At a Glance:
- Standing with Bishop Budde as she preached the Gospel
- Join us for four “EDS Colloquia” around Reproductive Justice, where you’ll engage with critical issues and renowned experts
- A Lenten offering: Invite your parish, diocese, book club, or yourself to read in community with EDS
- Save the Date! From May 2-3, join the EDS community in Cambridge, MA for the Kellogg Lecture!
Dear EDS Community,
This has been an immensely tense and anxious time for our country. The heaviness of the state of our nation feels all-encompassing and I fear it will remain so for the foreseeable future.
EDS shared Bishop Marianne Budde’s now viral sermon along with a message of support, sparking immense debate about the role - or lack thereof - of faith leaders in politics. In this country and beyond, our faith has been used to justify settler colonialism, the stealing of land, the enslavement of millions of people, and the genocide of Indigenous communities. And now, Bishop Budde faces backlash from within our government simply for preaching the gospel and pleading for mercy for the oppressed and marginalized.
I’m grateful to Bishop Budde for preaching the Gospel - even when it was intimidating and risky to do so. I echo her in praying for “God to grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love, and walk humbly with each other and our God for the good of all people.”
I’m also reflecting on Dr. King’s steadfast reminder for those weary in the pursuit of justice that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” Let us struggle together in solidarity to make it so.
Grateful to do this work alongside you,
The Very Rev. Lydia Kelsey Bucklin, '15
President and Dean
The EDS staff gathered in New York in early January for some rich in-person planning and team bonding time. Our dear friends Rick Pinderhughes and Zan Ehly from VISIONS, Inc. joined us to get our team started with VISIONS training, and to re-establish the strong, decades-long relationship between VISIONS and EDS. This is just the very beginning of reviving that cherished partnership.
Upcoming Programs
EDS Colloquia are dynamic, virtual hubs where the public are invited to witness and participate in rigorous theological discourse with renowned experts. Through these virtual events, EDS fosters conversations that incubate ideas, shift theological narratives, and inspire action for justice. The following EDS Colloquia are offered in tandem with our public, virtual, non-credit course, The Sacred Work of Reproductive Justice, taught by the Rev. Dr. Rebecca Todd Peters. All are welcome to join students in the course for conversation with these special guests. Dr. Peters will moderate.
Mark your calendar and plan to join us:
- Feb. 13 @ 3pm ET: White Christian Nationalism and Abortion with feminist theologian, former EDS professor, and one of the Philadelphia 11, the Rev. Carter Heyward
- Feb. 20 @ 3pm ET: Reproductive and Sexual Justice with one of the founding mothers of the Reproductive Justice movement, Dr. Toni Bond
- Feb. 27 @ 3pm ET: Reproductive Justice and the Bible with biblical scholar, Dr. Angela Parker
- Mar. 6 @ 3pm ET: Reproductive Justice and Christian Community with ethics professor, the Rev. Dr. Keunjoo Christine Pae
With the inauguration of Donald Trump as the President, the U.S. has entered a new political landscape with drastic consequences for the US and the world. During his campaign, President Trump has said that he would initiate mass deportation, twin the government bureaucracy, and weaponize the Department of Justice. He also vowed to make Canada the 51st state of America and did not rule out the use of military actions to take over Greenland and the Panama Canal. This webinar explores how churches and Christian organizations can resist Empire, witness to the power of the Gospel, and respond to challenges of our time.
During this conversation, moderated by EDS Distinguished Scholar, Dr. Kwok Pui Lan, we will:
- Consider the ways that we can bear Christian witness at a time of growing Christian nationalism
- Explore how EDS’ values of anti-racism, justice, compassion, and reconciliation can address our present moment
- Learn from EDS alums who have been involved in the transformation of church and society
- Support one another in our continuing work for social change
This Lent, the EDS community invites you to a season of reflection, repentance, and action in conversation with the powerful book So We and Our Children May Live: Following Jesus in Confronting the Climate Crisis, by Sarah Augustine and Sheri Hostetler ’90.
In Lent, Christians journey with Christ in the wilderness, seeking renewal and restoration as we confront the forces of sin and death. With their book, Augustine and Hostetler will challenge us to face the ecological and spiritual crises of our time—climate change, resource extraction, and the exploitation of Indigenous lands and peoples—and to ask ourselves: will we choose life for our children and the planet?
Starting on Ash Wednesday, March 5, you are invited to begin reading So We and Our Children May Live in a variety of ways:
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As a self-arranged reading group or book club (one facilitator should register your full group)
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As an individual who wants EDS to help you join a virtual group to read the book with
- As an individual who wants to read the book on your own
All are welcome and encouraged to join this discussion as a diocese, parish, prayer circle, or other group.
On April 30 from 3-4pm ET, the EDS community will gather online for a public conversation with Sarah Augustine, Sheri Hostetler, and other leaders about how we can embody these commitments in our lives and communities.
All registrants will be emailed discussion questions weekly to guide your individual or group reflection on the book.
All reading groups (both self-arranged and individuals who opt to join a virtual group arranged by EDS) will be invited to an exclusive conversation with the authors from 2-3pm ET immediately prior to the public event.
Order your copy of So We and Our Children May Live today on our website and prepare to journey with us this Lent toward justice, hope, and renewal for all creation.
New Episodes Releasing Feb. 14th: Small Churches, Big Impact Podcast
EDS is pleased to support the Small Churches, Big Impact podcast for its fourth season examining the unique and essential roles of congregational leaders in small churches in advancing social justice in their communities. This season of the podcast highlights how leaders of small congregations take seriously the call to respect the dignity of every human being while grappling with the challenges of limited financial and human resources and how the impact from social justice work at the hyper-local level is both distinct and a vital part of our collective struggle for liberation. It also addresses how institutional structures support—or fail to support—these efforts.
The first episode in this season will be released on February 13, with a new episode releasing every Thursday. Make sure you are subscribed to the EDS podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
News
We are thrilled to announce that Destinee Bates has joined our team as Program Associate. Destinee holds a B.A. in Applied Cultural Thought from North Carolina A&T State University and she is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Union. As an emerging faith leader and advocate for justice, Destinee brings a wealth of expertise in public policy, grassroots organizing, and coalition-building. Learn more about her on our website.
Alum Corner
The Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Mae Magill (Liz) '02, is pastor of the Small Church Collaborative, a gathering of micro congregations in Ashburnham, MA and Rindge, NH. Together they are serving their communities with support for LGBTQI people and discussions about racial justice.
Liz came to EDS in 1998 with a very vague idea of exactly what it means to be ordained. She left with a call to emphasize lay leadership and to help congregations figure out how to be a real resource for their local community.
Read this month's Alum Spotlight
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 February 20, 2025, featuring Elizabeth Magill ’02.
Sign up for "Connect"
SAVE THE DATE: Join Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA this May 2-3 for an alum weekend and our annual Kellogg Lecture.
Be on the lookout for an email in the coming week with additional details.
We can’t wait to be together with you again - spread the word!
Job Board
EDS is seeking a strategic and mission-driven Director of Finance and Operations. This leadership position will partner with the President and Executive Director to ensure EDS's long-term sustainability and operational excellence while upholding our core values of social justice, inclusivity, and innovation.
To learn more about the strategic priorities and responsibilities for this role, please visit our website. Please circulate this position to folks in your network who may be interested and a good fit.
If you have an open position that you’d like folks in the EDS community to consider applying for, please share that with us at edsinfo@eds.edu.
In Memoriam
EDS extends our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the following alums:
- The Rev. Dr. Robert D. Hughes, III ’69
- Sr. Marjorie Raphael ’05
- The Rev. Gordon J. Stenning ’55 (passed in March 2024)
Rest eternal grant to your servants, O God:
And let light perpetual shine upon them.
May their souls, and the souls of all the departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
If you wish to notify EDS of the passing of an alum, please reach out to edsinfo@eds.edu.