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Color profile: Generic CMYK printer profileComposite 140 lpi at 45 degreesintroductionident remains ultimately responsible for the effectiveness of each component and for integrating the parts into the whole of the institution.Such overarching responsibility requires knowledge and skill in multiple areas. But more importantly, it requires the ability to choose, support, and hold accountable those who have the specific abilities neededfor the institution to work effectively.There is a hard-to-define, almost mysterious, dimension of presidential leadership. No one chapter in this handbook addresses it specifically, but many allude to it. Who the president is personally and how heor she functions, even in small matters, deeply influence how others inthe institution perceive what is possible for the organization. It is morethan knowledge and skill. It is “persona” — the depth of a person, one’sspirituality, one’s interaction with others. It is saying the right words oncritical occasions, being courageous and confident in the midst of crisisand conflict, conveying hope, and enabling others to become more thanthey thought they could be. There is no one pattern or prescription forhow a president performs this mysterious dimension of leadership, butpeople in the community know when it is present or absent. A presidentcan manage an institution with specific knowledge and skills; but without this more elusive dimension of leadership, success is unlikely.The contributors to and supporters of this book maintain thatpresidents are key to whether their institutions succeed or falter. Obviously a president alone does not wholly determine the health and wellbeing of a seminary. But how a president functions, manages, and leadsprovides the linchpin that holds the other components of the institutiontogether. Does this lofty claim overstate the role of president? We inviteyou to read these chapters and comprehend the range of things a president must know and do and how these in turn affect and shape their institutions.What Does It Take to Be a Successful President?As we noted, a seminary president’s role is best grounded in a sense ofvocation or call. Without a call, it can become a mere “job,” and the intense demands of the position feel weightier and more energyconsuming. But call alone does not ensure success. It also requires individual gifts and graces. One can catalog the desirable attributes for presxiiEERDMANS -- Handbook for Seminary Presidents (Lewis & Weems) final textTuesday, April 25, 2006 4:59:03 PM12

Color profile: Generic CMYK printer profileComposite 140 lpi at 45 degreesIntroductionidents, but the exact combination of personal gifts obviously varies and“one size does not fit all.” Many different personalities can succeed inthe role of president.The particular context and culture of the seminary are anothervariable. Certain personalities match one setting and not another. Noformula can guarantee a successful match. A seminary president needsinsight to recognize the unique culture of the school and the ability toadapt to that culture while at the same time transforming the institutionand its culture to fulfill more effectively a mission unique in time andplace.No president, no matter how personally gifted or culturally attuned, can succeed without a body of knowledge and a set of skills. Theposition is demanding because it requires such a broad range of knowledge and skills. The president does not need to know all the details butmust at least ask the right questions and pick people who have the skillsto manage each area.This book provides the framework and some of the specific information a president needs to survey the major tasks of the job. The various chapters in this handbook cover the major areas of a seminary thatdemand presidential attention. Each chapter defines a particular area ofresponsibility and the unique role of the president in it. An analysis anddiscussion of the area identify many of the critical issues likely to confront a president, suggest some best practices for dealing with these issues, and pose some of the questions a president should be asking.Finally, each chapter includes a section that suggests additional resources for those who want or need to explore the area more deeply.Why Do We Need Successful Seminaries?The logic behind this handbook project goes something like this: Theultimate goal is to affect the quality and depth of religious life in America. The primary institutions that affect religious life are the many anddiverse local congregations in communities across North America. Thequality of the ministry in these congregations is greatly shaped by theirpastoral leadership. Pastors who are clear about their vocation, welltrained, and well sustained are more likely to develop effective ministries. Seminaries are a key link in the chain of calling, preparing, andxiiiEERDMANS -- Handbook for Seminary Presidents (Lewis & Weems) final textTuesday, April 25, 2006 4:59:03 PM13

Color profile: Generic CMYK printer profileComposite 140 lpi at 45 degreesintroductionsustaining pastoral leaders. Thus, we are back to the need for effectiveseminaries and the role that a president plays in developing and leadinga theological school to fulfill its mission and also maintain economic vitality.Within the larger context of higher education in North America,seminaries are admittedly very small educational institutions. How canthey be so influential? First, they are a primary theological resource,sustaining and interpreting the historic faith in the contemporary context. Second, they are the primary educational resource for preparingpastoral leaders for the churches of the continent. Seminaries have a tremendous multiplier effect. By a conservative estimate, a pastor whospends thirty years in congregational ministry will likely touch and variously influence one hundred thousand individuals and numerous community groups. No other channel has such direct impact on the religiouslife of cultures and nations. A positive intervention in this chain of religious influence can achieve a tremendous payoff. Our intervention focus is on the seminary president and the key role he or she plays in thechain.The Association of Theological Schools, through its accreditingand programmatic roles, and the generous funding of the Religion Division of Lilly Endowment Inc. have helped to develop this fundamentallogic. They have invested substantially in the encouragement and support of seminary presidents in the belief that they are key actors in shaping and leading theological education and thereby affect the chain of religious influence in North America.To our knowledge, there is no other resource like this Handbookfor Seminary Presidents that is so specifically focused on this criticalleadership group. Our hope is that in some small but influential way itwill contribute to the greater effectiveness of seminary presidents, theirschools, the leaders they educate, and the congregations and communities they serve.xivEERDMANS -- Handbook for Seminary Presidents (Lewis & Weems) final textTuesday, April 25, 2006 4:59:03 PM14

Color profile: Generic CMYK printer profileComposite 140 lpi at 45 degreesCHAPTER 1The President’s Vocation and LeadershipDAN I EL ALESH I RE , The Association of Theological SchoolsCYN T H IA CAMPBELL , McCormick Theological SeminaryKEVI N MANNOIA, Azusa Pacific UniversityOVERVIEWIntroductionVocationPersonal Faith and Faithful WorkPrivileged Work with PeersInstitutional Mission and Scholarly AdministrationLeadershipLeading a CommunityLeading with AwarenessLeading with Institutional Will and Personal HumilityLeading through ChangeLeading by Telling the StoryAdditional Resources1EERDMANS -- Handbook for Seminary Presidents (Lewis & Weems) final textTuesday, April 25, 2006 4:59:03 PM15

Color profile: Generic CMYK printer profileComposite 140 lpi at 45 degreesa handbook for seminary presidentsIntroductionSamuel heard a voice in the night. He was attending to the needs of anaging Eli and assumed the voice was Eli’s, so he went to the old priest,only to hear Eli say that he had not called. Samuel went back to his cotand, once again, heard the voice calling him. He went to Eli and discovered that Eli had not called this time either. Samuel returned to bed forwhat was left of the night and, a third time, heard a voice. A third timeSamuel went to Eli, and a third time Eli said he had not called. There isno reason why Samuel should have thought the voice in the night belonged to someone other than Eli, for, as the text notes, “the word ofthe Lord was rare in those days” (1 Sam. 3:1), and “Samuel did not yetknow the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed tohim” (v. 7). Eli was very old, and no doubt wounded from watching hissons sin themselves into faithlessness. After the third time that Samuelcame to him, Eli’s sadness lifted. He began to suspect that Samuel washearing the voice of Yahweh. So Eli told Samuel that, if he heard thevoice again, he should answer, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (v. 9). The voice came, and Samuel responded as instructed. TheLord spoke, but it was a word of such judgment on Eli’s house thatSamuel was afraid to tell Eli. Eli insisted that Samuel tell him, and thepriest recognized that these painful words were surely from the Lord.Most seminary presidents have heard this story told tenderly andhave studied it critically. The tender hearing is in the authentic pietythat brings students to theological schools, as year after year they indicate that their most compelling motivation to undertake theologicalstudy was a sense of God’s call.1 The tender hearing continues in thehopeful sermons preached at graduates’ ordination services, often using this text. The critical study struggles with the judgment that is thereason for the call. There has been sin and faithlessness, and the wordthat Samuel hears is worrisome and troubling. Stories of divine judgment, if not subjected to critical study, can too easily become a coverfor human judgments that are inevitably more harsh and less just thanthe judgment of God.Leading a seminary gives a president more than the occasional opportunity to wake in the night and hear voices. It may be the voices of1. ATS Student Information Program, “Entering Student Questionnaire.”2EERDMANS -- Handbook for Seminary Presidents (Lewis & Weems) final textTuesday, April 25, 2006 4:59:03 PM16

Color profile: Generic CMYK printer profileComposite 140 lpi at 45 degreesThe President’s Vocation and Leadershipthe funds that are needed but not yet raised, the voices of students whohave left the relative prosperity of other careers for the relative povertyof seminary study, the voices of donors who have given sacrificially, thevoices of more needs than a school can ever hope to meet, the voices ofdeep religious need in the culture, or the voices of divisive struggles inthe church. There are many voices, enough to fill the day and the night.Some are tender and reassuring. Others are shrill, even intimidating.Like Samuel’s call, these callings invite presidents to action — presidential work is about getting up and doing things. Unlike Samuel, whoheard the multiple callings of God to do one thing, the leader of a theological school receives one calling that involves doing many things.We use the word calling in many ways, most of which do not resemble Samuel’s experience. Seminary students, for example, say thatthey come to seminary because they have experienced a “call.” The seminary admitted them, but the seminary did not call them. It is differentwith presidents. They should undertake this work only with a deepsense of calling, but that calling is like Samuel’s. It is not a “calling” towhich one aspires; it is a calling that one experiences in the context of aboard or religious superior’s summons to this work.In this chapter, we identify several issues related to vocation andleadership. Vocation, or calling, has many facets, but we will mentiononly a few. Leadership has even more, but once again, we have chosen toaddress only a few of them.VocationPresidential leadership in a theological school can be a source of bothdeep satisfaction and exceptionally hard work. The satisfactions ofguiding an institution that forms religious leaders and informs thoughtful theological discourse are many. The presidency grants access to privileged moments as donors translate their faith commitments into funding for programs, students, and the future of the school. It oftenprovides opportunities to participate in significant denominationaldecision-making and ecumenical engagement. But presidential leadership can also be difficult work — finding and managing the necessaryresources, dealing with difficult personnel issues, navigating the sometimes complex terrain of academic governance, and attending thought3EERDMANS -- Handbook for Seminary Presidents (Lewis & Weems) final textTuesday, April 25, 2006 4:59:03 PM17

Color profile: Generic CMYK printer profileComposite 140 lpi at 45 degreesa handbook for seminary presidentsfully to multiple constituencies. It is difficult because institutional leadership always is exercised in a world of competing demands andloyalties, where a greater number of important things need to be donethan can be done. Religious work that is bound on the one hand by deepsatisfactions and on the other by persistent difficulties is best accomplished with a deep sense of calling, of vocation.The vocation of the presidency of a theological school, of course,begins with the discipleship that all Christians share, and it typicallycontinues with the broad tasks of vocational ministry, because mostseminary presidents are ordained. Whether a president is ordained ornot, the calling of the seminary presidency goes further; it involves theleadership of a theological school. The call to leadership in a theologicalschool is similar in many ways to the call to leadership in other institutions. Leadership of a theological school differs from leadership in congregations, however, because schools do not have the volunteer culturethat dominates parishes and congregations, even though those congregations may have large ministerial and program staff structures. Leadership of a theological school differs from a denominational agency because a seminary tends to have more diffused and shared patterns ofgovernance than the more corporate structures of most denominationalagencies. The call to leadership of a theological school is different onlyto the extent that the culture, ethos, and structure of a seminary tend tobe somewhat unique. Rather than rehearse the more generic issues ofthe call to leadership, we have chosen to explore facets of that call wherepersonal identity interacts with presidential work. In this way, “vocation” refers to the interior sense of commitment that interacts with theinstitution’s call to exercise presidential leadership.Personal Faith and Faithful WorkIn an interview with three seminary presidents who were about to retire, former In Trust editor William MacKaye asked what had nourishedthem and sustained them in their work.2 Bill Lesher, retiring after presidencies at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago and Pacific Lu2. William MacKaye, “Describing the New Leader: What’s Needed in a TheologicalSchool President Today,” In Trust (Summer 1997): 20-23.4EERDMANS -- Handbook for Seminary Presidents (Lewis & Weems) final textTuesday, April 25, 2006 4:59:04 PM18

Color profile: Generic CMYK printer profileComposite 140 lpi at 45 degreesThe President’s Vocation and Leadershiptheran in Berkeley, said that he didn’t know how anyone got through thiswork without an active life of devotion. The other interviewees werequick to concur. Maintaining a life of faith is as overwhelmingly obviousas it is devastatingly difficult. Ministers who handle the holy for a livingcan become oblivious to its drama in their own lives. Seminaries areseedbeds, at least that is what the name implies, and presidents canspend so much time hoeing and weeding the seedbed that they fail tocultivate the faith that is central to the first calling — the call to Christian discipleship. Seminary life can be spiritually enriching. Seminaryworship, preaching, and Eucharistic celebrations can be powerful moments — privileges to which few other Christians have access. Thework and worry load, however, can render them ineffective. So presidents need to remind themselves of the obvious and take seriously theirvocation of personal faith. The rhythms of prayer and worship, andstudy and service, however they are defined and practiced in theschools’ religious communities, are crucial for sustaining believers whoare seminary presidents. They provide the personal foundation and integrity that hard work requires, and leading a theological school is hardwork.Religious callings are often associated with difficult tasks, likeleaving Ur of the Chaldees, or taking up a cross, or getting into a shakyboat and heading toward Rome. Leadership, by definition, is hard work.If a seminary could go where it needs to go with little effort, if its variousconstituencies agreed without fail on its directions and best course ofaction, if the money just floated down from heaven, then leadershipwould be easy and, probably, unnecessary. James Dittes, in a book several decades old now, reminded pastors that those troubling momentswhen the people in the congregation say no, or break their promises, orresist the gospel’s claim on their lives are the very moments that definethe pastoral vocation.3 It is precisely because people in congregationsdo these kinds of things from time to time that they need pastors andseminaries need leaders. Seminary leadership is not always hard; it is often far more rewarding than it is demanding. However, there are moments of great difficulty in almost every presidency, moments of stressand anxiety, moments of unrelenting complexity. A personal sense of3. James Dittes, When the People Say No: Conflict and the Call to Ministry (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1979).5EERDMANS -- Handbook for Seminary Presidents (Lewis & Weems) final textTuesday, April 25, 2006 4:59:04 PM19

Color profile: Generic CMYK printer profileComposite 140 lpi at 45 degreesa handbook for seminary presidentsvocation can sustain presidents in these moments. Theological schoolsneed leaders who understand that the personal price is worth payingand that the Bible’s image of the “yoke” demonstrates that the burden isbearable.Privileged Work with PeersPresidential work is privileged work and, as such, involves the vocational understanding of this privilege and its proper stewardship. Theprivilege is, first of all, one of perspective. While presidents bear theburdens

Cornelius Plantinga Jr. Calvin Theological Seminary Louis B. Weeks Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education Barbara Wheeler Auburn Theological Seminary Outside Readers Bruce Birch Wesley Theological Seminary Michael Cooper-White Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg Scott Cormode Claremont School of Theology