Hybrid Program Testimonials
We asked for stories about the impact of CDSP’s innovative low-residence Hybrid Program. We heard about increased access and flexibility, rigorous theological and spiritual formation, and the power of learning both in the student’s local context and connected to a tight-knit community of peers.
The Hybrid Program made it possible for me to begin a vocational path of ministry.
Folks are answering the call from all walks of life, from different family situations, different ages, and different places. Low-res seminary programs make it possible for the Episcopal Church to hear their call too, and to support and raise them up as the strong leaders the Church needs.
My fellow Hybrid Program students are now some of my closest clergy colleagues. They’re profound friends who I love deeply, and trust immensely. The depth and strength of the relationships formed during the Hybrid Program continue to be incredibly important to me.
My fellow Hybrid Program students are now some of my closest clergy colleagues. They’re profound friends who I love deeply, and trust immensely. The depth and strength of the relationships formed during the Hybrid Program continue to be incredibly important to me.
The Rev. Amy Newell-Large ‘22
Curate for Parish Life, St. John’s Cathedral
Denver, CO
Denver, CO
The CDSP Hybrid Program helped me to see ministry through a different lens.
I’m thinking outside of the four walls of the church, and finding ways of connecting with others in the community.
My coursework about marginalized people was especially impactful for me as a leader: It opened the world for me and showed me perspectives I had never seen before.
In the CDSP Hybrid Program I was pushed and challenged to think in new ways about how ministry is done. And then I could apply what I was learning in my program right then and there in the ministry I was already doing.
My coursework about marginalized people was especially impactful for me as a leader: It opened the world for me and showed me perspectives I had never seen before.
In the CDSP Hybrid Program I was pushed and challenged to think in new ways about how ministry is done. And then I could apply what I was learning in my program right then and there in the ministry I was already doing.
The Rev. Dr. Joél Muñoz ‘21
Curate, St. Francis-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church
Zionsville, IN
Zionsville, IN
I was connected to and in formation with a much more diverse group of people than I would have been otherwise.
That’s in terms of age, life experience, and where we were in the world.
When I entered the program, I was working for a cathedral. The logic of ‘I’m going to stop my work for the Church so I can work for the Church’ didn’t compute. Just leaving didn’t feel right.
The Hybrid Program meant I could process questions that were coming directly out of my ministry experience in the real world with my professors and classmates.
When I entered the program, I was working for a cathedral. The logic of ‘I’m going to stop my work for the Church so I can work for the Church’ didn’t compute. Just leaving didn’t feel right.
The Hybrid Program meant I could process questions that were coming directly out of my ministry experience in the real world with my professors and classmates.
The Rev. Dan Carlson ‘22
Curate, Grace Memorial Episcopal Church
Portland, OR
Portland, OR
I’m called to blended vocational work in social work and the Church. I couldn’t leave one side of my vocation behind.
This program is a gift to the Church because it supports students with blended vocational calls.
Beyond making it possible for me to pursue my blended call, the online format of the Hybrid Program has given me a particular strength for just stepping into creative and innovative ways of being in the Church.
Beyond making it possible for me to pursue my blended call, the online format of the Hybrid Program has given me a particular strength for just stepping into creative and innovative ways of being in the Church.
The Rev. Dr. Sarah Kye Price ‘18
Vocational Development Minister,
Diocese of Virginia
&
Professor, VCU School of Social Work
Richmond, VA
My fellow students and I built lasting relationships online.
We still stay connected that way, celebrating each other’s ordinations and marriages, and sharing anything else we have going on.
Through my experience in the CDSP Hybrid Program, I definitely feel more prepared as a leader. That’s a benefit to me, the people I lead, the community, and the Church.
Through my experience in the CDSP Hybrid Program, I definitely feel more prepared as a leader. That’s a benefit to me, the people I lead, the community, and the Church.
The Rev. Dr. Robin Woodberry ‘20
Deacon in Charge, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church – Canton, OH
The Hybrid Program is impactful,
and that’s true not only for the students who are engaged in the program, but also for the communities they come from and the communities they’ll serve.
As a student I was able to engage the CDSP learning community connecting with classmates from across the United States, while also staying rooted in my diocese and growing with the faith community there.
As a student I was able to engage the CDSP learning community connecting with classmates from across the United States, while also staying rooted in my diocese and growing with the faith community there.
The Rev. Anthony Jones ‘20
Assistant Priest, St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church – Brooklyn, NY
I can’t think of one thing I do in my ministry that hasn’t been impacted by my experience in CDSP’s Hybrid Program.
From designing educational courses, to preaching, to liturgy, to visiting folks at home, I continually refer to my course books. And I reach out to and lean on the support network I built there.
I really value the inclusivity the CDSP Hybrid Program promotes. It brings people together that don’t experience the same thing, and prepares them for effective ministry that they can immediately apply in the world.
I really value the inclusivity the CDSP Hybrid Program promotes. It brings people together that don’t experience the same thing, and prepares them for effective ministry that they can immediately apply in the world.
The Rev. Tim Dyer ‘19
Vicar, Grace Episcopal Church
Ridgway, PA
Ridgway, PA
I couldn’t have pursued my MDiv without CDSP’s Hybrid Program.
My wife at the time was a vice principal at a high school; my daughter was in high school; and I was teaching there.
My seminary experience exposed me to fellow students and faculty who are very different from me. We come from different backgrounds, have different experiences, and are in different contexts.
It offered me the opportunity to really reflect on my own life experience, spiritually and theologically.
My seminary experience exposed me to fellow students and faculty who are very different from me. We come from different backgrounds, have different experiences, and are in different contexts.
It offered me the opportunity to really reflect on my own life experience, spiritually and theologically.
The Rev. Ryan Baker-Fones ‘20
Curate, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
Eugene, OR
Eugene, OR
