Missional & Financial Vitality in Theological Education

Missional & Financial Vitality in Theological Education

The Association of Theological Schools has been serving theological education since 1918. As represented within the membership, the collective work has grown from a small conference of schools to nearly 300 theological institutions seeking to discern how best to relate to and serve the broader world, academy, and church. Each of these institutions, encompassing a range of theological identities, educational approaches, and resource allocations, seeks to fulfill its mission with integrity and durability.

Theological schools have sought to fulfill their core purpose ("Mission") using different academic, economic, organizational, governance, and ecclesial models (collectively, "Models"), while utilizing diverse configurations of human, academic, financial, physical, technological, shared, and other resources (collectively, "Money"). It is imperative that theological school leadership consider the interrelationship of Mission, Models, and Money as it seeks to maintain the vitality of its mission and finances for the long-term. By serving God’s mission in God’s world, theological schools have core purposes and missions that matter deeply. Having missions and resources that support that work is essential.

On this page, we have distilled articles, educational modules, webinars, resource guides, and tools to help school boards, administrators, faculty, and staff build their individual capacities as well as institutional capacities around Missional & Financial Vitality. As you review the materials, consider with whom at your institution you should discuss the impact on your institutional vitality and share these tools. It is in these collaborative discussions that your capacity to address these key areas will grow.

Educational Canvas Courses and Webinars

Insight to Impact Webinar: Part 1

How can theological schools strengthen both mission and sustainability? In part one of this series, ATS Senior Director and COO Chris A. Meinzer examines enrollment, admissions, and financial trends across ATS member schools and explores how leaders can use data to support long-term missional and financial vitality.

Insight to Impact Webinar: Part 2

In part two, Meinzer examines the relationship between enrollment, institutional economics, and long-term sustainability. Drawing on ATS data, he highlights key indicators of financial vitality and offers practical questions to help leaders align resources with mission and strategic priorities.

Canvas Course Offerings

• Mission, Models, and Money—This interactive course is intended to encourage ongoing reflection on Mission, Models, and Money.
• Solving for Sustainability—Pathways for Tomorrow—Originally designed around the Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, this course explores the Mission, Models, and Money framework from a grantee perspective.
• Mission & Money in These Unique Times—FOR CHRIS: Large sections of this course are not publicly available - something to review before making this resource available on the webpage.
• Standard 10 Overview—This course provides ATS member schools with materials to understand, apply, and demonstrate adequacy of resources related to Standard 10 on Institutional Resources.

Related Articles

Resources and Guides

• A Reflective Guide to Mission and Money for Theological Schools—This guide is designed to help, in both concrete and measurable ways, ATS member schools who find themselves currently challenged by finances or related issues.
• An ATS History of Mission, Models, and Money—This brief overview provides a historical perspective and analysis on Mission, Models, and Money, as well as the ATS efforts to support theological schools over the last hundred years.
• An Empirical Analysis of Graduate Theological Education—This article explores the state of the industry of graduate theological education using three key measures: accessibility, affordability, and financial sustainability. It includes a history of use and exploration of data among ATS member schools and a list of recommended actions for schools to take to understand the implications of these key metrics.