Washington Theological Consortium

Crossin’s Ten Points
For New Students in the Consortium
Fall 2009

1. Jesus Himself prayed for the Unity of his followers at the Last Supper [Jn 17:21]. Let me ask you to pray that we in the Consortium may continue to be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Let me ask you to commit yourself to the work of Christian Unity in whatever way the Holy Spirit leads you— making new friends, taking courses, earning a certificate, coming to events, working together in ministry or praying together.

2. Ecumenical and interreligious knowledge and sensitivity are becoming increasingly important for ministry --in helping interdenominational couples prepare for marriage, in providing spiritual guidance to those not of our own tradition, in preaching to ecumenical and interreligious congregations and in responding to agreements forged by the Christian traditions.

While some are saying: All Christians are the same--The Consortium Schools are saying that the traditions are significantly different. We are saying that for the ecumenical future, you will need more than superficial theological knowledge. We are saying that, to be truly ecumenical, we need to understand our traditions so well, so deeply, that the commonalities will become clear and new insights will emerge.

3. The Consortium website[www.washtheocon.org] has:

course listings for the next semester
up-to-date information on events
news items
online resources for ecumenical and interreligious research
Links to all member Web Sites and libraries
Requirements for the Consortium Certificate Programs in Ecumenism and Muslim-Christian Dialogue [each 12 credits].

4. The Consortium member schools often require each master’s degree student to take one (or more) course(s) in another Christian tradition . The Deans of the schools prefer that these courses be taken at the campus of another school to attain a fuller experience of the other tradition. Students often take several courses in the Consortium. In our 1996 survey, a random sample of graduates of Consortium schools said that—in light of their ministerial experience--they wish they had taken more courses in the Consortium. Recent conversations with graduates confirm this finding

5. Consortium students can enroll in courses in the other member institutions while paying the tuition to her/his home institution. The Registrar of your institution must receive your cross registration form. Please consult your school’s cross registration guidelines. You can find the course listing and the Consortium procedures on the Consortium website.

6. Students can use the member libraries . To use the library of another institution a student will need a form [easily provided] from his/her own library and a valid I.D.

7. The Consortium sponsors several annual events. These are free and open to all students. Details are available on the Consortium Website.

8. This year we have:

The Annual Consortium New Student Ecumenical Orientation on Thursday, September 10 th. This begins in Caldwell Hall Chapel at Catholic University with the Student Board’s Ecumenical Prayer Service at 4:30. It is followed by dinner for all students in attendance at the neighboring Catholic religious communities. Dinner is usually followed by a conversation and a tour of the host community.
A fall Student Ecumenical Essay Contest with essays due by January and a modest cash stipend for the winner(s). The Essays are on an ecumenical theme. Winners participate in an open forum sponsored by the Consortium Student Board in the Spring Semester. Details will be available on the Consortium website.

A Prayer Service and Reception marking the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on February 9, 2009 at Catholic University. The Consortium Ecumenism Award will be given to Metropolitan Kallistos of Diocleia during the Service. Bishop Kallistos will give the Second Annual Figel Address on Ecumenism. He will speak on the Papacy.

9. Details of other events can be found on the Consortium Website

Each school has two representatives on the Consortium Student Board. Should you be interested in serving, you can find the position description developed by the Student Board on the Consortium Website. You might check with your Dean of Students about the process of selection of student representatives for your school.

10. Scrolling through the Consortium Blog [http://crossininthemorning.blogspot.com] will give:

A chronicle of Consortium Events
Crossin’s comments on recent ecumenical events
A flavor of week-to-week life in the Consortium.
An opportunity to respond/reflect

Rev. John W. Crossin, OSFS, Ph.D. is the executive director of the Washington Theological Consortium. Please feel free to contact the Consortium Office at 202-832-2675.