ATS requested expedited fall enrollment data from member schools to provide timely feedback as to the trajectory of enrollment for fall 2022. As of October 24, 226 schools—about 81% of the membership—reported data. Read more. Listen to more.

As theological schools and other organizations (including ATS) live into the reality that there is “no more normal” (if there ever was!), strategies from the work of organizational design can help foster innovation, institutional resiliency, and improved responsiveness to ecosystems and changing contexts. Read more. Listen to more.

Between June 2020 and April 2022, I surveyed and interviewed more than 100 congregational pastors, ministers, volunteer lay leaders, chaplains, and recent seminary graduates to learn about the impact of COVID-19 and multiple pandemics on their work. From that research, I concluded that we are witnessing a new era of ministry. The following proposes what theological educators can ask and do in response. Read more. Listen to more.

One new trend in theological education is the increasing number of students interested in chaplaincy ministries. The Center for Chaplaincy Studies (CCS) began meeting the growing demands for robust chaplaincy studies resources by offering courses this fall term for affiliated schools from broad geographies and diverse religious and cultural backgrounds. Read more. Listen to more.

In this Q&A with ATS and Josh Lunde Whitler, adjunct professor of religious studies at Rivier University and interim president of the Association of Leaders in Lifelong Learning for Ministry (ALLLM), Lunde-Whitler highlights the developing partnership between ATS and ALLLM. Read more. Listen to more.

ATFE hosts its 33rd Biennial Consultation for field educators

The Association for Theological Field Education (ATFE), an affiliate member of ATS, is hosting the 2023 ATFE Consultation—its 33rd biennial gathering for field educators from Jan 24–26 at the YMCA in Estes Park, Colorado. A triune theme addresses the transitions from the post-pandemic rhythm to new norms. Utilizing the location, the plenary session topics include: Rest and Renewal, Resilience and Reconnect, and Re-envision and Reinvent Field Education. The plenary speakers reflect ATFE’s ecumenical community of practitioners: Carrie Doehring from Iliff School of Theology, C. Vanessa White from Catholic Theological Union, and Don J. Payne from Denver Seminary. Housing and all meals are included in the room reservation fee to keep costs minimal. Learn more and register!

This PhD study seeks to engage the well-documented confidence gender gap by exploring the antecedents and deterrents of self-confidence, as experienced by female Christian educators. Participants between 25 and 60 years of age who hold a master's degree or higher and are actively teaching at an ATS-accredited institution of higher learning are invited to complete a multidimensional self-confidence survey and a 45-minute interview. If you meet the study criteria and would like to participate, you can contact Claudia Dempsey, associate professor and chair of online operations, at cedempsey@liberty.edu.