School of Ordained Ministry Begins a New Academic Year

"The purpose of the School of Ordained Ministry in the Diocese of Northwest Texas (SOM) is to provide a quality theological education for the formation of priests and deacons. It focuses this education on talented students, who for various reasons cannot attend a residential seminary."  

Another academic year has begun for SOM with a group of 8 students who gathered the 3rd weekend in August at the Hulsey Episcopal Center in Lubbock to begin/continue their theological education. 

SOM is returning with 4 continuing students, 2 new students, and one hybrid student/adjunct faculty member. 

Joe Biles from Heavenly Rest, Abilene is a 3rd year student from Heavenly Rest, Abilene who will graduate in 2025.

Our 2nd year students are Jack Dupy from St. Matthew’s, Pampa, Monica Hart from St. Andrew’s, Amarillo, and Bikole Mulanda from Heavenly Rest, Abilene.  They comprise the class of 2026.

New students in the class of 2027 are Denise Sanders of Grace, Vernon, and Heather Watson from St. Peter’s, Amarillo. 

Our talented man wearing two hats is Dr. Dann Wigner, of St. Stephen’s, Lubbock.  Dann, having had much previous theological training, is a new (and special circumstance) 1-year diaconal student.  But he will also continue his role as an adjunct faculty member as well, putting on that hat on Sundays, and some Saturday nights. (NOTE: if you’re wondering how Dann can be both a student and instructor, there are parallels with various individuals associated with the seminary who were simultaneously faculty and students preparing for ordination—of course that takes an individual who possesses particular gifts and academic preparation, which Dann certainly has.)

The Diocese of Northwest Texas, along with 35 other dioceses, is part of the Iona Collaborative, a program of the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin.  Thus, more than a third of the dioceses in the Episcopal Church have a local clergy training program under the umbrella of Iona.  Each of the now 36 diocesan schools (a group which has grown from an original core of 13) is independent.  We all use resources generated by the Seminary of the Southwest, including lectures by their faculty.  In addition, the leaders of these schools meet periodically via Zoom and occasionally in-person to share best practices and locally generated resources with each other.   

My thumbnail sketch is that the Iona program provides the breadth of a seminary education, though because of limitations of part-time versus full-time students, it is not able to equal the depth.  Nevertheless, I am continually amazed at the way this program is able to deliver resources that enable people to have a quality theological education without attending seminary. 

In our diocese, we gather Friday evenings through Sunday afternoons for 10 monthly weekend sessions from August through May each year for three academic years.  On Fridays, we study either homiletics (preaching) or liturgics (worship).  On Saturday mornings and afternoons, we have a rotating curriculum spending one year each in the main subject areas: holy scripture, church history, and theology & ethics.  All of these classes are led by our two mentors, me and Fr. Jared Houze from St. Andrew's, Amarillo.  

On Saturday evenings, we have rotating guest faculty who deal with a wide variety of topics, many of them involved with practical aspects of ministry. On Sunday mornings the students make site visits together and worship with various congregations.  Because of geographical limitations, the Lubbock Episcopal Churches are in heavy rotation.  However, during the church history year, the students visit a wide array of other denominations as we move through studying the rise of various flavors and forms of Christianity.  On Sunday afternoons the students meet again at the Hulsey Center with Dr. Dann Wigner to debrief the worship experience, and to spend time on various topics in spirituality. 

In addition to academics and site visits, we participate in a regularly in worship during our time together, praying Morning, Noonday, & Evening Prayer, and Compline every weekend. The students take turns preaching at various services. And we share time together as a small Christian community.   

Since 2013 there have been 16 graduates of SOM who have faithfully and ably served the church in the Diocese of Northwest Texas and beyond.  And if you are contemplating a possible call to ordained ministry but can't contemplate attending seminary, talk to your rector—SOM may be a good fit for you!