Crossings Conversations

In the latest episode of Crossings Conversations, we spoke with the Rt. Rev. J. Scott Barker, bishop of the Diocese of Nebraska and recently announced nominee to the slate for 28th presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. The interview was part of our reporting for the upcoming Crossings cover feature "Early Returns: CDSP-funded curates already adding new life in new roles."Bishop Barker spoke to us about the clergy shortage in the Episcopal Church, formation models and spiritual priorities for early-career priests, and his excitement about the CDSP curacy program and its potential impact for students from his diocese.

CDSP is in the process of rolling out an exciting new curacy program. We spoke with three participants in the pilot stages of the program about the difference it's making for their new congregations, the value of serving with experienced mentors, and more. The Rev. Mees Tielens (MDiv ‘23), PhD, is curate at St. Anna’s Episcopal Church in Antioch, CA; the Rev. Angela Furlong ‘23 is assisting priest and associate for youth and families at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Frederick, MD; and the Rev. Katherine Frederick ‘23 is curate at Grace Episcopal Church in Fairfield, CA. Photos by Larry Canner (left) and Tom Minczeski (center, right).

The Rev. Jessica Frederick '23 is a CDSP alum from the Diocese of Western New York and serves as minister for children, youth, and families at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Jamestown. Her interview with Crossings Conversations is the third and final in a series with students who worked full-time in ministry positions while completing the Hybrid Program. She spoke to us about bringing a community organizing mentality to parish ministry, what it means to grow with a congregation, and the gift of reimagining ministry in a setting where leaders and members alike are flourishing.

The Rev. Katherine Frederick '23 is a CDSP alum from the Diocese of Northern California and serves as hospice chaplain at Providence Hospice of Napa Valley. Her interview with Crossings Conversations is the second in a series with students who worked full-time in ministry positions while completing the Hybrid Program. She spoke to us about meeting people where they are, theologically; serving patients' families, and sometimes her home church community, during the pandemic and 2020 wildfire season; and how her chaplain job benefitted her studies and contextual education experience.

The Rev. Nora Boerner '22 is a CDSP alum from the Diocese of Iowa and serves as associate rector at Trinity Episcopal Church in Iowa City. Her interview with Crossings Conversations is the first in a series with students who worked full-time in ministry positions while completing the Hybrid Program. She spoke to us about showing up for her classmates, her distinctive internship experience with Beloved Community Initiative, and putting her seminary learning into action "every single day."

Dr. Stephen Fowl is the newly appointed president and dean of Church Divinity School of the Pacific. He spoke to us about his approach to scholarship and teaching, curriculum revision and community formation in CDSP's Hybrid Program, and what he learned as a faculty member and senior administrator in a large Jesuit university.

The Rev. Mees Tielens (MDiv '23), PhD, is a recent alum of CDSP's residential program from the Diocese of California. Tielens spoke to us about the significance of lay leadership, a broad vision of what it means to be bi-vocational in the Church, and what congregations have to offer in a time of increasing religious disaffiliation.

Welcome to Crossings Conversations.  Recently, we asked for stories about the impact of CDSP’s innovative low-residence Hybrid Program. We heard about increased access and flexibility, rigorous theological and spiritual formation, and the power of learning both in the student’s local context and connected to a tight-knit community of peers.Today, hear a portion of that conversation with a 2021 graduate, The Rev. Dr. Joél Muñoz, Curate at St. Francis-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Zionsville, IN. He shared with us his experience, which enabled him to pursue studies while also serving as an educator and principal at a local middle school. We are grateful for his time with us

Our guest on this episode of Crossings Conversations is Reverend Dr. William Sutherland Stafford.  The Reverend Dr. Stafford has taught church history at CDSP as a visiting professor for the past decade. Prior to his post at CDSP,  he was a professor of church history at the University of the South and Dean of the School of Theology,  David J. Ely, Professor of church history at Virginia Theological Seminary, and served as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and vice president. For over five decades, the Reverend Dr. William Sutherland Stafford has been educating and forming scholars, theologians, and leaders in the church. Beyond his significant gifts as a teacher and administrator, the Reverend Dr. Stafford is an accomplished scholar, Pastor, preacher, liturgist, and community leader. We're so grateful to have him here with us today will be reflecting on his career to date and pondering what lies ahead.This interview was conducted by Carly Lane, specialist with Learning Forte and contracted by CDSP. About the Show: Crossings Conversations is a co-production of Church Divinity School of the Pacific and Trinity Church Wall Street. If you enjoyed the show, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or share it with a colleague. You can learn more about the only Episcopal seminary on the West Coast and subscribe to Crossings magazine at cdsp.edu.

Our guest on this episode of Crossings Conversations is The Rev. Amy Newell-Large. A 2022 graduate of the Hybrid Program at CDSP,  Rev. Newell-Large serves as Curate for Parish Life, St. John’s Cathedral Denver, CO.  Side note: You will likely have learned by now that beginning in 2025, the Hybrid Program (formerly low-residence program) will be the sole model for all students in the Master of Divinity and Anglican Studies Programs. You can read about the announcement shared this past January and all things Hybrid Education at CDSP here. For now, we hope you enjoy into this interview with the Rev. Newell-Large. Download full episode transcript hereGuest Bio:  The Rev. Amy Newell-Large is a 2022 graduate of the Hybrid Program at CDSP and serves as Curate for Parish Life, St. John’s Cathedral Denver, CO.  About the Show: Crossings Conversations is a co-production of Church Divinity School of the Pacific and Trinity Church Wall Street. If you enjoyed the show, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or share it with a colleague. You can learn more about the only Episcopal seminary on the West Coast and subscribe to Crossings magazine at cdsp.edu.

Our guest on this episode of Crossings Conversations is Michael Angel Molina, a third year student in CDSP's hybrid M.Div. program. Michael spoke with us about the importance of preachers speaking truth to power, the role that the Church has to play in a growing labor movement, and his experiences using contemporary pop music in the context of worship.Download full episode transcript hereGuest Bio:  Michael Angel Molina is a third year, low-residence M.Div. student at CDSP from Reading, Pennsylvania in the Diocese of Bethlehem. About the Show: Crossings Conversations is a co-production of Church Divinity School of the Pacific and Trinity Church Wall Street. If you enjoyed the show, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or share it with a colleague. You can learn more about the only Episcopal seminary on the West Coast and subscribe to Crossings magazine at cdsp.edu.

Our guest on this episode of Crossings Conversations is Michael Drell, a third year student in CDSP's residential M.Div. program. Michael spoke with us about translating Christian into his immediate context, his work washing and caring for the feet of those in need at the foot clinic as St. John the Evangelist's in San Francisco, and the importance of listening in a life of ministry.Download full episode transcript hereGuest Bio:  Michael Drell is a third year, residential M.Div. student at CDSP from the Diocese of Cuernavaca of La Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico.  He volunteers his time with The Gubbio Project at St. John the Evangelist's in San Francisco, washing and caring for the feet of those in need. About the Show: Crossings Conversations is a co-production of Church Divinity School of the Pacific and Trinity Church Wall Street. If you enjoyed the show, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or share it with a colleague. You can learn more about the only Episcopal seminary on the West Coast and subscribe to Crossings magazine at cdsp.edu.Editor's note: In the transcript and print version of this interview, we mis-transcribed two phrases. (1) Drell was studying Mozarabic liturgy, not Arabic liturgy. (2) Drell described the experience of receiving foot care as "confronting," not "comforting." We apologize for these errors.

Our guests on this episode of Crossings Conversations are the Rev.  Stephen Hassett and the Rev. Michael Barham, two former parish priests who have recently joined the staff of CDSP.  The Revs. Hassett and Barham spoke with us about their calls to ordained ministry, their new roles at CDSP, and the challenges and questions facing new clergy in discernment. Download full episode transcript hereGuest Bio:  The Rev.  Stephen Hassett is CDSP's director of chapel and campus chaplain. He formerly served at various parishes in California, most recently 8 years as rector of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Orinda. He graduated from CDSP with an MDiv in 2006 and a DMin in 2016.The Rev. Michael Barham is CDSP's director of student services and recruitment. He formerly served at various parishes in California and Hawaii. He graduated from CDSP with an Certificate in Anglican Studies in 2007, and a DMin in 2012.About the Show: Crossings Conversations is a co-production of Church Divinity School of the Pacific and Trinity Church Wall Street. If you enjoyed the show, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or share it with a colleague. You can learn more about the only Episcopal seminary on the West Coast and subscribe to Crossings magazine at cdsp.edu.

Our guests on this episode of Crossings Conversations are the Rev. Dr, Randal Gardner and the Rev. Richard Schaper from Church Divinity School of the Pacific's Advancement Department. They spoke to us about planned giving, the ways and reasons people give, and the sometimes surprising opportunities to build relationships that come from such gifts. Download full episode transcript hereGuest Bios: The Rev.  Richard Schaper is an Episcopal priest and Certified Financial Planner.  After studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University, he completed his graduate studies in financial planning and the management of nonprofit organizations at Golden Gate University and the University of San Francisco. He graduated magna laude from Colgate University with a major in Philosophy and Religion and earned a Master of Theology degree from The Divinity School of the University of Chicago. A former Rhodes Scholar, Benedictine monk, hospital chaplain and parish pastor, he  continues to serve as a consultant and gift planning officer for the Episcopal Diocese of California and CDSP. The Rev. Dr. Randal Gardner works for donor and alumni relationships with CDSP. He graduated from CDSP with an M.Div. in 1984 and has since served as rector for various parishes in Washington and California, adjunct faculty at Virginia Theological Seminary, and Canon for Congregational Life in the Diocese as California before returning to CDSP as Director of Chapel in 2016. He retired as Director of Chapel in 2021, but continues to work with CDSP's advancement department on donor an alumni relations.About the Show: Crossings Conversations is a co-production of Church Divinity School of the Pacific and Trinity Church Wall Street. If you enjoyed the show, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or share it with a colleague. You can learn more about the only Episcopal seminary on the West Coast and subscribe to Crossings magazine at cdsp.edu.

Our guest on this episode of Crossings Conversations is the Rt. Rev.  Kirk Smith, Church Divinity School of the Pacific's interim Dean and President, and former Bishop of the Diocese of Arizona. Bishop Smith spoke with us about about deepening the churches understanding of its history while adapting to the need of a changing world to spread the Gospel in the 21st century. He also shared about his own call and his hopes for serving the CDSP community. Download full episode transcript hereGuest Bio:  Bishop Kirk Smith is the interim Dean and President of Church Divinity School of the Pacific.  He formerly served as bishop of the Diocese of Arizona from 2004 to 2019. Before and after his retirement in 2019, he taught church history courses at the Episcopal Theological School at Claremont, General Theological Seminary, Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, and Virginia Theological Seminary. He served as Bishop in Residence at Berkeley Divinity School at Yale for the Spring term 2021.Prior to serving as bishop for the Diocese of Arizona from 2004-2019, Bishop Smith led parishes in Connecticut and California, including St James’, Wilshire Boulevard, a large urban multi-cultural and multi-racial congregation which also operates a day school, nursery school, senior housing project and food program. He received his bachelor’s degree from Lewis and Clark College, MDiv from the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, and PhD from Cornell University.About the Show: Crossings Conversations is a co-production of Church Divinity School of the Pacific and Trinity Church Wall Street. If you enjoyed the show, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or share it with a colleague. You can learn more about the only Episcopal seminary on the West Coast and subscribe to Crossings magazine at cdsp.edu.

Our guest on this episode of Crossings Conversations is Weston Morris, a first year student in CDSP's residential M.Div. program. Weston spoke with us about his work for greater inclusivity of LGBTQ and disabled people in the Episcopal Church, Welcoming Every Body, the organization he helped found for that purpose, and the opportunities and challenged he has faced in that work at CDSP. Download full episode transcript hereGuest Bio:  Weston Morris is a first year student in Church Divinity School of the Pacific's residential M.Div. program. He is a postulant from the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina and founding member of Welcoming Every Body, an organization dedicated to greater inclusivity of LGBTQ and disabled people in the Episcopal Church. Find out more at https://www.welcomingeverybody.com.About the Show: Crossings Conversations is a co-production of Church Divinity School of the Pacific and Trinity Church Wall Street. If you enjoyed the show, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or share it with a colleague. You can learn more about the only Episcopal seminary on the West Coast and subscribe to Crossings magazine at cdsp.edu.

Our guest on this episode of Crossings Conversations is Kaitlin Reece, a second year student in CDSP's low residence M.Div. program. Kaitlyn spoke with us about some formative experiences of her time studying with CDSP  and their connections to her work on criminal justice reform in Nebraska.Download full episode transcript hereGuest Bio: Kaitlin Reece is a second year student in Church Divinity School of the Pacific's low residence M.Div. program. Originally from Pasadena, she is a postulant from the Diocese of Nebraska, mother of one, and a lobbyist in the Nebraska legislature working with nonprofits on issues including refugee settlement, juvenile justice, mental health, and child welfare.About the Show: Crossings Conversations is a co-production of Church Divinity School of the Pacific and Trinity Church Wall Street. If you enjoyed the show, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or share it with a colleague. You can learn more about the only Episcopal seminary on the West Coast and subscribe to Crossings magazine at cdsp.edu.

Our guest on this episode of Crossings Conversations is Angela Furlong, a second year student in CDSP's residential M.Div. program. Angela spoke with us about some difficult lessons learned starting seminary during the pandemic and the power of artwork to heal our brokenness. Download full episode transcript hereGuest Bio: Angela Furlong is a second year student in Church Divinity School of the Pacific's residential M.Div. program. She is a postulant from the Diocese of Maryland, a mothers of two, an iconographer, and formerly served as an Arabic translator for the US military. About the Show: Crossings Conversations is a co-production of Church Divinity School of the Pacific and Trinity Church Wall Street. If you enjoyed the show, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or share it with a colleague. You can learn more about the only Episcopal seminary on the West Coast and subscribe to Crossings magazine at cdsp.edu.

Our guest on this episode of Crossings Conversations is the Rev. Christie Fleming ‘17, Missioner for Community Care and Reconciliation in the Episcopal Church in Western Louisiana, and director of the Lighthouse, a homeless ministry in Bastrop, LA supported by the diocese. The Rev. Fleming spoke with us about her work starting the Lighthouse, learning to lead on the job, and the formation opportunities she experienced during her time at CDSP.Download full episode transcript hereGuest Bio: The Rev. Christie Fleming graduated from CDSP in 2017. Before becoming Missioner for Community Care and Reconciliation and starting the Lighthouse, the Rev. Fleming served as chaplain to homeless communities in San Francisco and San Diego, and then as rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Covington, LA.About the Show: Crossings Conversations is a co-production of Church Divinity School of the Pacific and Trinity Church Wall Street. If you enjoyed the show, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or share it with a colleague. You can learn more about the only Episcopal seminary on the West Coast and subscribe to Crossings magazine at cdsp.edu.

Our guest on this episode of Crossings Conversations is the Rev. Edwin Johnson '10,  an Episcopal priest, rector of St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Dorchester, Massachusetts, and member of the Presiding Officer's Advisory Group on Beloved Community Implementation in the Episcopal Church. The Rev. Johnson spoke with us about Episcopal efforts toward racial justice and racial reconciliation, and how his time at CDSP affected his particular involvement in this ministry.Download full episode transcript hereGuest Bio: The Rev. Edwin Johnson is an Episcopal priest,  rector of St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Dorchester, MA, and member of the Presiding Officer's Advisory Group on Beloved Community Implementation in the Episcopal Church. A native of Dorchester, the Rev. Johnson graduated from CDSP in 2010.About the Show: Crossings Conversations is a co-production of Church Divinity School of the Pacific and Trinity Church Wall Street. If you enjoyed the show, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or share it with a colleague. You can learn more about the only Episcopal seminary on the West Coast and subscribe to Crossings magazine at cdsp.edu.