Auburn Theological Seminary Announces Bold New Strategic Plan

New York (PRWEB) May 01, 2014

Auburn Theological Seminary (Auburn) announces today a new strategic plan aimed at achieving a single, clear goal: to equip leaders of faith and moral courage to work for social change in order to heal and repair the world.

The Auburn Strategic Plan honors the seminary's nearly 200-year old legacy and long-standing commitment to addressing great social issues of the day -- from abolition to suffrage to economic equality. The plan also honors Auburn's deep connections to the world of theological education and to faith communities in America and abroad. Auburn's new strategies and goals infuse into this tradition and network the entrepreneurial energy necessary to meet a bold, new moment of service.

Auburn equips leaders of faith and moral courage with skills not commonly developed in traditional seminary curricula or in their congregations. The result is bridge-builders who work across divides to share their vision for a world that could be, bringing a faith perspective to the public square.

"As we face forward, Auburn will begin to implement a strategic plan that responds directly to America's urgent need for bold, resilient leaders of faith and moral courage who can 'make the impossible possible' in creating a more just world. Auburn is committed to aligning our entire organization and its resources to the development of a deep bench of leaders of faith and moral courage who can rally their communities and congregations for change," said the Rev. Dr. Katharine Rhodes Henderson, president of Auburn Theological Seminary. "These leaders are challenging assumptions about faith and communicating shared values such as human dignity and equality."

Auburn identifies, equips and supports the game-changing faith leaders of our time; provides the platforms to help leaders reach broad audiences; and applies research to ensure that Auburn and others dedicated to leadership formation are achieving impact.

This plan represents both work in progress and aspirations for improving existing Auburn programs over the next five years. Core strategies include:

• Dynamic Experiential Learning Opportunities: Teaching a Core Curriculum that builds the necessary capacities for 21st century leaders who are spiritually grounded, intellectually rigorous, justice pursuing, able to bridge divides, entrepreneurial, wise about money, courageous in the face of conflict, media savvy and resilient.
• Platforms to Advance Public Leadership: In equipping leaders of faith and moral courage for work in social change, Auburn will provide a range of public platforms offering leaders the opportunity to speak and act in the public square while learning to navigate these platforms independently and effectively.
• Applied Research and Knowledge Building: Auburn's research will tell us how best to equip leaders to succeed in these challenging times and strengthen our understanding of emerging needs in a changing religious context in America and globally.

For more information about the Auburn Strategic Plan, its programs and vision to "trouble the water and heal the world," please visit http://www.auburnseminary.org.

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