What you do matters. What you do with it matters more.
Elders
After decades of leading, you carry something rare: hard-won wisdom, deep institutional knowledge, and a clarity about what actually matters. The question is what to do with it.
Program Overview
Auburn Seminary’s Elders program is a multi-day intensive for senior leaders who are ready to move from accumulating to transmitting. To think carefully and intentionally about legacy, succession, and the shape of the chapter ahead. Through simulation, individual coaching, and peer cohort conversation with other senior leaders nanvigating the same questions, you’ll leave with clarity about what you carry, what you owe, and how you want to lead from here.
Intentionally crafted for faith leaders ages 55+, the participants of our Elders program experience:
A leadership simulation designed around legacy, succession, and institutional wisdom transfer.
Individual coaching sessions focused on integration, meaning, and the shape of the next chapter.
Cohorts of 16–20 senior peers navigating similar questions about legacy and transition.
Curated reading materials on wisdom, succession, and the elder’s role in community.
90-day post-intensive support with facilitated peer cohort check-ins.
“This is leadership development for people who have already led. It’s different- because you are.”
Every Auburn Leadership Program participant receives:
Certificate of Completion
An official Certificate from Auburn Theological Seminary, recognizing your participation in one of the nation’s most distinctive values-grounded leadership programs.
Peer Cohort
A carefully curated cohort of 16-20 peers from across sectors, traditions, and career stages— colleagues who will challenge, support, and stay with you well beyond the four days.
Expert Coaching
Individual coaching from one of Auburn’s field-leading experts— practitioners with deep experience at the intersection of leadership, faith, and social change.
Resource Hub Access
Ongoing access to Auburn’s Resource Hub— a curated library of tools, frameworks, and materials developed by Auburn’s faculty and network.
Alumni Gatherings
Invitations to Auburn’s alumni gatherings: convenings where program graduates reconnect, continue the conversation, and deepen their connection to the broader Auburn community.
What does the program cost?
Scholarships will be made available. Thanks to generous supporters, Auburn is happy to have scholarships available to qualifying students. To be considered, a scholarship application will be available here once the application goes live.
Tuition Costs:
For organizationally sponsored individuals we offer the standard rate of $5,500.
For the self-paying non-profit and ministry leader we offer a self-pay or ministry rate of $3,250.
For institutions sending a team of three or more— with a discount that rewards deeper organizational commitment, we offer the organizational cohort rate of $5,000 per individual.
Is This Program for Me?
Signs this program is the right fit for you:
You are beginning to ask questions about the next steps: what the work has meant, what you want it to have built, and what you want the next generation to inherit.
You are navigating succession: either your own or others’ and finding that the emotional and relational dimensions of transition are more complex than the structural ones.
You are sitting on wisdom and institutional knowledge that you haven’t yet found the right way to transmit to the leaders who will come after you.
You are feeling a shift in your sense of purpose, less driven by achievement and more drawn to meaning, contribution, and the long arc of the work.
You are lacking a peer community of senior leaders who are asking the same questions, people who don’t need the context explained and who can meet you were you actually are.
You are leading in nonprofit, faith-based, denominational, or mission-driven institutions where the question of what endures beyond any individual leader’s tenure is both organizational and deeply personal.
Why Auburn?
Here’s why Auburn is the right place to invest in your leadership journey:
A Legacy of Transformation. Since 1818, Auburn has challenged traditional boundaries and reimagined theological education to foster a broader, more just world.
World-Class Faculty & Mentors. Learn from seasoned leaders and scholars who are actively engaged in shaping the future of faith and community.
Credibility & Innovation. Auburn’s blend of rich tradition and forward-thinking practice ensures you receive both historical wisdom and modern, practical leadership tools.
Inclusive Learning Environment. Every voice matters at Auburn. Our programs are designed to honor diverse perspectives and cultivate a culture of mutual respect, deep dialogue, and healing.
How often is the program offered?
Aplication timeline: TBD
Lead the Way
If you’re ready to step into a learning space that values deep dialogue, real-world impact, and inclusive community, let us know.