RESPONDING TO THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FACING THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION TODAY An Interview with D. Scott Ostlund, Vice President for Enrollment Management Last summer, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary welcomed Reverend D. Scott Ostlund as vice president for enrollment management. A provisional elder in the Oregon-Idaho Conference of The United Methodist Church, Ostlund came to Garrett-Evangelical from Drew Theological School, where he served as associate director of theological admissions. An advocate for those who have been underserved by traditional approaches to theological education, Ostlund worked with key administrators and faculty to expand the accessibility and adaptability of Drew’s programs for a broader range of prospective students. Ostlund is currently completing a doctor of philosophy degree in theological ethics within Drew University’s Graduate Division of Religion. His research focuses on white racial formation, U.S. evangelical studies, and political theologies. In addition, he is completing a concentration in Wesleyan-Methodist studies.
What appealed to you about the job at GarrettEvangelical? At the most fundamental level, I have been committed to working within communities, be they seminaries or churches, that are deeply committed to anti-racism, deeply resistant to Christian histories of patriarchy, and deeply affirming of LGTBQIA+ folks across every position of leadership and every experience of Divine love. I was drawn to Garrett-Evangelical because the faculty and staff here are imagining what it would mean for its programs, formation experiences, and community-building practices to be transformed by these values. It is also true that I spend a lot of time thinking about the future of theological education and the changing realties of vocational ministry, so I was excited that Garrett-Evangelical’s faculty 4 AWARE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022
was already building programs that prepare students for a variety of ministry contexts, both within traditional religious institutions like the Church and outside of them, as chaplains, organizers, educators, spiritual caregivers, and more. Students entering theological institutions like Garrett-Evangelical recognize that churches cannot conceive of themselves in opposition to, or separate from, the public square. It is both unrealistic, and it limits the impact their ministry could have if collaboration and relationality across difference are at their core. It should also be noted that as the role of Christian institutions changes throughout society, more students will be pursuing multi-vocational pathways that integrate them into their context in more ways than one, necessitating that they build up skill sets that empower their ministry within congregational spaces and beyond them.
