While financial control often seems like the key to influence, it’s storytelling that holds power. Boards of theological schools must pay close attention to the narratives shaping their institutions—especially in the boardroom.

If your board is not holding an executive session during every board meeting, maybe it should.

Governing boards can follow these steps to enhance their Wise Stewards journey for institutional change through one-on-one coaching, board self-assessment, peer learning, and immersion into governance habits for long-term effectiveness.

Participation in the Wise Stewards Initiative empowers governing boards of theological schools to serve as agents of institutional change. Learn about the specific steps to enhance your journey.

The board chair plays a pivotal role in guiding the board and serving as a trusted liaison for the executive leader. Given the significance of this role, it is imperative that the president and board members invest time in understanding the practices, relationships, and processes that define the position and articulate the role’s expectations.

This is "the" guide for people governing theological schools. As the introduction says, "How well a theological school is governed is key to the institution’s overall effectiveness and its fidelity to its mission. In the midst of change and discontinuity, the governing board is the steward that nurtures the purpose and vision of a theological school across the span of time." Download the guide and get started!

Discover how a Lilly Endowment Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative grant helped Kairos University cement a legacy of competency-based education and much more.

In this issue, read about the Governance Initiative, Simulation Labs, the Art of the Seminary, and much more.

In Trust Center President Amy Kardash reflects on finding better ways to engage an institution's board.

The charters for board committees serve several significant purposes in school governance. Key committees include the Executive, Finance, Governance, and Investment Committees. Creating effective charters requires clearly defining and specifying the roles they play within institutional governance.

The diversity of board members’ viewpoints enables schools to effectively adapt and respond to evolving circumstances.

The joy of fundraising, how to govern resources, new podcasts and much more.

How you can help your board stay on top of issues and trends in minutes.

Asking the right questions can will help frame the issues an institution is facing.

Effective board members undertake their work with sincerity and commitment.

Many theological school board members see their work as a calling. Dr. Karen Sawyer, a doctor of physical therapy and theological school board member, talks about why.

Good board orientation helps build a board and helps push a school closer toward its mission.

Constructing a board is an ongoing duty for the chair, aiming to assemble individuals who contribute effectively to the institution.

Board members are typically recruited for their leadership, business acumen, and networks. Dr. Rebekah Basinger, project director of the In Trust Center’s Wise Stewards Initiative, will discuss how strategic questioning and interrogation skills are essential for effective board stewardship.

Planning for board officers vacancies should start well in advance with an intentional, smooth, and carefully designed transition plan.

Dr. Rebekah Basinger addresses the opportunities and challenges that come with chairing the board of a theological school, which include how to design effective board meetings, enhance board member engagement, and develop the board for long-term effectiveness while giving attention to the board chair and president partnership and the critical importance of call in both roles.

In this session, we consider the policies, practices, and key performance indicators most helpful to supporting the essential partnership between the president and the governing board.

Learn how to equip, educate, and resource its members.

Rebekah Basinger leads a discussion on board governance as part of the Wise Stewards Initiative's Governance Between the Times Seminar.

The wisdom, professional expertise, and life experiences of the folks seated around your board table are worth their weight in gold to your school and its mission. Without clearly stated expectations of board members and ongoing education and encouragement to match, there isa chance you areleaving riches untapped.

Dr. Derek McNeil, president of The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, provides information on recruiting board members of diverse backgrounds. This presentation was offered as part of the Governance Between the Times seminar of the Wise Stewards Initiative.

Providing a well-organized board orientation can set the direction for the board and provide them with a strong foundation for leadership.

A congregational leader and strategist, the Rev. Tod Bolsinger, Ph.D., discusses the need for adaptive leadership in theological education. Bolsinger shares insights from his latest book series, including tackling the challenges of leading through change, handling internal resistance, and realigning missions in a post-pandemic world. Bolsinger discusses rethinking old models and learning from experimentation. He emphasizes that effective transformation isn’t about working harder but adapting wisely.

Fundraising expert Dr. Carla Maxwell Ray shares how boards can engage for – and be energized by – fundraising.

Making boards good isn’t enough – they need to be great to help schools fulfill their callings, and Dr. Rebekah Basinger knows how.

In the final episode of the Wise Stewards series podcast, discover the pivotal role of engagement in the success of a theological school board through well-crafted meeting agendas, trustee feedback, and diverse perspectives, which nurture the skills and interests of board members.

In episode 8 of the Wise Stewards Series podcast, learn about the value of the board engaging a consultant, the issues boards should consider, and the essential questions they should be asking.

In Episode 6 of the Wise Stewards series podcast, Dr. Byron Klaus and Dr. Rebekah Basinger discuss the difference between governing and advisory boards, the uniqueness of embedded boards, and the support boards offer for advancing an institution's mission.

In the fifth episode of the In Trust Center’s Wise Stewards series podcast, special guests Ms. Lynette M. Brown-Sow, Wise Stewards Initiative Faculty Coach and governance consultant, and Dr. Rebekah Basinger, Wise Stewards Initiative Project Director and governance consultant, offer valuable insights into the board’s role in recruitment and diversity, emphasizing the importance of fostering institutional equity, diversity, and inclusion.

In the fourth installment of the In Trust Center’s Wise Stewards podcast series, Drs. Rod Wilson and Byron Klaus, Faculty Coaches for the Wise Stewards Initiative and experienced governance consultants, discuss the significant impact of the president and board chair relationship. Special insights include mutual respect, shared purpose, effective communication, willingness to compromise, and the importance of encouragement within this crucial relationship.

Listen as leading theological school board experts share best practices for building a culture of assessment with helpful insights on the who, what, and why of assessment.

Dr. Byron Klaus and Dr. Rod Wilson offer a distinctive viewpoint on the roles and responsibilities of boards, with a particular focus on board orientation. They delve into the process, highlighting its significance in relation to the school's mission and governance.