Welcome in the name of Jesus Christ!
We would like to welcome you to the web site of Calvary Episcopal Church in Underhill, VT. On it is information about who we are, when we hold our services, and some of the activities that we undertake at Calvary and in the community.
Our mission statement seeks to capture who we are:
"The mission of Calvary Episcopal Church is to be a loving, caring Christian community, living and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with our neighbors."
Announcements
Thoughts from Fr. Harrison
Calvary
May 2008
Dear Friends,
The seminary I attended, the Episcopal Divinity School (EDS), is a member school of the Boston Theological Institute. The other schools of theology in the Institute are: Boston College, Boston University, Andover Newton School of Theology, Gordon Conwell Theological School, Harvard Divinity School, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, St. John’s Seminary, and Weston Jesuit School of Theology. It’s quite an impressive list. These seminaries came together in 1967 to form the Institute, allowing their students to “cross enroll” at any of the member schools without having to formally apply and enroll at each one. Forty years ago, they could “afford” to open their doors to all who may wish to enter and learn, come and go. The learning opportunities and diversity of theological thought that approach allowed was awe-inspiring.
Despite this marvelous offering, I managed to complete my all seminary education at EDS. Not that I wasn’t interested in studying Greek at Holy Cross, or honing my preaching skills at the instruction of one of the most celebrated preachers of our time, Peter Gomes, of Harvard; Weston Jesuit School of Theology was just across the street from EDS, and Boston’s public transportation system made travel to the other school quite easy. But I lived and studied within the confines of the “open close” at EDS, rarely traveling outside of its four block borders, learning the ups and downs of being a parish priest by living and building community. It was the way the Spirit wanted me to go. There were few committees with regard to student life, academics, admissions, administration, even building and grounds that I was not a member of. I didn’t always seek these callings; I was just present and available. If asked to help or join I said, “Sure, I’d love to.” It drove some of my classmates to question my intentions. Some called me “power hungry” and “privileged.” One quipped; he was surprised I wasn’t a member of the Board of Trustees.
Looking back I suppose privileged and fortunate was how I felt for being part of that community, and it was foundational to my theological learning process. I still have to use a Greek lexicon for New Testament translation, and I never had the privilege of watching Peter Gomes screw up his face at a sermon I delivered in his chapel, but I think Calvary will admit: “the man knows how to live in community!”
Most folks who sit in the pews of our churches, tend to their altars, and kick their furnaces, don’t give a lot of thought about how and where their deacon or priest was educated, nor do they realize congregations are the most important link between the institutional church and her seminaries. It is from within a loving and supporting congregation that one is “eyed” as someone special, holy, good, religious, worthy of ordination, and therein begins the “call” to ministry. They are “lifted up” from within the community and sent. It happened to me when I was 19 years old. I visited the seminary my mentors thought I was worthy of, decided not to attend, was told “if it’s a real call it will not go away,” it did not, and I revisited that call 28 years later and entered EDS. I call it a longer than usual discernment process, or perhaps I could no longer out run the Holy Spirit.
I believe the disconnect between congregations of the Church and her seminaries are at least partly the cause of the crisis seminaries face today. Now, I realize the price of fuel, the credit and mortgage crunch, the presidential campaign, bad roads, getting your beans and onions planted, etc., etc., weigh much more heavily on your heart than the distress of our seminaries, but just the same I wanted to call it to your attention; maybe state a few facts and lighten my heart a little.
At a time when all mainline denominations are grappling with a shortage of leadership, the houses that educate them to lead well and gracefully are in deep trouble. There are 11 seminaries in the US that are “of” the Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church supports none financially. Not because they’re stingy, but because they encourage other means of support. Many seminaries, save the few that are heavily endowed, are facing closure, have dropped degree programs, and are looking at “other formats” for teaching theology. Many will soon let go of what I consider an important part of seminary education: living and learning in community, being “in residence.” Schools are dropping residency requirements allowing students to complete degrees “at a distance.”
Some seminaries encourage their graduates to ask their congregations to budget a pledge yearly as sort of a “thank you” for educating their pastor. Few ask, when their parish is struggling to keep the heat and lights on, not to mention meet their clergy persons living needs. And I’ll admit I don’t offer a yearly pledge to EDS myself, although I “do what I can” financially and I pray for her community every day. EDS just this month completed a merger with Lesley College in Boston, allowing Leslie to buy and renovate several of her ancient buildings into student housing and dining facilities, eventually moving several hundred Lesley students to integrate into the community. They needed the money, and although EDS states it will remain a separate and self-sufficient entity I know it will not, at least not how I experienced it.
Indeed, some hard questions are being asked about the future of seminaries. Perhaps the future of “training ministers” will require moving back to the apprenticeship model, by which pastors will learn not at a school but by apprenticing themselves to established parish priests in their communities. Perhaps congregations will once again be connected to raising and training leaders for the Church.
After all, Jesus was sent to teach without an endowment, classrooms, or an illustrious faculty. He went to the towns and villages, he taught and prayed and healed and ate with the people. He lived among them and together they saw the way.
I hope I get to see you soon!
Fr. Harrison †