Summer 2021
ATS welcomes James R. Moore and Valerie Rempel as new directors of accreditation
The Association of Theological Schools (ATS) is pleased to announce that James R. Moore and Valerie Rempel have been named as directors of accreditation, serving the Commission on Accrediting of ATS. Read more.
ATS staff members receive title changes
Several ATS staff members have undergone recent title changes to adapt to the everchanging landscape
of theological education. Read more.
Reflective guide to effective evaluation
now available
At its June 2021 meeting, the ATS Board of Commissioners adopted a new resource to help ATS schools with the important (yet often challenging) task of evaluation—A Reflective Guide to Effective Evaluation for Theological Schools. Read more.
Three lessons about deaning learned in a nursing home
I was a dean for nearly two decades before I joined the ATS staff in 2012. I learned a lot about deaning in those years and since—from books and peers and mentors and others. But three of the best lessons I ever learned about being a dean, I learned in a nursing home. Read more.
Better together: CHANGE Initiative can bring institutional sustainability for mission-driven future
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic altered how many ATS institutions operated, leaders shared their deep concerns about the sustainability of theological schools. Read more.
Student personnel programs continue to innovate under new program coordinator
Student personnel continue to play a significant role in the formation of theological school students at ATS schools. Read more.
ATS continues to improve student questionnaires
It’s that time of year again. The fall semester is upon us, and schools are busy orienting new students, launching fall courses, and gathering data through the Entering Student Questionnaires—a free survey available to all ATS member schools. Read more.
Brooklyn College Archives and Special Collections launches new digital collection—The Sermons of the Reverend William A. Jones Jr.
William A. Jones Jr., pastor at Brooklyn’s Bethany Baptist Church for more than 40 years, was a well-known speaker who was invited to speak at churches and events around the world. In the mid-1970s, Jones was approached by a local radio station with a proposal to broadcast his regular Sunday sermons—The Bethany Hour was soon picked up and played in syndication across the country. In 2007, following the 2006 death of Jones, the Brooklyn College Archives and Special Collections acquired his papers, including more than 700 audio and video recordings of The Bethany Hour. A 2019 CLIR Recordings-at-Risk grant has allowed the Archives to digitize all the recordings and make them freely available to the public. The collection is also part of the Atla Digital Library.
Hartford Seminary receives $5 million Lilly Endowment grant
Hartford Seminary has been awarded a five-year, $5.3 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to fund research into how congregations are changing, innovating, and establishing new ministry practices as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research (HIRR) will lead the project and The Association of Theological Schools is a collaborating partner as part of a broad network of scholars and organizations around the nation who are researching the health and vitality of congregations. The study, titled Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations: Innovation Amidst and Beyond COVID-19, will explore how faith communities across the nation are adapting to a changed reality due to the challenging dynamics of the pandemic. Learn more about this project and how you can be involved.
UPCOMING
EVENTS
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The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) is a membership organization of graduate theological schools. ATS Programs and Services offers educational events and resources to assist member schools with best practices, development of peer networks, production of research, and exploration of data. The Commission on Accrediting of ATS accredits the schools and approves the degree programs.