The Institute for Ministry and Theology is.....

Click here for Power Point Presentation about our Institute

 

The idea behind IMTE was first announced at the Annual Council in Columbus in 2002, as part of the development of a long-term strategy for the growth of the Diocese of Atlanta.  The following year, in the fall of 2002, the Christian Education Director’s Institute began a two-year program to prepare students for a career in directing Christian education ministries in the Episcopal Church.  The two people most behind this effort were Caroline Westerhoff, then Canon for Congregational Ministry for the Diocese of Atlanta and Margaret Jones, then director of Christian Education at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta.


The first 20 students were beneficiaries of the wisdom of some of our diocese’s best teachers: Bishop Frank Allan, Bishop Neil Alexander, The Rev. Roger Ard, The Rev. Claiborne Jones, The Rev. Harry Pritchett and The Rev. John Westerhoff, to name only a few.  The course was completed and the Institute took a step back to see what other priorities were on the minds of  both clergy and laity in the diocese.  In the interim, the annual Ministry Fair took care of some of the short term needs, but a longing for more in-depth theological teaching was soon apparent and the new Institute began to become a real focus for the Commission on Education.

The Rev. Dena Bearl, chair of the Commission on Education asked Nancy Armstrong to direct the beginning steps of the new Institute. Nancy was ready as she had just left her position of many years as director of Christian education for youth and adults at St. Martin in the Fields, Atlanta.  Her passion for adult education is ever present and not only has she engineered this premiere event for 2007, but she is well into the plans for 2008 as well.

 

Members of the Institute's Advisory Board for 2008

Mrs. RuthElizabeth Conine - St. Gregory's, Athens
Mrs. Barbara Danner - Grace, Gainesville
Dr. John Ford - St. Bartholomew's, Atlanta
Mr. Randall Hughes - St. Martin's, Atlanta
Dr. Carol Lockett - St. Timothy's, Decatur
Mr. Dennis Matthews - St. Martin's, Atlanta
The Rev. Ellen Purdum - Good Shepherd, Covington
The Rev. Elizabeth Roles - St. Mark's, Dalton
Archdeacon John Titus - St. Michael's, Stone Mountain

Diocesan Staff:

Nancy Armstrong - Institute Director
Nan Ross - Director of Communication
Linda Scott - Resource Center Coordinator
 

   
 

Purpose Statement: Diocese of Atlanta Institute of Theological Education

 

The Diocese of Atlanta is committed to providing life-long adult Christian education to assist the active ministry of people seeking to fulfill their baptismal covenant. We will accomplish this by providing learning experiences that address a variety of  learning styles.

 

Educational opportunities include, but are not limited to, experiences that increase understanding of:

 

* Biblical Studies
* Church History
* Church Music and Liturgical Arts
* Environmental Stewardship
* Episcopal Social Action on behalf of oppressed groups in society
* Episcopal/Anglican Polity
* Ethics
* Evangelism
* Inter-Faith Dialog
* Pastoral Care
* Planned Giving
* Spiritual Growth
* Stewardship
* Theology

 

On-Going Projects:

 

* We will provide both one-day and multi-session educational formats initially in the Atlanta metropolitan region and expand to convocation-level offerings in the future.
* We will provide a listing of available speakers (Speakers' Bureau) to address local parishes on topics of interest.
* We will provide a data base of educational opportunities accessible on the Diocesan Web Site.
* We will enable and encourage local parishes to develop Adult Christian Education Programs.

 

Long Term Projects:

Course Certifications, Institute leadership and administrative support, Board of Advisors

 

All programs will be developed by the Diocese of Atlanta Commission on Education in conjunction with Bishop Alexander, Deans, Clergy and Laity of the Diocese.