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You've probably heard that about 75 percent of the parish and mission churches in the Episcopal Church are in small, often rural, communities. They have few communicants. Their limited budgets are frequently insufficient to hire priests on a full-time basis. Many
congregations are located at a considerable distance from each other or
have very different liturgical and ecclesiological self-understandings.
But they also view the Sunday celebration of the Holy Eucharist as
indispensable to their life and mission. These and other factors make
formation of parish clusters difficult, if not impossible. But there
are other ways forward. Through
the Bexley Institute, we train clergy and laity Our
curriculum interweaves discernment, formation, and education; lay and
ordained ministries; scripture, tradition, theological reflection, and
context-based experience. We're flexible in curricular design,
staffing, and location of program. At the moment, we staff a program in
upstate New York and another in West Virginia in cooperation with local
dioceses. We can develop programs that are based primarily within a diocese or work out patterns of study that enables students to spend considerable time on our Rochester campus. In the near future, we'll offer options for Internet-based distance education courses as well. If you'd like more detail about the offerings of the Bexley Institute for Small and Rural Congregations, email us at bexleyinstitute@bexley.edu, phone 614-231-3095 or send a letter to: Top |
for the various ministries in
a way that underscores the connection between doctrinal orthodoxy and
social engagement. We believe that formation should take place within
the committed and disciplined Christian community, maintaining the connection
between learning and prayer.