From Lee

Winter 2007

I'm starting to understand the meaning of the word "buzz." On January 8, 2007, Meadville Lombard announced Dr. Sharon Welch had been appointed Provost of our School. That day, our website received 1,028 hits. Compare that to the daily average of 192 in January 2006, and 597 for the rest of January 2007.  

That's "buzz."

The buzz began last November when our Board of Trustees drafted a Declaration demonstrating the determination to build from our foundations an institution whose intellectual and vocational influence will reach well beyond our own walls, beyond even individual congregations and national boundaries.  With the hiring of Dr. Welch, the "buzz" is that our school is serious about bringing that vision to life.

I'm "buzzing" over the appointment myself. Sharon's reputation for scholarly achievements will certainly raise the school's standing in academic circles. Additionally, Sharon brings to our school and to our students her passion for Unitarian Universalism, and her passion for bringing diverse religious groups to the table for honest understanding as the basis for commitment and action.

Sharon's appointment and acceptance is a step forward for the school.  And there are more measurable indicators of the school's renewed vitality:

• We had 16 students enter our Modified Residency Program (MRP) this year, 4 more than our average; 
• We had the largest number of students ever to attend our January intensives.
• Our endowment is growing and is currently over $16 million-the largest it has ever been;
• We have procured one endowed merit-based scholarship for the coming academic year and I plan on announcing more in the near future;
• We are offering more opportunities for distance learning than ever before, including online courses (pending approval by the Association of Theological Schools).

There's no doubt about it: Meadville Lombard is Moving Forward and that's evident in these numbers and in all the "buzz" around this school.

Now, I'd like to invite you to add to the "buzz." Join us as we move forward.  There are many ways to do so and one is coming up this summer as a team of lay and ministerial leaders offers the weeklong workshop, The Large Church: Problems, Praxis and Promise. It is open to lay leaders as well as clergy, and we are offering incentives for congregations to send teams of up to 5 members. Take a look at our other summer offerings as well as our offerings for our January intensives for 2008 and our new online courses.

You can also join us financially. Become a Partner in Ministry and be an agent of change in this world, helping us to change lives to change the world. Help us finance the vision for these students, for this school, and for the world. 

Do you hear that? I think the buzz just got louder.