Welcome to PATHWAYS 

Transformative Theological Education
for a Changing World
“The future of the church depends
on theological education...
The future is now, and it is full of promise!”    –Daniel Aleshire

The vision of PATHWAYS is to create, promote, and deliver transformative theological education in the Southeast Conference UCC, the United Church of Christ, and North America and beyond, in order to meet the changing leadership needs of today’s church.

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In response to the challenges and opportunities of the changing religious landscape and the state of theological education in North America, the mission of PATHWAYS is to bring together the best of traditional theological education and the contemporary experiences of the church towards formation of new ministry models by offering affordable, accessible and excellent theological education to lay and authorized leaders. Link here to read program flyer.

PATHWAYS is the new incarnation of the Theology Among the People (TAP) program which has been equipping lay and licensed ministers successfully in the Southeast Conference for over 12 years.  We have taken the best of TAP and integrated and built upon it to create a new program that is responsive to the changing needs of the church for well-formed pastoral leaders.

Who Should Consider PATHWAYS
•    PATHWAYS theological education is for lay leaders, authorized ministers, and for those who are seeking authorization for ministry.
•    PATHWAYS is represented by two significant entities working together in a collaborative and creative approach: the Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ (SECUCC) and  Lancaster Theological Seminary (LTS).
•    PATHWAYS courses will be facilitated by experienced and trained practitioners and seminary faculty. 

What is PATHWAYS
PATHWAYS offers THREE levels of learning:
•    Level 1 – Two years in length; designed for lay leaders to develop theological and ministry competency with focus on biblical and practical theological reflection and praxis.
•    Level 2 – Three years in length; designed for lay and authorized ministers to advance and enrich theological understanding and inform ministry methodology in a fast changing world.
•    Level 3 – Four years in length; designed for authorized ministers with ministry experience and for those seeking to be newly authorized for ministry.

The Flexibility of PATHWAYS
•    PATHWAYS will be offered regionally and nationally, and eventually, globally.
•    Each level of the program entails face-to-face regional meetings and on-line classrooms that are accessible from the participant’s own home or office.

PATHWAYS Training
•    PATHWAYS theological education is hybrid in delivery; it uses both face-to-face and on-line technologies that are both synchronous and asynchronous.
•    PATHWAYS learners will begin the program with a face-to-face retreat and will convene face-to-face at least once each year.
•    PATHWAYS learners will join in periodic synchronous (“real time”) meetings via webinars or similar platforms.
•    Most of the courses will be asynchronous using a platform such as Moodle or MySakai.
•    PATHWAYS uses the cohort model promoting the development of intentional communities of collaborative and peer learning.

PATHWAYS Program Began in Fall 2011
•    PATHWAYS launched its first Facilitator Training Course in August, 2011.
•    PATHWAYS launched its first learning group, Cohort One with a face-to-face retreat in October, 2011.
•    NOW ACCEPTING INQUIRIES for future programs!

For more information contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it directly, PATHWAYS Executive Director.