Walk Into the Future is a 2 -year grassroots engagement of the Church in a process of listening, learning, supporting and visioning possible futures of the ministry discernment process in The Episcopal Church, undertaken by SIM in partnership with Trinity Wall Street, as these organizations enter further into a learning and serving role exploring what could be achieved at this moment in our denomination’s effort to reshape paths to leadership.
Walk Into the Future
A Church Listening & Visioning Process Imagining Possible Futures for Ministry Discernment in The Episcopal Church.
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PHASE
1
Gathering
Information
Began in February 2024 with the distribution of digital questionnaires to diocesan bishops, canons supporting ministry discernment processes, and members of Commissions on Ministry.
Walk into the
Future Visioning
An in-person dialogue and visioning session. This three-day convening will take place later in 2025 where SIM will present the reports and analysis from the first two phases of the project.
PHASE
3
PHASE
2
Listening
Sessions
Began in October 2024. During this phase, SIM will gather a spectrum of Episcopalian voices sharing their stories of participation in the discernment process for ordained ministry.
Project Phases
Courtney
Courtney is Executive Director of the Society of the Increase of the Ministry. She has a doctorate in Ascetical Theology from General Seminary, has been a Associate Dean and Director of the Beecken Center at Sewanee, and led numerous innovative ministries over the past thirty years.
Jim
Jim, Associate Director at SIM, has led vocational discernment and continuing education programs for undergraduates at Loras College and the University of the South and continuing education programs at Sewanee and across the Episcopal Church. Currently, he administers scholarship programs in theological education at SIM.
Mari
Mari is Missioner at SIM, holds an MBA and worked as a tax associate before earning her master’s from Candler School of Theology. She has over 10 years of experience working in diverse, multicultural spaces across corporate, academic, and nonprofit sectors.
MEET THE TEAM
Your story has the power to make this project transformational. With your help we can create an unprecedented collective portrait of the Episcopal Church’s experiences and pathways to ordination, past and present. Please add the story only you can tell to this historic story-telling project, recording the vocational discernment experiences of the members of our church over the course of several decades.
Dr. Courtney Cowart
This is your Testimonial quote. Give your customers the stage to tell the world how great you are!
Matthew Price
This is your Testimonial quote. Give your customers the stage to tell the world how great you are!
Bill Franklin
This is your Testimonial quote. Give your customers the stage to tell the world how great you are!
Rob