EDS Alum Lunch
On June 24th, EDS hosted a joy-filled lunch for alums and community members. EDS Alums the Rev. Lydia Bucklin ’15 and the Rev. Christopher Montella ’15 emceed the event, and the Rev. Bucklin shared the following about her experience:
“The gathering of the EDS community at lunch on June 24th at the 81st General Convention was an inspiring, hope-filled opportunity to connect with alums, former faculty and staff, and current EDS leadership. The mission and vision of EDS remains strong and justice focused, with the EDS community reaffirming their commitment to changing unjust systems and working toward God’s dream of liberation. Alums from all over The Episcopal Church expressed joy in being together, reminiscing on the unique, formative theological education that EDS has equipped us with.”
Strategic Planning Update
The search process for EDS’s next president is ongoing. Meanwhile, EDS continues to run exciting programming and our financial health remains strong. Please visit the FAQs on our website for more details.
EDS at General Convention
The EDS at General Convention Booth
EDS maintained an active presence in the exhibition hall throughout General Convention. EDS Alum the Rev. Christopher Montella '15 joined EDS for the duration of General Convention, and shared the following about his experience at the booth:
"Being here at General Convention with EDS was invigorating. There can be no doubt after this week that people want to see EDS make meaningful contributions to the life of the church. This applies both to alums and to those who haven't been previously affiliated with the institution, but know of our reputation as leaders in theological education through the lens of social justice. As Dr. Kwok Pui Lan said at the EDS alum unch, 'the golden years of EDS are now. The best is yet to come.'"
Book Signings at the EDS General Convention Booth
EDS hosted two book signings at the booth during General Convention—one with the Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas on June 23rd, and a second with Dr. Kwok Pui Lan on June 25th. The Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas signed her 2023 Grawemeyer award-winning Resurrection Hope: A Future Where Black Lives Matter, and Dr. Kwok Pui Lan signed The Anglican Tradition from a Postcolonial Perspective. Both book signings were well attended and wonderful opportunities for General Convention attendees to meet these two theologians.
EDS Alum Lunch
As stated above, on Monday, June 24, EDS hosted our alum lunch at General Convention for a joyful celebration of friends, colleagues, and community.
The lunch was hosted by alums the Rev. Lydia Bucklin '15 and the Rev. Christopher Montella '15, and paid special tribute to the retirements of EDS Interim President the Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas and former EDS professor Dr. Kwok Pui Lan. The lunch also featured a strategic planning update from Board Chair Kay Kramer and a tribute to Rev. Canon Dr. Edward W. Rodman from the Rev. Dr. Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook. See above for an update from host the Rev. Lydia Bucklin ’15.
Thanks to all who attended and made this program so special!
Diocese of Kentucky Night: God Talk, Justice, and the Church
On Monday, June 24, EDS and the Diocese of Kentucky co-hosted a conversation between the two the two most recent winners of Louisville University's Grawemeyer Award in Religion, the Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas and the Rev. Dr. Charles Halton at the Kentucky Center for Performing Arts. The conversation, moderated by the Rev. Dr. Cameron Partridge, explored the relevance and importance of theology in forming leaders, the church, and our world.
Retirement reception for the Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas
As of July 1, 2024, the Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas’ term as EDS Interim President came to a close. In her honor, EDS friends and colleagues gathered together for a retirement reception at General Convention on June 25th to celebrate her immeasurable contributions to EDS, the church, and the broader landscape of theological education.
We will miss you, Dr. Douglas! We are forever grateful for your leadership.
Programs
Save the Date: Protecting Religious Liberty and LGBTQ+ Rights with the Rev. Dr. Patrick S. Cheng and Elizabeth Reiner Platt, Esq.
On October 5, 2024, Join EDS and the Columbia Law School Law, Rights, and Religion Project for an online seminar on how faith leaders can protect both religious liberty and LGBTQ+ rights. The seminar will explore the current landscape of religious liberty law in the United States, and it will provide a number of resources to equip faith leaders to constructively engage with these issues in their local contexts.
Stay tuned for more information coming soon!
EDS Partnership with Seminary of the Southwest
EDS is partnering with Seminary of the Southwest to increase the number of students SSW will bring to this year's Civil Rights Pilgrimage, including the annual Jonathan Myrick Daniels pilgrimage. Sponsored by the Dioceses of Alabama and the Central Gulf Coast, the Jonathan Daniels pilgrimage commemorates Daniels, a seminarian of Episcopal Theological School (later to become EDS), who was killed while assisting efforts to register Black voters in Alabama. The expanded student group from SSW will participate in the pilgrimage and visit several other educational sites, including the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice, the 16th Street Baptist Church, and the Edmund Pettus Bridge. EDS is proud to continue its support of this historic pilgrimage and to partner with Seminary of the Southwest around leadership formation for racial justice.
EDS News
Episcopal Divinity School Launches New Podcast Mini-Series
This June, Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) launched its new podcast mini-series, Leading Voices: EDS at General Convention. The podcast series features the Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas Douglas in conversation with a range of bishops as they address the pressing challenges facing the church today and the role of theological education and formation in equipping faith leaders to face these challenges.
Be sure to check out episode five, which features Presiding Bishop Elect Sean Rowe! In this episode, Bishop Elect Rowe joins Dr. Douglas in exploring the role of institutions in igniting broader change, the evolving landscape of theological education, and the importance of adapting to new ways of carrying forth God’s mission.
EDS extends a warm congratulations to Bishop Elect Rowe on this appointment, and we look forward to working together to realize our mission of strengthening our Church's moral leadership through theological education, spiritual formation, and community transformation.
Alum Corner
Alum Spotlight: The Rev. Kristin Krantz ’06
The Rev. Kristin Krantz ’06 joined the Diocese of Maryland’s staff as the Canon for Transitions in January 2024. She continues to direct CCD, and in spring 2024 joined the Steering Team for the College for Congregational Development system.
“EDS formed me in so many powerful ways, both personally and professionally,” shared the Rev. Krantz. “To this day I continue to do my own work around anti-racism and privilege, folding in insights and learnings from new scholarship. I now use these tools in working with congregations as they prepare to call new clergy leadership.
Click here to read Rev. Krantz’s full alum spotlight.
Connect: Monthly Gathering of EDS Alums
Join us on Zoom every third Thursday at 1pm ET for Connect: Monthly Gathering of EDS Alums, where we will connect with one another, hear about the diverse contexts EDS alums are serving in their work and ministry, and stay up to date on all things EDS!
Our next connect session will take place on July on 18, 2024, featuring Kristin Krantz ’06.
Registration is required—click here to sign up!
In Memoriam
EDS extends our sincere condolences to the family and friends of alums Dr. David William Griffiths ’74 and Janet Morrow King ’12.
If you wish to notify EDS of the passing of an alum, please reach out to edsinfo@eds.edu.
As EDS begins this new chapter, we are confident that together we will shape a future that honors our rich heritage while embracing the ever-evolving needs of theological education. Stay tuned for more updates and exciting developments ahead!