Family members and friends, scholars, church leaders and well-wishers from around the country joined on Friday to celebrate the joyous inauguration of the Rev. Dr. José R. Irizarry as the 10th president of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
As you might expect when sitting down with a seminary president, Wednesday’s edition of “Leading Theologically” was wide-ranging, touching on hot yoga, online education, gun violence and justice.
People sensing God’s call to be a catalyst for change in their community can consider enrolling in “Lead Change: A Certificate in Community Faith Formation,” a new certificate in community faith formation being offered by Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary. The inaugural cohort of 15 learning partners, as the seminary calls its students, will begin in March and finish in late November.
Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary is relying on the calling of Isaiah 58:12 — “… you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in” — as it begins convening a national conversation on what the seminary calls in a news release “the interest and capacity of diverse organizations in developing sustainable approaches to reparations” and repair.
Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary has opened registration for two new cohorts in its signature Drum Major for Justice Certificate Program. Applicants may visit the seminary’s website, jcsts.org, for more information and to register.
Thoughtful, moving and imaginative worship was front and center during the national event of the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators Thursday afternoon, when more than 1,000 people from four continents joined for an online opening worship service anchored by prophetic preaching from the Rev. Aisha Brooks-Lytle.
As of Tuesday, registration for “Anything but Ordinary Time,” the name of the annual event of the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE), stood at 908 — nearly one-third of them first-time attendees, according to Anne Wilson, a retired educator from Houston and member of the event’s planning team. In addition, 15 percent of those registered have attended one previous APCE annual event.
The four-week Matthew 25 course “Civil Initiative and the Engaged Church” concluded Monday with a presentation on being more aware of and reducing the destructive damage done by hate groups and the intolerance they help to foster.
The Mid Council Financial Network (MCFN) — the only entity that serves the needs of the volunteer and paid staff who work with finances in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s 170 presbyteries and 16 synods — is preparing to hold its annual program, virtually, December 14–15, from 12:30-4:30 p.m. Eastern Time each day.
