New York, NY (Aug 5, 2024) – The Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) Board of Trustees announced today the appointment of the Very Rev. Lydia Kelsey Bucklin as the new President and Dean. President Bucklin, a 2015 EDS graduate, most recently served as the Canon to the Ordinary in the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan. She succeeds the Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, who completed six years as President and Dean in June 2023 and served as the Interim President until June 2024.
“Episcopal Divinity School has a long tradition of providing boundary-crossing, transformative theological education rooted in liberation and social justice,” said Kay Kramer, Chair of EDS’s Board of Trustees. “With Lydia as our new President and Dean, we will continue to serve as a catalyst to form the church to transform the world.”
Before pursuing a Master of Divinity from EDS, President Bucklin received her Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She began her career as a lay leader on the staff of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa, where she worked in children and youth ministry before transitioning to young adult ministry, communications, congregational development, church planting, and lifelong formation.
As an alumna of EDS, President Bucklin’s journey in ministry began with a strong foundation in community and social justice advocacy. While at EDS, she planted a church alongside a community of disenfranchised young adults. This community called her into sacramental life as a priest, and she was ordained in 2015. During her time working in the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan, her leadership focused on collaborative ecclesiology and a commitment to Indigenous reconciliation and social justice.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to be called as the President and Dean of our beloved EDS. Now is the moment for EDS to build on its identity as an institution of theological education dedicated to excellence, committed to community transformation, and focused on equity and inclusion,” shared President Bucklin. “Over this last year, I’ve listened closely to our alum community and church leaders. From this listening and from my own experience in diocesan and church-wide leadership, it’s clear that there is a pressing need for theological education that equips leaders to navigate the changes and challenges across diverse ministry settings. I look forward to the ways EDS will continue to educate and empower church leaders to reimagine sustainable and vibrant ministries across our church.”
“I’m thrilled that Lydia Bucklin will be the next President and Dean of EDS,” said Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas. “Lydia has consistently created new pathways for ministerial formation, especially for those with limited access to traditional theological education. Lydia embodies the next generation of leadership and I’m excited to see how her presidency will expand the seminary’s vision for a more just future.”
President Bucklin’s deep-rooted passion for justice-oriented theology and her extensive experience in community engagement uniquely position her to lead EDS into its next chapter of educational excellence, spiritual formation, and community transformation.
“President Bucklin’s appointment is a tremendous step forward for EDS,” added Bishop Matthew Heyd of the Episcopal Diocese of New York and Vice-Chair of the EDS Board. “Her visionary leadership and dedication to social justice will inspire and transform our community.”
EDS will host an installation ceremony for its new President and Dean on October 23, 2024 at St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery in New York. Visit here to learn more about President Bucklin and listen to an audio interview between former President Kelly Brown Douglas and incoming President Lydia Kelsey Bucklin. Learn more about Episcopal Divinity School at www.eds.edu.
Episcopal Divinity School is dedicated to nurturing moral leadership through theological education, spiritual formation, and community transformation. EDS remains committed to its mission of dismantling racism and advancing social justice.
Hear directly from President Bucklin below.
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August 5, 2024
Dear Episcopal Divinity School Community,
I am deeply honored and humbled to be called as the President and Dean of our beloved EDS. EDS has a long tradition of providing boundary-crossing, transformative theological education rooted in liberation and social justice.
EDS has never been afraid of adaptive changes or challenges. Our recent strategic decisions are positioning us to equip all orders of ministry to serve in diverse, complex settings and local communities. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to former dean Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, the staff of EDS, and to the board for stewarding EDS to this new chapter. Their leadership and vision have laid a strong foundation for our shared future.
As an alum, the formation and education I experienced at EDS prepared me in unique and powerful ways for a changing church and world. At EDS, we learned to question the limitations and boundaries of colonial imperialism, the sin of white supremacy, and the crippling impact of sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and all forms of oppression that have plagued Christianity for far too long.
I am hopeful for the Church that is emerging. I am even more hopeful for the role that EDS will continue to play in forming leaders for this Church. This is a movement we are being called into by the Holy Spirit. We are blessed with the resources we need to do the work God is calling us to do. The EDS staff and I are excited to join you in this new period of growth and transformation.
As some of you may know, over the past year, I have had the opportunity to partner with EDS, hosting listening sessions and gatherings with alums, former faculty and staff, and others in the EDS community. Here are some of the questions we have been asking that we are looking forward to addressing:
- What would a theological education institution look like that reflects the Gospel more than empire?
- How might we embrace collaborative leadership and continuous shared discernment?
- What opportunities exist for more partnerships and sharing of resources?
- How can we continue to participate in healing and reconciliation, especially in those areas where the Church has done harm?
Verna Dozier, a theologian whose teachings greatly inspire my ministry, believed “the church must be a place where everyone can come and live the ‘risk’ of faith.” The needs are plenty, yet the possibilities are immense. In the years to come, EDS will continue the important work of equipping leaders in all contexts and communities, large and small, rural and urban, multicultural, and global, for justice-centered ministry in the midst of a changing world.
I am excited to work with the deans and leaders of other Episcopal and ecumenical seminaries in reimagining theological education for the future. Together, we can explore new ways to address the pressing needs of our time and advance our shared mission.
I look forward to working together these coming years as we help one another live into God’s dream of love and reconciliation.
Let me end with the words Dr. Fredrica Harris Thompsett often used to begin her sermons, “In the name of the one who sustains, renews, and always pursues us.”
Lydia Kelsey Bucklin
