The Rev. Gary Hall and Canon Bonnie Anderson write via email about the proposed affiliation of Episcopal Divinity School with Union Theological Seminary:
We know members of the EDS community are eager for details about the school’s future, but because final negotiations are still underway, we are not yet able to share them freely. We can say that the three goals that the board set for EDS during the New Directions process last year are now within reach. Next week, we believe the board will have the opportunity to vote on a plan that a) allows EDS to continue providing theological education within an accredited and degree-granting program, b) carries on the school’s historic mission to place gospel-centered justice at the center of its efforts; and c) provides financial strength and stability for EDS’s future.
When the board voted to pursue this affiliation in February, we believed that Union shared EDS’s deepest values and gave our school the opportunity to attract new affiliations and new resources in New York City and beyond. During the negotiations, this belief has only grown stronger.
We’re eager to tell you more, but we want to caution that because the Union Theological Seminary board intends to vote on our agreement at its meeting on May 19, we do not expect to make a detailed public announcement until after that time.