Two CDSP students, one professor get grants for innovative ministry

Three of the six Evangelism for the 21st Century grants go to seminary

Posted Dec 16, 2011

[Church Divinity School of the Pacific] Two graduate students and one professor at Church Divinity School of the Pacific have been awarded grants for innovative projects to promote evangelism.

The grants announced by the Evangelical Education Society of The Episcopal Church will fund research that: a) explores the establishment of a church in Poland, b) produces short films exploring faith, science and eco-justice, and 3) redesigns a Web site and compiles resources and to empower the Church’s ministry by and with people with disabilities.

The Fall 2011 CDSP grant recipients are:

* Dr. Daniel Joslyn-Siemiatkoski, Associate Professor of Church History, who will explore establishing an Episcopal congregation in Krakow, Poland, by convening a workshop for interested persons and discerning next steps and leadership.

* Jonathan Potter, third-year Master of Arts student from Oregon, who will produce a series of short films exploring faith and science in eco-justice, for the purpose of engaging faith leaders, policymakers and individuals in the issues and conversation.

* Twila Smith, first-year Master of Divinity student from Oklahoma, who will compile resources for the Episcopal Disability Network and re-work their website, in order to empower the church’s ministry by and with persons with disabilities.  She will survey each diocese and seminary for resources.

“We are pleased to hear that EES has rewarded the commitment and creativity of our students and faculty with these grants, as we continue to draw on our traditions and community to engage today’s church in a changing world, ” said the Rev. Dr. Linda Clader, Dean of Academic Affairs at CDSP.

Matthew Seddon, a third-year Master of Divinity student at CDSP, was awarded a grant last spring to study Mexican religious symbols and worship spaces in the U.S. and in Mexico. An anthropologist, he will produce a Web site explaining the symbols to assist non-Latinos in developing welcoming authentic and welcoming Latino worship.

A year ago, M. Regan Humber, a second-year Master of Divinity student at CDSP, was awarded a grant to develop a lay chaplaincy program for hospitals in Panama, where he also participated in CDSP’s Summer 2011 Panama Project of language and ministry immersion.

In 2010, the Rev. Andrea Baker, M.Div. ’10, of California was honored with a Director’s Award as a 2009 grant recipient whose work in Honduras “best exemplifies the objectives of the Society.”

The Evangelical Education Society of the Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia, established in 1862, serves as a catalyst and a resource for innovative witness to Jesus Christ by awarding grants to Episcopalians in the eleven Episcopal seminaries, and in seminaries accredited by the Association of Theological Schools. Students, faculty, staff, and their spouses and partners are eligible.

The Society encourages initiatives in evangelism and education that connect the academic and professional world of the seminaries to the work carried out by lay and ordained ministers in surrounding communities, fostering new initiatives and methodologies that may result in pilot programs or models that others can adopt or adapt. For more information, go to http://www.ees1862.org.

Church Divinity School of the Pacific is a seminary of The Episcopal Church and founding member of the Graduate Theological Union. Women and men come to its Berkeley, California, campus to prepare theologically and spiritually for innovative leadership in the Church and the world. Founded in 1893, CDSP offers post-graduate courses and degree programs for students pursuing a variety of lay and ordained careers and is committed to academic excellence in an active worshiping community.  For more information, visit www.cdsp.edu, or call 510-204-0700.


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