HOW IS YOUR THESIS GOING?

Many of you know that I when I came to St. Dunstan’s in 2005, I was working on my Doctor of Ministry degree at Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry (outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). At that point I was a little over halfway done, with a projected graduation date of spring 2009. However, my trip to General Convention in 2006 meant a one-year delay, so that now I anticipate finishing in 2010. I really appreciate the support you have given me in my pursuit of this degree.

Where do I stand at present? This past week I turned in my thesis proposal to the director of the D.Min. program. If he accepts it, then I will be assigned a faculty supervisor who will oversee my research and writing. I hope this will happen in June, so that I can begin the actual thesis this summer. My plan is to spend one day per week (usually Fridays) working on it over the next fifteen months, then have time for rewriting and defending it during the 2009-2010 school year. Even though I am presently teaching at Bethel Seminary here in San Diego, I will have more doors opened to me for teaching once I finish this degree.

What is my thesis about? Here is the working title: “Who is welcome? The reasons for and consequences of open communion in The Episcopal Church.” Open communion used to mean inviting Christians from other churches to receive communion when they come to our church. Now it means inviting everyone to receive, whether they have been baptized or not, whether they call themselves Christians or not, and whether they have any interest in the Christian faith or not. This kind of open communion is a huge change from the traditional practice of the Church, dating back to the first century, where baptism and belief were required before receiving communion. The purpose of my thesis is to critique the reasons for changing our communion practice and predict the possible consequences for churches that do so.

Why am I studying at a seminary in Pittsburgh? Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry had exactly what I was looking for when I decided to enter its doctoral program: it is Anglican, evangelical, and missional in its perspective. It is a seminary that takes both the Scriptures and our Anglican tradition seriously, then tries to relate them to the changing world in which we live and minister. It is a vibrant and growing community, while several other Episcopal seminaries are declining or closing. With the selection of the Rev. Dr. Justyn Terry as the new dean, I believe that Trinity will continue to thrive and produce effective, biblically sound clergy.

Fr. David Montzingo