Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium to Adopt Slimmed Down Format

Press Release
Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium
May 2, 2019

At its April 30th Annual Meeting, the Board of Trustees of the  Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium responded to the changing theological landscape by approving the recommendation of its Executive Director, Dr. Ann B. McClenahan, to develop a slimmer program that will nevertheless continue to be create a collaborative center for theological schools in the Boston region. The BTI Consortium remains committed to live into its mission “to cultivate visionary religious leadership for our pluralistic world,” connecting students, sharing resources, and building community (http://www.bostontheological.org/mission). Founded in 1968, the BTI Consortium is in its 51st year and is still building to the future. Unfortunately, the financial pressures on theological schools has created a new reality. Rather than be crushed by this reality, the Consortium will continue to build but with reductions in BTI programs and budget.

The BTI, with its nine theological schools, will continue robust cross-registration to encourage students to take courses in other member schools, with an average of 500 cross-registered classes per year. It will also support the continued sharing of library resources, which represent approximately 4 million books. BTI-sponsored programs will be fewer, but the BTI-wide programs developed by member schools, often in collaboration with one another, will continue with support from BTI communications.

Under Dr. McClenahan’s leadership, the new shape of the Consortium has been developed over the past eight months to include a strategic plan that provides a transition with maximal creativity and budgetary care. The new shape represents a downsizing that will require a change in leadership patterns from a two-person office to a one-person office. Dr. McClenahan, who has provided stellar leadership in helping the Board imagine a slimmer future and structure, will step down from her current position.  She has invested a vast amount of time over the past five years to bring the BTI Consortium to its present creative state and to stir the Board’s imagination amid challenging realities. We are greatly indebted to her and will be very sorry to lose her. Ann will continue in her position until June 30, 2020, and will be a leader in the changes that have been adopted.

We are also grateful for Alix Brandon, who has developed BTI’s cross-registration and communications to new levels of excellence, supporting and enhancing the program and services of the Consortium. Alix will continue in her vital roles through December 2019.

For more information on the changes, we invite you to contact:

Dr. Mary Elizabeth Moore, Dean of the Boston University School of Theology and Chair of the Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium Board at memoore@bu.edu

or

Dr. Ann B. McClenahan, Executive Director of the Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium at mcclenahan@bostontheological.org