A Ministry of Encouragement

Friends:

The ministry of the Consortium Office is 'encouragement.'

The four of us "in the center" [2 FT and 2 PT] support the seventeen member institutions, the 33 Consortium groups, the 200+ faculty members, the administrators and the many students in building relationships.

We assist in building relationships.
We provide a point of contact and refer people to those with similar positions and interests.

The Consortium has always considered itself a group of independent institutions building bridges to one another. Our office encourages everyone to make this bridge building a reality.

Peace,
John

InterFaith Conference Assembly:



Friends:



As some of you know, I am a representative of the Archdiocese of Washington to the InterFaith Conference Assembly. I have been going to the thrice yearly meetings for many year. IFC is an Affiliate of the Consortium.



The discussion yesterday on: "How much encouragement do I find in my faith to respect the faith of others? What limits does my faith set on the respect that I can accord to other faiths?"

The discussion of these questions by representatives of the Bahai and Muslim communities was very enlightening. Particularly important to me was the fact that they contend that a person must make an adult decision to be a person of faith. They see no substitute. A faith tradition needs to be actively embraced.

Peace,

John

Leland Campus

Friends:

Yesterday I received a delightful tour of the temporary campus of the John Leland Center at the Baptist World Alliance and Columbia Baptist Church. The president, Dr. Olson gave me the extended tour and commentary himself.

As you probably know, the former location at First Baptist of Arlington is having major construction. In fact I understand that most of the former location will soon be a hole in the ground! at least for a time!

The new facilities are quite nice--and well appointed.
The colleagues are friendly and supportive.

One of the things one learns in seminary administration is flexibility--accepting and working with the new and the unexpected.

Peace,
John

Dialogue

Friends:

We speak frequently these days of dialogue.
The other day I was rereading Pope John Paul II's encyclical Ut Unum Sint.
Paragraphs 28-30 concern themselves with dialogue.

This time through I noticed that:

1. He notes that "Dialogue is not simply an exchange of ideas. In some way it is always an 'exchange of gifts.'"

2. "When undertaking dialogue, each side must presuppose in the other a desire for reconciliation, for unity in truth."

I think that in working together we must be open to and search for the the truth the other brings to us--and seek to grasp it in depth. This certainly is true in the ecumenical exchanges in the Consortium.

Peace,
John

Consortium Planning



Friends:



I am happy to report that the Executive Committee reviewed the draft of the Strategic Plan Extension this past week. The Extension is for 2 years. The Executive Committee made suggestions for revisions. The plan will be discussed at the Board of Trustees meeting at WTU on Monday, October 26th

Peace,
John

Student Board

Friends:

The Student Board meeting this past Saturday at VTS was an excellent occasion.
I had a chance to share with the representatives of the Schools a little history of the Ecumenical Movement and of the Consortium.

I also invited the Board Members to several events--including sending a representative to the Board of Trustees meetings.

The Student Board is a dynamic ecumenical group--of great importance to the Consortium.
Students are most welcome to participate in Board activities. These can be found on the Consortium Website.

Peace,
John