Ep. 38: Moving for mission: Gordon-Conwell’s pivot

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Rev. Dr. Scott Sunquist, the seventh president of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, joins the podcast to talk about the school’s “pivot” – the plan to sell all or part of its scenic campus in Hamilton, Massachusetts, and move to Boston. Dr. Sunquist explains the financial realities he found after taking office in 2019, what it means to stay on mission in a global context for Gordon-Conwell, and the lessons learned so far.

Notes:

On the pivot: For more on the pivot, go to Gordon-Conwell’s site here. https://www.gordonconwell.edu/pivot/

Book reference: If you’re looking for the book he referenced about leadership, “How to Lead When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going: Leading in a Liminal Season” by Susan Beaumont.

The soul of the institution: Dr. Sunquist mentioned tending to the soul of the institution during the podcast and sent a few links afterwards about a covenant the seminary signed to train leaders in the Black church. You can find a blog post here:
https://www.gordonconwell.edu/blog/attentiveness-covenant/ and the covenant here: https://www.gordonconwell.edu/diversity-hospitality-culture/covenant/