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.

In response to the global need for cost reduction and improved efficiency in education, institutional leadership teams are exploring innovative approaches beyond traditional revenue solutions and cost-cutting measures. A promising alternative lies in adopting new business models with a strategic finance approach.

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.

Top 3 on-demand webinars, shared governance, and much more.

PACE Academy offers accelerated tracks for pastors and congregational lay leaders, combining the depth and richness of traditional theological training with rigorous competency-based learning experiences and practical application training.

Vancouver School of Theology is using its Pathways grant to enhance its competency-based curriculum.

Specialized Formation for a Universal Church

Thanks to a Pathways grant, ICSST has created a series of initiatives focused on a renewed formation for pastoral leadership.

Duke Divinity’s Pathways project aims to create adaptable learning pathways that cater to a diverse range of degree-seeking and non-degree student populations.

McAfee School of Theology of Mercer University’s three-year initiative, “Re-imagining Tomorrow Initiative,” aims to expand the school’s footprint across geographic, racial, vocational, and relational lines to address the church’s leadership needs.

GMUGS' 4-part initiative aims to improve students’ educational experience, provide multicultural leadership programs, and create a digital library and IT-related resources.

Through a Pathways for Tomorrow grant, Claremont School of Theology (CST) in Los Angeles, California, has developed a comprehensive redesign of the school’s educational strategies, institutional practices, and financial operating model to achieve sustainability.

Fuller Theological Seminary’s three-year Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, “Indispensable Church Leadership Project,” focuses on business-model innovation; engaging publics and contexts; spiritual direction and student formation; student affordability and resourcing; and up-skilling pastoral and ministerial leaders.

In Trust Center President Amy Kardash reflects on leadership and the future.

Through funding from a Pathways for Tomorrow grant, the Department of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University is leveraging the university’s existing partnership with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to expand opportunities for underrepresented students to receive a theological education.

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.

Seminaries are People Too: Mindsets that make or break institutional change

An In Trust Center Resource Grant offers member schools a chance to explore innovation at their institutions through a matching grant opportunity of up to $15,000. Listen to this 30-minute information session, including Q&A, as we provide details on eligibility requirements, funding priorities, application process. Previous grantees are eligible to apply as long as they are not within our current funding cycle.

Presenter Donna Alexander, President & CEO of Advoxum Global Strategies, offers best practices for navigating conflict and crisis. She examines the crucial elements of defining conflict and crisis, identifying, and prioritizing affected stakeholders, utilizing effective communication strategies, and ultimately, executing a plan of action.

Presenter Donna Alexander, President & CEO of Advoxum Global Strategies, offers best practices for navigating conflict and crisis. She examines the crucial elements of defining conflict and crisis, identifying, and prioritizing affected stakeholders, utilizing effective communication strategies, and ultimately, executing a plan of action.

Webinar 1 of a two-part series provides a change management framework to include best practice for leading change initiatives and common pitfalls to avoid. This session includes a consideration of institutional readiness for change, especially around the use of a strategic finance lens.

The In Trust Center is pleased to announce a new webinar series focused on change management models. These webinars are presented by rpk GROUP, a national leader in helping institutions create sustainable business models that reflect both mission and market. This series includes two webinars. Webinar 1 provides a change management framework to include best practice for leading change initiatives and common pitfalls to avoid. This session will include a consideration of institutional readiness for change, especially around the use of a strategic finance lens.

This webinar series addresses the basics of change management and adaptive leadership needed to navigate change.

This webinar, led by Donna K. Alexander, President and CEO of Advoxum Global Strategies, will help lower the perceived hurdles to hiring a consultant so you can achieve strategic goals, improve the bottom line, and yield excellent results for your institution.

Join Josh Peskin from Millwork Strategies as he talks about strategic communications plans.

Dr. David Rowe, creator of TransformingCollege.com and former interim president of Lancaster Theological Seminary, will lead this series, helping participants turn mental models that explain how theological education is being disrupted into frameworks for overcoming that disruption.

Join faith-based fundraising expert, Dr. Lori Guenther Reesor, as she shows how to create bold, clear communications of a school's values and ministry goals.

The Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri, is using Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative grants to create new ways for people from underserved communities to get a theological education. In this episode, the Rev. Drs. Sergio Navarrete and Darin Poe discuss how the school is using innovative, bilingual, and online programs to try to equip a new generation of ministry leaders. They talk about how they're addressing leadership shortages in churches with programs that blend mentorship, affordability, and relationships to educate and empower students to fulfill their callings.

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.

The Rev. Tay Moss, an Episcopalian priest, media producer, and educator, has produced an AI-drive webpage to help people explore the Anglican church – AskCathy.ai – and in this episode explores the potential of AI for theological schools and how they can use it to enhance student engagement and streamline access to information. As well, he discusses the potential for new pedagogy as well as the challenges that AI offers schools and provides some thoughts about how schools and leaders can start to think about engaging with AI.

The Rev. Dr. David Vásquez-Levy, president of the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, discusses how the school is using its Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative grant to create a new ecosystem that includes not just technology but also efforts to reconsider educational modes and methods. The school's programming includes a stackable curriculum and challenges traditional standards.

Rick Staisloff, a consultant with a long history in higher education, explores how theological institutions can thrive amid change by embracing strategic partnerships and shared services. He stresses the importance of aligning with student needs and maintaining a mission-driven approach while calling this a historic time that demands courage.

At China Evangelical Seminary North America (CESNA), leaders are looking at ways to engage leaders and congregants of immigrant churches. They've done so with new programming aimed at helping congregations, including a Center for Public Theology. Drs. Frank and Anita Liu, leaders at CESNA, explain how they're doing that with a Pathways for Tomorrow grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.

Dr. Rebekah Burch Basinger considers the "invisible balance sheet" - things that institutions are responsible for that may not be on the actual balance sheet. With candor and years of experience, Basinger offers insight on how a board might consider the welfare of an entire institution.

Kairos University has worked to develop contextual, competency-based theological education, and now educates students across the world using their approach. Greg Henson, the president of Kairos University, and Nate Helling, the CFO and vice president of operations, talk about their work and how a Pathways for Tomorrow grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. is helping.

Greg Henson, president of Kairos University, has worked with competency-based educational approaches for years and used competency-based education to remake what was Sioux Falls Seminary. In this discussion, he covers a variety of aspects of the work and discusses the book he co-wrote with Kent Anderson, president of Providence University College and Theological Seminary.

The Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson, president of Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., has been at the school for more than 40 years. Reflecting on his time, he considers the future to be among the constituencies that he serves, and in this episode, he considers what the way forward looks like for theological education.

In Trust Center President Amy Kardash and the Rev. Dr. Frank Yamada, executive director of the Association of Theological Schools, open a new series, "Inside Theological Education," discussing current trends and what schools can understand about the field from them.

Notre Dame's Department of Theology is using a Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative grant to create cross-cultural competency in students studying for vocational and lay ministry. Professor Stacey Noem, one of the grant project directors, discusses ways the school is creating space for cross-cultural ministry and how it prepares students.