Presidential Perspective with Javier A. Viera

As we near the conclusion of our strategic planning process, my excitement grows by the day about the future of our seminary. We’ve been in a period of discernment, dreaming, visioning, and listening—to one another, to our various constituencies, and, most importantly, to the stirring of the Spirit among us. At a moment of great uncertainty for the Church and the academy, when religious practices and habits are undergoing radical reconsideration, and when our own denomination is experiencing a seismic rupture, we’ve decided that this is not the moment to play it safe or to be timid. Instead, we feel certain that God is calling Garrett-Evangelical to a bolder witness in the world and to a greater sense of mission and purpose. You’ll learn more about our plans in the months to come, but I will share a few initial commitments that should come as no surprise for they grow out of our history and identity, and out of a sense of where we believe God is calling us to be, who God is calling us to serve, and how God is calling us to bear witness in the world.

Garrett-Evangelical’s commitment to preparing pastoral leaders for the Church’s ministry is unwavering and will be strengthened, even as we expand programs that prepare Christian leaders for service in multiple vocational pathways beyond the congregation. We have long been known as a seminary that prepares excellent leaders for congregational ministry, leaders who love serving the local church and are called to strengthen, revitalize, and reimagine what congregational life and ministry can be. We remain hopeful about congregational life, even as we know that we must prepare our students for a different and rapidly transforming congregational landscape. Yet we also know that how people come to faith and experience Christian community are dramatically changing, and we need to also prepare leaders, lay and ordained, who conceive of their ministry in different professional and vocational spheres than the traditional pulpit/altar roles many of us were trained for. We do not see these two foci as in tension or contradiction with each other. Thus, we will expand opportunities for counselors and organizational leaders, for journalists and writers, for musicians and filmmakers, for movement leaders and industry executives, and for anyone who conceives of their life itself, regardless of how it is lived out professionally, as ministry.

We will robustly expand our spiritual, intellectual, and programmatic offerings beyond our degree programs, seeking to connect with a wider audience and intending to be a greater resource to and partner with the global Church and other organizations who share our values. Our degree offerings remain central to our identity and mission, yet because we believe so deeply that the research interests and programmatic offerings of our faculty speak to a broad need and hunger in the world, we want to make their wisdom and expertise available beyond our classrooms. We also want to partner with organizations who share our commitment to the thriving of the Church and the healing of the world so that together our work can be amplified, expanded, and have greater impact around the globe. You’ll see this take place through a new variety of educational programs, research projects, and public engagement as we seek to address some of the great challenges facing the Church and world.

Our student body, where we do our work, who we serve, and who benefits from our programs, will expand and reflect the fullness of the people of God. As we approach the end of this year’s recruitment season, we’re seeing growth across all programs, something we should celebrate. We’re also seeing a diversifying of our student population, something that we should also celebrate, and it is something that we also intend to strengthen. Our student body should reflect the diversity of the Chicagoland area, as well as of the global nature of the church, and this is an area to which we will give increasing attention and resources. Our scholarship strategy and funding will help advance this aim, as well as our partnerships with a broader range of denominations and organizations. You can also expect to see an intentional effort to reach individuals and communities who have not traditionally been accounted for here and with whom partnerships have not materialized.

Of course, much of this vision also requires a sound financial base and a generous base of support, matters to which we are also giving much careful attention. As you learn more, I hope that you too will be inspired by this unfolding vision for the future and that you will want to partner in what God is making known to us, among us, and through us at Garrett-Evangelical.

Javier A. Viera President