On Thursday, March 15, the Washington Theological Union and the Consortium will co-host a seminar on "Laity in Church Ministry: An Ecumenical View." The program will feature speakers from the Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopalian/Anglican and Catholic traditions and will focus on lay men and women in full-time or part-time church ministry as well as on laity prepared for church ministry who work in ministries not directly sponsored by the churches, such as some local soup kitchens.

The program is free and open to pastors, lay ministers, faculty, students and friends. It will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Washington Theological Union. All are welcome to attend either the whole day or any portion of the day. Reservations are required due to limited space. Please call Fr. John Crossin at 202-832-2675 or Mr. Jim Curry with the Washington Theological Union at 202-541-5230 for more details and for reservations.

The first panel will present an overview of professional lay ministries in the churches and will discuss recruiting, educational preparations and placements. The second panel will offer insights on the spiritual preparation for the laity in ministry and will concentrate on discerning the call to ministry. The final topic will be on present and future professional development for lay ministers and will cover professional qualifications, continuing education and the message of lay ministers to the church.

This seminar is made possible through the partnership of other institutions including: The Episcopal Diocese of Washington, The Metropolitan Washington DC Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, The Central Atlantic Conference of the United Church of Christ and The Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.

The Consortium funding for this program is made possible by the Tachmindji Endowment.

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On January 23, 2001, the Board of Trustees of the Consortium voted unanimously to accept the Richmond Theological Consortium into full membership for the next three years. This momentous agreement marks the first significant expansion of the Consortium since the 1970's. Along with the addition of the College of Preachers (1999), it creates a Consortium of ten member institutions and two associate members.

The ecumenical work of the Consortium will be greatly facilitated by their outstanding faculties, over 1000 students, their state-of-the-art library of 300,000 volumes and their specialized programs.

As stated by the Council of Academic Deans, all the implications of this expansion are not known. This new situation will cause all Consortium members to look for creative ways to advance ecumenical collaboration.

Formal ceremonies to mark this new relationship will take place during the next several months.

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Dear Friends:

The articles in this Bulletin:

* Rise of Laity in Ministry
* Consortium Builds for the Future, Welcomes the Richmond Consortium
* New D.Min. in Ecumenism at Wesley
* Ecumenists Challenged to be Courageous in Work for Unity

and one soon-to-be-announced event:

* Consortium Board Presents First Two Ecumenism Awards

point to the success of the Strategic Plan adopted in December of 1998. The plan has affected the Consortium in a myriad of ways, both large and small. I do not believe that anyone realized the full impact this plan would have when it was adopted.

It has been a great honor for me to visit our institutions and to notice that in seeing me people see the Consortium. My presence helps to remind everyone of our work together. I hope that it also reminds everyone that the advance of ecumenism depends on all of us. Working together under the guidance of the Spirit, we can do great things for Christ -- and help advance the unity which is God's gift to us.

Thanks for your Support,
John Crossin, OSFS
Executive Director

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The Consortium will co-sponsor a new D.Min in Ecumenism with Wesley beginning in January of 2002. This track will take advantage of Washington's extensive resources for cutting-edge study of ecumenism and reconciliation. This unique program will equip a new generation of leaders for the ecumenical movement in this new millennium.

Six intense week-long sessions, taught by faculty drawn from Wesley and other Consortium Member Institutions and supplemented by guest lecturers, will provide an in-depth knowledge of all aspects of ecumenism. The courses will be offered January 7 to 18, 2002; May 14 to 24, 2002; and January 6 to 17, 2003. In May 2003, students in the track will study at the Irish School of Ecumenics in Dublin. Further information about the program can be obtained either from the Consortium (202-832-2675 www.washtheocon.org) or the Wesley Office of Admissions (1-800-882-4987).

The Ecumenism Committee of the Consortium worked with Dr. Lewis Parks of Wesley in developing the degree program. The WTC Board approved this first-ever venture unanimously. As far as we know, the degree program will be unique in the United States. Development of the program is an outgrowth of the planning process for the renewal of the Consortium.

For additional information, check out the New D.Min Program description on the Consortium website.

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Be part of the Consortium?s artistic kerygma; submit your photographs, stories, art, poems, and ideas for the Consortium's forthcoming art and literature magazine. Send your submissions to Brett Jenkins c/o of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg or at bjenkins1031@excite.com.

Hermeneutics, biblical narratives, historiography, redaction, sitz im leben? As scholars, students, and leaders in the Church, we spend a great deal of time studying how the faith has been transmitted to us. In turn, it is our privilege to articulate our knowledge of God not only in scholarly jargon, but in the experientially-rich idioms of art, poetry, prose, music, and photography.

The first issue of the Consortium Art & Literary Publication will be printed during the 2001-2002 academic year.

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Reverend William Haley delivered a sermon titled Power of One at the Consortium's Annual Unity Week Celebration on January 23, 2001, at Wesley Theological Seminary. In order to view this text, click here.