School Notes: Yale Divinity School
July/August 2016

YDS, Andover Newton to affiliate

YDS and Andover Newton Theological School have signed a letter of intent under which the two schools will enter a phased affiliation. The first phase is expected to begin this fall, a visiting arrangement by which four Andover Newton faculty will teach at YDS. If continued negotiations are successful, the two schools will enter a permanent affiliation, possibly as soon as 2017–18, that would see approximately six Andover Newton people, including the school’s president and top dean, joining the Divinity School community.

In a statement to the YDS community, Dean Gregory E. Sterling said Andover Newton’s presence would parallel that of Berkeley Divinity School, an Episcopal seminary that is part of YDS. Andover’s Newton’s emphasis on ministerial preparation in the congregational traditions, Sterling said, would strengthen YDS and serve as an important complement to Berkeley’s training of Episcopal and Anglican priests at YDS.

Andover Newton will continue to operate in Massachusetts for the next two years—one year on its campus and one year in another location—to allow its current students to complete their degrees.

Students offer support in water crisis

Gabby Cudjoe Wilkes ’18MDiv, Johnie Jones ’18MDiv, and several other YDS students traveled to Flint, Michigan, in April to support residents dealing with the water crisis. The students held a pastors roundtable (organized with Faith Timmons ’04STM, a pastor in Flint) on the intersection of ecology and theology. The students also distributed water filters and hygienic items, purchased with funds raised through their “Bless Flint” GoFundMe initiative.

Wilkes, a part-time minister and former public relations professional, and Jones, a former US Department of Agriculture staffer, described the outreach as a faith-driven effort to encourage Flint residents. “When I read that over 40 percent of that population lives below the poverty line,” Wilkes said, “I realized that the individuals affected by this crisis do not have the resources to liberate themselves from the issues that the water crisis brought about.” A Q&A with Wilkes and Jones can be found at at the school's website.