 2026 17:13:54 +0000

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The Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce – Commencement Eucharist

Keela.Vaughn — Wed, 20 May 2026 00:13:00 +0000

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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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The Rev. Dr. Jeehei Park

Keela.Vaughn — Fri, 08 May 2026 00:41:44 +0000

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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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The Rt. Rev. Diane Bruce

Keela.Vaughn — Mon, 04 May 2026 18:17:00 +0000

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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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Dr. Anthony Baker

Keela.Vaughn — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:28:57 +0000

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The Rev. Cruz Torres

Keela.Vaughn — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 01:25:00 +0000

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The Rev. Dr. Jeehei Park

Keela.Vaughn — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:55:23 +0000

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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. Kathleen Russell

Keela.Vaughn — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 19:18:32 +0000

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Triduum 2026 at 51��Ƶ

Tatiana Hoecker — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 19:05:11 +0000

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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.”

��

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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Sarah Mast

Keela.Vaughn — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 18:09:42 +0000

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Madeline Hawley

Keela.Vaughn — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 04:23:00 +0000

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Sarah Mast

Keela.Vaughn — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:18:00 +0000

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Payne-Harvey Lecture 2026

Keela.Vaughn — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 02:30:00 +0000

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Dr. Marlon Johnson

Keela.Vaughn — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 18:32:07 +0000

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Dr. Teresa Fry-Brown

Keela.Vaughn — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 18:19:00 +0000

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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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Sarah Mast

Keela.Vaughn — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 19:59:00 +0000

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The Rev. David Sugeno

Keela.Vaughn — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 04:05:31 +0000

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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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The Rev. Dr. Russ Levenson

Keela.Vaughn — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 19:20:00 +0000

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