Auburn Theological Seminary is excited to offer its Emerging Leaders in support of our mission to identify and inspire leaders of faith and moral courage from the pulpit to the public square to bridge divides, build community, pursue justice, and heal the world.
"This interfaith space and these practical tools feel like professional lifesavers for me right now. I’ve been reminded all week how nourishing and impactful interreligious spaces can be, and I’m already looking forward to growing more of those connections in my home city and communities. My mind is also buzzing with how these reconciliation tools can be used in truly every faith-based, nonprofit, and/or reflective space I work in — and how I might combine them with other tools and practices I had already possessed before the program. Much material for exploration and collaboration!” – 2024 Cohort participant
The Auburn Emerging Leaders Program is an intensive, immersive experience with a multifaith, cross-cultural, and diverse cohort of emerging leaders. Held within the rhythms of prayer/reflection, walk-and-talks, creativity and connection, the program will explore a deep-to-deep methodology that encourages and invites authenticity and challenge alongside care and respect for our “others.” We will explore reconciliation with ourselves, our communities, and how to reach out beyond our communities.
Overall Emerging Leaders program goals. Auburn is committed to:
• Ground faith and religious leaders in their traditions and a diverse multifaith community of learners. • Equip leaders with vocational practices and tools to sustain their work long-term and intergenerationally. • Connect leaders committed to healing the world with peers across religious and cultural differences.
In addition to the program goals, each cohort has specific experience objectives. Auburn designs the learning experiences for participants to:
• Deepen their grounding in their religious tradition through introduction to the practices of scriptural reasoning and transformative Bible study; • Gain a new understanding of others’ religious grounding and traditions through an introduction to practices of scriptural reasoning and transformative Bible study. • Acquire practices for their work to build community, bridge divides, and pursue justice as a healing-centered leader that can be applied in a variety of contexts. • Experience positive interactions with cohort members with diverse traditions, experiences, and contexts. Build supportive cohort relationships that are expected to extend beyond the in-person program.
