The Scottish Episcopal Institute’s teaching-staff training residential was held at the Conforti Centre, Coatbridge, Monday 3 through Tuesday 4 February 2025. This annual event allows SEI’s tutors the opportunity to come together to discuss theology, practice, teaching and learning around SEI’s mission of formation for ministry in the Scottish Episcopal Church. This residential featured a variety of voices and presentations with a dozen participants.
Tuesday’s keynote presentation was offered by Dr Bridget Nichols (pictured above), who lectures on Liturgy and Anglicanism at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute, Dublin, entitled Calling on the Holy Spirit in the Eucharist, Baptism and Ordination: Deus ex machina or hiding in plain sight? Along the theme of worship, the second presentation was offered by the Rev Canon Prof David Jasper, a member of the SEI Council and, until 2017, Professor of Literature and Theology at the University of Glasgow, on Living liturgically, which delved into the underlying theologies around climate change and the new SEC Season of Creation.
The Rev Dr Anna-Claar Thomasson-Rosingh, SEI’s Director of Studies, soon to transition to SEI’s Director of Contextual Formation, spoke on Nuts and bolts: Practical issues we come across as we teach at SEI. The Principal, the Rev Canon Prof Michael Hull, presented a talk thereafter entitled Forming people for ministry: How do we move beyond the clichés?
Wednesday saw two additional presentations. One by Dr Nina Kurlberg & Dr Olabisi Obamakin, who are Postdoctoral Research Associates in Theological Education in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University and part of the Common Awards team. Theirs was an interactive and practical workshop about different ways to incorporate resources from scholars of global majority heritage in teaching under the title Diversifying the curriculum. The second, and the final presentation of the residential, was Embracing the Chaos, where the Rev Liz Crumish, SEI’s IME2 Officer, addressed the experience of change in the world and in the church.
The annual gathering itself is an intimate event wherein tutors, who often do not see each other regularly during the academic year, meet onsite and face-to-face to share experiences and good practice as a learning community, and to pray together for their ministry and for the students they serve. Please keep SEI’s teaching staff in your prayers.
