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Seminary Partnership Results in New Anglican Studies Program  
 Colgate Rochester Crozer and General Theological Share Resources

Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School (CRCDS), the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester, and The General Theological Seminary (GTS) in New York City jointly announce a collaborative educational agreement between the two schools.  This program, specifically designed with the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester, will offer a local educational option for Episcopal students to earn a Master of Divinity degree from CRCDS while concurrently earning a Certificate in Anglican Studies from GTS.  The program is effective immediately with students free to enroll for the fall 2008 semester. Both GTS and CRCDS are accredited by The Association of Theological Schools of the United States and Canada.

This program receives from its sponsoring Diocese of Rochester a financial commitment unprecedented in the Episcopal Church, providing both programmatic funding and student scholarship support. The Anglican Studies Certificate Program at CRCDS is open to all students, ordained and lay, Episcopal and other denominations.  Students who are currently pursuing a master’s degree in theology or in a related field, those who have completed a master’s degree or those who, with the approval of GTS and CRCDS, seek to learn more of the traditions and theology particular to the Episcopal Church, are eligible to enroll. For Episcopal students seeking ordination, the joint degree/certificate program will satisfy the academic and canonical ordination requirements as stipulated in the Canons of the Episcopal Church, USA. 

Bishop Prince G. Singh, newly installed Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester added, “CRCDS and GTS are natural partners in this enterprise because of their strong witness to the social gospel, fidelity to biblical faith and legacy of serious scholarship.” In establishing this relationship, Bishop Singh indicated that the Diocese was interested in bringing together the resources of two theological institutions whose values for theological education converged.  “I am confident,” said Bishop Singh, “that the work to be undertaken here at CRCDS in collaboration with the GTS will yield lasting benefits for the institutions and Church.”

The Very Rev. Ward B. Ewing, dean and president of General Seminary, shares Bishop Singh’s enthusiasm. “A major challenge for theological education in the 21st century has been the increasing need for many students to undertake study closer to home. I am excited by this agreement between our seminaries because it allows those preparing for ministry in the Episcopal Church to avail themselves of the quality programs at CRCDS while also experiencing the richness of the Anglican tradition—its theology, worship, and scholarly heritage—which has been a longstanding hallmark of General Seminary. I believe this can be a model for future collaborations”

Dr. Eugene Bay, President of CRCDS said of the program, “The presence of Episcopal students will add new vibrancy and insight to the already rich ecumenical instructional environment that exists here at CRCDS.”  Dr. Bay further commented, “The study of theology is more than mastering the ability to understand various texts or perform systematic reasoning, it is also profoundly experiential.  Learning within the CRCDS community, a community that is diverse in denominational traditions, gender and ethnicity grounds the future minister in understanding that God is discovered in the practice of justice, compassion and tolerance.”

The Rev. Dr. C. Denise Yarbrough has recently been named director of Anglican Studies at CRCDS, in which capacity she will work to manage and develop the program while serving as liaison between GTS, CRCDS and the respective dioceses of the enrolled students.  Dr. Yarbrough is an ordained Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Rochester, and currently serves the diocese as director of Theological Education and Leadership Development.  She also holds the position of faculty associate in Interfaith Studies and Director of The Gene Bennett Program for Life Long Learning at CRCDS.

About GTS

The General Theological Seminary provides quality theological education in the heart of New York City. GTS offers the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Theology degrees as well as a number of innovative diploma and certificate programs. Founded by the Episcopal Church in 1817, GTS has a rich heritage of scholarship, community life, and of serving the needs of the contemporary church. General’s resident student body numbers about 150 with an increasing number of part-time and commuter students. Conferences at the GTS’s new Desmond Tutu Center, a modern conference facility with 60 guest rooms, have drawn participants from around the world.  The Center and many of our landmarked buildings are now heated and cooled using geothermal wells, making GTS a model campus for renewable energy for the entire Northeast.

*For more information on the Anglican Studies Certificate Program, please click here.