Bangor Theological Seminary

LEADERSHIP FORMATION: THE BTS CENTER OFFERS LEARNING COMMUNITIES AND COHORTS, STUDY GROUPS, WORKSHOPS, RETREATS, AND OTHER THEOLOGICALLY GROUNDED PROGRAMS OF CONTINUING EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND SPIRITUAL FORMATION, TO ASSIST WITH THE FORMATION OF CLERGY, NONPROFIT LEADERS, CHAPLAINS, SPIRITUAL DIRECTORS, ENGAGED LAYPERSONS, AND DENOMINATIONAL LEADERS. THIS YEAR'S PROGRAMS HAVE INCLUDED TWO NEW COURSES "SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP FOR A CLIMATE-CHANGED WORLD AND "WILDNESS AND SPIRITUALITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD" ALONG WITH A FOUR-DAY RETREAT FOR EARLY-CAREER LEADERS CALLED "SPIRITUAL ECOLOGY FOR SPIRITUAL LEADERS," AN ECO-PREACHER WORKSHOP, SEVERAL ONE-DAY ONLINE RETREATS, AND A GATHERING FOR TRAINED SPIRITUAL DIRECTORS CALLED "SPIRITUAL DIRECTION FOR A CLIMATE-CHANGED WORLD."

APPLIED RESEARCH: THE BTS CENTER ENGAGES IN RESEARCH, AT TIMES INTENTIONALLY CROSS-SECTOR, EXPLORING TOPICS RELATED TO CLIMATE STUDIES, SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP, AND RELIGIOUS AND ORGANIZATIONAL PRACTICES, ASKING GLOBAL QUESTIONS WITH LOCALIZED ATTENTIVENESS. DURING 2022, THE BTS CENTER COMPLETED PHASE ONE OF A TWO-YEAR, CROSS-SECTOR RESEARCH COLLABORATIVE THAT HAS DRAWN TOGETHER A COHORT OF LEADERS FROM EIGHT PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS ST. JOSEPH'S COLLEGE, HOUR EXCHANGE PORTLAND, WATERVILLE CREATES, BOSTON FOOD FOREST COALITION, MAINE PRISONER ADVOCACY COALITION, MONTREAL CITY MISSION, ASHWOOD WALDORF SCHOOL, AND THE BTS CENTER FOR A YEAR-LONG CO-LEARNING JOURNEY FOCUSING ON THE QUESTION, "HOW WOULD ORGANIZATIONS ACT DIFFERENTLY TODAY IF THEY EMBODIED AN ECOLOGICAL IMAGINATION?" PHASE TWO WILL BEGIN IN FALL 2022 WITH A SMALLER NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS ENGAGING IN A MORE IN-DEPTH CO-RESEARCH PROJECT.

PUBLIC CONVERSATIONS AND PUBLIC RITUAL: DRAWING TOGETHER LEADING THINKERS, AUTHORS, SCHOLARS, AND PRACTITIONERS, OFTEN IN ONLINE SPACES, THE BTS CENTER HOSTS AND FACILITATES PUBLIC CONVERSATIONS AND RITUAL FOCUSING ON THEMES RELATED TO SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP AND THE CLIMATE CRISIS. THIS YEAR'S OFFERINGS HAVE INCLUDED A FIVE-PART "LAMENT WITH EARTH" ONLINE RITUAL SERIES; AN ONLINE PUBLIC READING FOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY, CALLED "COMMITTED TO LISTEN; A NEW PODCAST CALLED CLIMATE CHANGED FEATURING ENGAGING CONVERSATIONS WITH THOUGHTFUL LEADERS; A PUBLIC SHOWING OF THE FILM TRUTH TELLERS FOLLOWED BY A PANEL DISCUSSION; A SERIES OF IN-PERSON, ONE-DAY "WONDER AND WANDER" RETREATS; AND SEVERAL ONLINE FIRESIDE CHATS WITH AUTHORS AND SCHOLARS.

CONVOCATION: WITH ROOTS DATING BACK TO 1905, CONVOCATION IS THE BTS CENTER'S ANNUAL CONFERENCE, BRINGING TOGETHER KEYNOTE SPEAKERS, SCHOLARS, WORKSHOP LEADERS, MUSICIANS AND ARTISTS, AND A BROAD GROUP OF SPIRITUAL LEADERS INTERESTED IN EXPLORING THEMES RELATED TO SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP FOR A CLIMATECHANGED WORLD. INCORPORATING MUSIC, THE ARTS, AND CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE, RECENT CONVOCATIONS HAVE INCLUDED A BLEND OF ONLINE AND OFFLINE EXPERIENCES, WOVEN TOGETHER TO FACILITATE LEARNING, NURTURE RESPITE, AND DEEPEN COMMUNITY.