Strategic Plan
Andover Newton Theological School
BOARD of TRUSTEES
STRATEGIC PLAN
Adopted December 14, 2005
GOALS ONLY
I. Introduction
“You shall be called the repairer of the breach….” Isaiah 58.12
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God…” Romans 12.2
I.A. THE VISION
The model for graduate theological education in North America was conceived at Andover Newton and now we are about to break it.
Today
Ten generations have looked to this school to set the pace in preparing women and men for effective church leadership. We celebrate that our graduates have made such important contributions to shaping ministry in this country and around the world. Few other schools have as rich a heritage in the areas of missions, field education, pastoral care, and, indeed, the fundamental model for graduate theological education. Yet, despite these great accomplishments, we recognize that, other than the Gospel itself, almost all of the assumptions upon which church life and theological education has been based are in the midst of being swept away (see Foundation for Strategic Planning 12.04) . What was once true is true no longer. Our past accomplishments may have delivered us to this moment, but they cannot carry us into the future. And this seismic shift is of such a profound nature that incremental adjustments to our existing design will not suffice. These times call for a bold vision and a radical new model to accomplish it. We must do nothing less than transform our churches and, as a result, the entire approach to preparing new generations of leaders for those churches.
Tomorrow
So it is that we envision a point in the not-too-distant future when Andover Newton graduates will offer the pioneering leadership that is necessary to transform communities of faith in the 21st century. We believe these progressive congregations will be the revolutionary agents of the Beloved Community of which ancient and contemporary prophets dreamed and of which Christ offered us a foretaste. Andover Newton is committed to ensuring that these communities of faith have the gifted, well prepared, and spiritually mature leaders they need to succeed. These new leaders will be guided by a personal faith that demands to be made public. They will be able to cross the borders of theological, social and political estrangement. They will redefine missions and reignite churches. In sum, these newest disciples will have all the critical skills to lead congregations to become vibrant centers of spiritual life that make manifest God’s love and reconciliation in a broken world.
While ever open to learning from our sister institutions, we will strive to make Andover Newton the best place to prepare for and be sustained in these new approaches to congregational ministry and prophetic witness. We will educate and support outstanding women and men in their efforts to build the Beloved Community, one congregation at a time. Whenever people encounter our school, whether on the Hill or at a distance, they will be infected by our passion for the parish and our commitment to dynamic church leadership for this new millennium. They will also experience our unquenchable thirst to learn about models of excellence for the transformation of congregational life in whatever surprising places they may surface. No border or ocean will limit our search for partners to help achieve this vision. Indeed, these creative alliances and the pluralistic learning community they help us build will become two of the most the distinguishing characteristics of our school. We are a liberally oriented, tradition-grounded institution that knows the way to the future will not come from a narrow group of people who all look, act and think alike. That’s why we are committed crossing borders of difference so we can learn from people with whom we don’t fully agree and, in the process, come to know them and ourselves better. This is a central part of our passion. As we find innovative church leaders, communities of faith, and other institutions who share this vision we will partner with them in ways that leverage their learnings, strengthen our collective endeavors, and create synergies that help our vision come closer to being realized.
To help build these bridges to greater effectiveness, Andover Newton Theological School will become an intellectual and administrative hub from which our unique form of theological education can spread across New England, the nation, and the world. We want our campus to be the epicenter of 21st century church leadership. So, not only will our curriculum offer a new model, but our designs for doing business will also forge a new model for financial sustainability, efficiency and value integration. With the help of our partners and our dedicated family of faculty, staff, students and alums, Andover Newton will be able to offer, as it did nearly 200 years ago, a landmark model for the education and support of outstanding church leaders.
I.B. THE MISSION
As a graduate theological school in the Reformed tradition in faithfulness to Jesus Christ, we strive to educate leaders who are:
- enlivened by rigorous study in a community embracing diversities of faith and life;
- devoted to the renewing of church and society through ecumenical witness and creative expression of the Gospel; and
- committed to enacting God's ways of justice and love in the world.
II. Goals and Objectives
II.A. Student / Community Life
Goal A1: We will create a diverse and intellectually lively student community of sustainable size and composition.
Goal A2: We will ensure that extra-curricular programming contributes to students becoming able public theologians and competent in personal, church, community transformation.Goal A3: We will nurture a strong campus community as an essential and distinct part of our approach to theological education.
Goal A4: We will enhance the quality of the student support structure so that each student has an optimal environment for learning and growth.
Goal A5: We will make ANTS a leader in spiritual formation programs with measurable outcomes in partnership the church in all its settings.
II.B. Academic
Overall Academic Goal:
As a graduate school of the church, we will be the northeast’s leading seminary for congregationally based and transformative theological education. From this base we will develop national and international partnerships that continually enhance our curriculum and advance the varied ministries of our graduates.Goal B1: We will prepare women and men for transformative congregational and other service ministries through a curriculum that creatively and rigorously balances tradition and innovation.
Goal B2: We will recruit, hire and nurture well-qualified and diverse scholar/teachers who can embody and effectively deliver our curriculum.
Goal B3: We will be a readily accessible source of innovative scholarship, current resources, and life-long professional development.
Goal B4: We will nurture our students intellectually, theologically, and ethically so that they will be well-qualified, balanced and spiritually mature individuals equipped for transformative leadership in the 21st century.
II.C. Infrastructure
Goal C1: We will articulate and measure ourselves by a spiritual/theological infrastructure of core values that will serve as our essential and enduring tenets of operation.
Goal C2: We will reflect our core values and theological commitments in all aspects of buildings, property use and campus development.
Goal C3: We will make the ANTS brand of theological education well known and easily accessible to our core constituencies throughout the region and from this secure base extend our reach nationally and internationally.
Goal C4: We will design innovative approaches to governance and management so that we can maximize human and financial resources and increase our impact regionally, nationally and globally.
II.D. Budget / Finance
Goal D1: We will achieve financial sustainability.
Goal D2: We will develop a financial structure and plan which enables ANTS to provide an affordable theological education.
II.E. Institutional Advancement
Goal E1: We will develop a long term sustainable base of support for and investment in our mission.
Goal E2: We will create and execute such branding and marketing strategies so as to maximize our potential for revenue generation.
Goal E3: We will identify, recruit, and nurture professionals and volunteers who have the necessary skills, knowledge, and influence achieve our goals.
Goal E4: We will develop and sustain an endowment adequate to support the operations of the school such that we can provide a world class education and exemplary facilities at an affordable price.
Updated July 20, 2006
