TSM Dean and President reflects on theological education in a time of Covid
by David W Virtue, Virtueonline:
Virtueonline has obtained an exclusive interview with the Very Rev. Dr. Henry “Laurie” Thompson III, President and Dean of Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, PA.
VOL: Thank you for your time, Dr. Thompson. Your seminary serves four groups of students from four different denominations; TEC, the ACNA, EPC (Evangelical Presbyterian) and the NALC (North American Lutheran Church). How is that working out at a practical level?
THOMPSON: It is working well both in theory and practice. In respect to vision and values, the Board of Trustees has worked with me to adjust the articulation of who we are, in order to state clearly that our first priority is the Anglican Church in North America, serving their lay and clergy leadership. In practice this is expressed in many ways. The Book of Common Prayer 2019 is the instrument of our liturgical norm, and this has been enthusiastically embraced by faculty, staff, and students. Another evidence of our ACNA identity is the enrollment itself. Most of our master’s degree level are from the ACNA. Discussion continues with our Board of Trustees who are enthusiastic about our alignment with the ACNA and want to further strengthen this identity and alignment.
Although it would seem counterintuitive, we have found that by drawing more closely to the ACNA, we have been able to offer a more harborous hospitality to our ecumenical partners. Thus, for example, in our worship, we are pleased to invite the Lutherans from the North American Lutheran Church to lead our chapel services one week each semester using Lutheran liturgy, giving us a chance to get to know their patterns and emphases. Their new bishop, Dan Selbo, and their new seminary president, Eric Riesen, have quickly become wonderful friends and colleagues. Our partners from the Evangelical Presbyterian Church are less concerned with the order of worship as they are with how we teach homiletics and preaching. Dean Weaver, recently appointed as the stated clerk (the equivalent of archbishop for Anglicans) for the EPC, is supportive of Trinity School for Ministry. We gain from their passion for Expositional preaching of the biblical text. Our dean of students is a Byzantine Catholic priest whose concern for spiritual formation strengthens our ability to teach Benedictine and Ignatian patterns of spirituality. So, having a clear sense of our identity allows us to welcome the gifts from others to make a stronger and more comprehensive training for our students. It is working well both in theory and practice.
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