Leadership and governance
Governance of the Earlham School of Religion is grounded in the by-laws of the Earlham Board of Trustees, and must remain in conformity with those by-laws.
ESR’s governance document addresses the institution’s mission, programs and degree offerings, and commitment to academic freedom and responsibility.
It defines the appointment, roles, authority and responsibilities of the boards, committees and individuals who oversee the administration and operation of the Earlham School of Religion or are engaged in learning at the institution, including:
- Board of Trustees
- President of Earlham
- Vice President of Earlham and Dean of the Earlham School of Religion
- Faculty + Staff
- Adjunct Faculty
- Board of Advisors
- Students
- Emeriti Faculty & Staff
In addition, the governance document sets forth the terms of ESR’s partnership with Bethany Seminary.
The current Earlham School of Religion governance document was approved by faculty on February 5, 2001 and by the Board of Trustees on February 17, 2001.
Community governance
Quaker business is conducted in the context of worship. Rather than voting, decisions are based on the leading of the Holy Spirit through the sense of the meeting by those in attendance. A presiding clerk guides the discussion, and is responsible for interpreting the sense of the meeting.
Earlham School of Religion is not a Quaker meeting, but is an institution of higher learning committed to theological education. While not all matters are decided in a meeting for business, our approach to business and decision-making draws deeply upon our Quaker heritage. Faculty, staff, and students participate jointly in shaping learning and community at ESR.
The Faculty Meeting for Business and Student Meeting for Business are responsible for community governance. Committees support the work of these two Meetings for Business. All meetings are held according to Quaker principles. These afford ample opportunities for involvement in the decision-making process of the school for faculty and students.
- Student Committees: Student Meeting for Business oversees student committees that each selects its own clerk, who is then designated to report important committee concerns to the Student Meeting for Business. Student committees include: Nominating Committee; Community Life Committee; Student Pastoral Care Committee; and Spring Banquet Committee.
- ESR Faculty Committees: The Committees of the Faculty are: Admissions Committee; Faculty Review Committee; Field Education Committee; Harassment Committee; and Personnel Committee. Each committee is composed of at least two faculty members and is convened by a clerk, who is selected by the committee. The Harassment and Personnel committees include a student representative selected by the Student Meeting for Business.
- Joint Student-Faculty Committees: Currently there are two joint student-faculty committees, each of which is vital to the formation of community in the school: Common Meal Committee and Worship Committee. Each of these committees has at least one faculty member and two or more student members. Members of the committee determine leadership.
- Partnership Committees: To facilitate smoother integration with its partner seminary, Bethany Theological Seminary, certain joint committees have been formed and function regularly. These are: Joint Academic Planning Committee; Joint Library Committee; Joint Faculty Retreat Committee; and Information Technology Roundtable.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Earlham’s Board of Trustees is committed in its ongoing support of Earlham School of Religion.
BOARD OF ADVISORS
Earlham School of Religion’s Board of Advisors assists in steering ESR as we seek to fulfill our mission.
Happening On Campus
Pendle Hill Info Session
Time: 7:30 pmWe invite you to learn more about Pendle Hill, a Quaker center fostering Spirit-led learning, retreat, and community. We are committed to creating peace with justice in the world by transforming lives through our programs, services, and campus.
In this info session, you can learn about the QLC and Pendle Hill partnerships, and other upcoming residencies and learning opportunities at Pendle Hill. QLC and Pendle Hill staff will share about our ongoing Quaker Institute and Quaker Leadership Conference collaborations. Pendle Hill Director of Education will also share about other Pendle Hill resources and opportunities: residences, including the Spring Term Resident Student Program, Pendle Hill’s artist and scholar residencies and Friend-in-Residence program; our publications and podcast; and other online and on-campus upcoming events.
A core component of Pendle Hill’s educational program is providing religious seekers, leaders, writers, artists, scholars, theologians, and activists with extended residencies to conduct their creative projects in the context of a spiritual community rooted in a daily rhythm of common meals, work, worship, and contemplation.
Leaders: QLC co-directors Della Stanley-Green and Andy Stanton-Henry and Pendle Hill Education Director Frances Kreimer
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The Pros & Cons of Seminary Panel
Time: 7:30 pmPanel: The Pros and Cons of Seminary ~ Is seminary worth it? What happens afterward?
Join us for a panel on The Pros and Cons of Seminary! December 9 from 7:30-8:30pm ET on Zoom.
Our panelists will share about their experiences in seminary, the effects that has had on their lives and careers, things they wish they had known, and advice for prospective students. There will be time for Q&A, so bring your questions!
Register here: www.publicfriends.org/events/p/panel-the-pros-and-cons-of-seminary
THE PANEL
C. Wess Daniels is the William R. Rogers Director of Friends Center and Quaker Studies at Guilford College. He is a recorded Quaker minister committed to liberation theology, anti-imperial expressions of Christianity, and working towards the revitalization of faith traditions that embody love and justice in the world. He is the author of A Convergent Model of Renewal: Remixing The Quaker Tradition in Participatory Culture (2015), Resisting Empire: The Book of Revelation (2019), contributor to We Cry Justice: Reading the Bible with the Poor People’s Campaign (2021), and the co-editor with Rhiannon Grant of the Quaker World (2022).
Rachel Guaraldi is a member of Beacon Hill Friends Meeting and lives in Strafford, Vermont where she works part time as a community chaplain and pastor of the United Church of Strafford. Rachel is a ESR graduate and a board certified interfaith chaplain with experience working in hospitals, community care settings, and hospice.
Christina Repoley received her MDiV in 2011 from Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta. Immediately following seminary, she founded Quaker Voluntary Service and served as its Executive Director until 2018, when she transitioned to the Forum for Theological Exploration, where she is currently the Vice President of Program. Christina is a recorded minister.
This event is brought to you by Public Friends and the Quaker Leadership Center.
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