On behalf of the In Trust Center for Theological Schools and our colleagues at the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust, welcome to the 2025 Wise Stewards Seminar. We are excited to be with you and have conversations around the table with colleagues and friends – something we have learned never to take for granted.

Most assumptions about theological education and religious life in the U.S. and Canada feel up for grabs. The calls for transformative change have grown louder, as have reminders that times such as these require the best that leaders in theological education – including governing boards – have to offer. Wise stewards seek every opportunity to maximize available assets (human, theological, reputational, and financial) while also encouraging leadership to pursue new opportunities, partners, and pathways forward.

So, the themes of change, innovation, and the future flow through this year’s seminar program, with topics and discussions intended to push every aspect of board work toward new possibilities and relevance. In the months following the seminar, you’ll work with your coach in imagining and planning for the “next future” in your board’s work on behalf of the institution.

As a result of participation in this seminar, your team should be better able to:

• Develop understanding and skills that allow trustees to live into the six essentials of exemplary board governance
• Identify and access resources in support of adaptive, innovative, and faithful board leadership
• Agree on and implement a learning plan for strengthening the board’s aptitude for change in a time of institutional and sector disruption
• Cultivate and lean into peer relationships in support of ongoing board development and institutional vitality

Thank you for joining us as we learn, encourage, and imagine a bright future for theological education in North America and the missions we serve.