wfn.org | Trinity Lutheran Seminary and Bexley Hall Announce Partnership

[Brenda Williams <BRENDAW@elca.org>]

Reply-To: ElcaNews <ELCANEWS@ELCASCO.ELCA.ORG>
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 4, 1998

TRINITY LUTHERAN SEMINARY AND BEXLEY HALL ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP
98-28-163-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA)-- Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio, a
seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), announced
July 22 an agreement of partnership with Bexley Hall (Episcopal) Seminary,
Rochester, N.Y., to provide theological education to Lutherans,
Episcopalians and seminarians of other denominations on Trinity's Columbus
campus.
     "We will educate our future pastors and priests together at this one
location, integrating the two programs as much as possible," said the Rev.
Dennis A. Anderson, president of Trinity Lutheran Seminary.
     The agreement calls for Episcopal students to be fully integrated
into Trinity's program.  Special arrangements are being made to provide
ecclesiology, spiritual formation, fellowship and worship opportunities for
Episcopalian students.
     "We are returning to our roots," said Dr. John Kevern, dean of Bexley
Hall.  "Bishop Philander Chase created Bexley Hall in 1824 not far from
present-day Columbus."
     In 1997 the ELCA Churchwide Assembly narrowly rejected and the
Episcopal General Convention overwhelmingly approved a "Concordat of
Agreement" -- a proposal for full communion between the two church bodies.
The Lutheran assembly later rededicated itself to establish that
relationship in 1999.
     Full communion would allow for the availability of clergy to each
other's churches.  It would also "commit both Lutherans and Episcopalians
to educate their leaders in the liturgies, doctrines and traditions of both
churches," said Kevern.
     Kevern will teach both Bexley Hall and Trinity students on Trinity's
campus beginning this fall.
     "We will teach about both church bodies," said Anderson, "and we will
be able to experience the richness of both traditions as the two schools
join on one campus."
     "To our knowledge this is among the first such full partnerships in
the United States," Anderson added.  "There are other schools developing
agreements to offer classes on the other's campus, but this agreement's
goal is ultimately to offer the master of divinity degree of each school at
the Columbus site."
     Last fall trustees of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at
Philadelphia, another ELCA seminary, approved an agreement that was
ratified in January by trustees of General Theological (Episcopal)
Seminary, New York.  That agreement outlined "13 avenues of cooperation"
between the two schools.

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