Commencement 2024
The 129th Commencement Exercises of Church Divinity School of the Pacific will be held Saturday, May 18, at 10:30 AM Pacific Time in St. Margaret’s Courtyard. It will be livestreamed on the CDSP website. The speaker will be the Rt. Rev. Betsey Monnot ’02, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa.
The traditional Baccalaureate service for graduates and their families will be held Friday, May 17, at 5:45 PM Pacific Time in All Saints Chapel. Participation via Zoom will be available to the CDSP community according to the usual procedures for chapel services.
Congratulations to the CDSP Class of 2024!
Honorary Degree Recipients
Each year, CDSP honors individuals whose life and ministry have had a significant positive impact on the Church and the world.
The Rev. Becca Stevens
Becca Stevens is a nonprofit leader, entrepreneur, priest, survivor, and founder and president of Thistle Farms. She has founded thirteen nonprofits and justice enterprises, mentored another seventy, and has raised over $75 million to support them. Becca has authored twelve books and sold over 300,000 copies. She has served as chaplain at St. Augustine’s Chapel on Vanderbilt’s campus for almost thirty years. Becca has been featured on PBS NewsHour, The Today Show, CNN, ABC World News, named a CNN Hero, and White House Champion of Change, and holds five honorary doctorates. Drawing on twenty-five years of leadership in mission-driven work, Becca leads important conversations across the country with an inspiring message that love is the strongest force for change in the world.
The Very Rev. Mark Richardson, PhD
W. Mark Richardson’s vocation turned toward theological education shortly after ordination. While serving as associate professor-in-residence at the GTU, he moderated Trinity Institute conferences and directed programs at the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences. He conceived and directed the Science and Spiritual Quest project and is a founding member of the International Society for Science and Religion. Richardson was professor of theology at GTS for ten years and served on the Board of the Anglican Theological Review.
In 2010 he became president and dean of CDSP. These years included major repurposing of campus property to serve the school’s financial interests, installation of solar energy, accreditation and development of the low-res model of theological education, and the creation of the Women in Ministry visiting professorship. He is married to Brenda Lane Richardson, who was instrumental in creating the youth ministry scholarship. Together they hosted over fifty events for the CDSP community and special guests in their home.
The Rt. Rev. Betsey Monnot ’02
Betsey Monnot was consecrated the 10th Bishop of Iowa on December 18, 2021. Before being elected bishop, she served in the diocese of Northern California, including eleven years as co-rector with her husband, Michael, at All Saints Episcopal Church in Sacramento; and on staff of the Office of the Bishop as missioner for leadership development and networking. In that position, and afterward as a consultant, Betsey worked with congregations in the areas of congregational development and vitality, and as a trainer in the College for Congregational Development—all gifts that she has brought to Iowa.
She lives in Des Moines, Iowa, with her husband, Michael, sons Robert (16) and Thomas (14), Wrigley the yellow lab, and two pandemic rescue cats, Chadwick and Meerkat. Her oldest son, William (19), attends college in Sacramento.
