We have always known that the seminaries related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are centers of theological depth for the preparation of a new generation of ministers and church leaders. We are discovering much more than that these days.
Along with colleagues from the General Assembly Council (GAC), Committee on the Office of the General Assembly, and Committee on Theological Education, GAC Executive Director Linda Valentine and I have embarked on a fascinating journey of dialogue and conversation with the leaders of each of our seminaries. We are now about halfway through that journey. It has been a wonderful experience to discover and rediscover what a treasure we have in our theological institutions.
What we have discovered on these visits with faculty, trustees, and students is that our seminaries are a tremendous resource to the PC(USA) in its ongoing ministries.
In preparation for each visit, we have invited the seminary community to identify a topic or area of ministry that is of vital concern for them and around which they would hope for a stronger partnership with the agencies of the General Assembly. The first seminary we visited, Columbia, chose the theme of evangelism and church growth. Union-PSCE chose, not surprisingly, Christian education. McCormick asked that our focus be on becoming a multicultural church. And the most recent, San Francisco, asked us to focus on Christian vocation. The next one we have scheduled is with Pittsburgh, and they have chosen the theme of world mission.
These themes are at the heart of the mission renewal to which God is calling the PC(USA) these days, and it is exciting to have seminaries that are doing so much for the renewal of the church in these vital areas. One of the significant realities of the emerging “eco-system” of the PC(USA) is that we have many centers of energy, creativity, and resources around the great mission challenges of our day.
Our challenge is, in the words of the apostle Paul, to “join and knit these together” (Eph. 4: 16) for the renewal of the whole church and its ministry. I am so grateful that we have such centers of strength in our seminaries and that they are so deeply committed to being partners together with each other and the wider church, that the PC(USA) may be faithful to the great ends of the church in our time.
The Reverend Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick is Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
