Dr. Stephen Graham serves as the Senior Director of Programs and Services for the Association of Theological Schools. Prior to joining ATS, he served as Dean of Faculty and Professor of American Church History at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago. Dr. Graham will bring his experience in educational models and practices to CBTE 2018. Learn more about Dr. Graham here.

What excites you about Competency-Based Theological Education?
CBTE raises a lot of questions for theological educators about how things have been done in theological education and how they might be done, potentially more efficiently and effectively. Assessing mastery of competencies (broadly conceived) is what theological educators have desired to do regardless of educational model and CBTE breaks free from assumptions about mastery being necessarily related to duration or place of methods of delivery. I also appreciate that CBTE necessarily connects educators and theological schools with those served by their graduates.

What excites you about participating in the CBTE 2018 conference?
I welcome the opportunity to gather with people exploring CBTE and working to address a range of issues involved in applying CBTE to a range of institutions and programs.

How does the topic you are covering at CBTE 2018 contribute to the conversation?
I hope to provide the broader context of theological education, including the findings of the Educational Models and Practices Project, and some reflections on accreditation, and how they can inform the conversations.

Who will benefit from the information and experience you are sharing?
What I have to say should be of benefit to a wide spectrum of participants, including those on particular stages of the road of understanding, considering, and implementing CBTE.

CBTE 2018 runs November 5-6, 2018 in Vancouver, Canada.  Registration is open now.