To be a thriving, creative educational institution that counters systems of oppression and alienation through practices of co-learning and co-action for the purpose of advancing the pursuit of higher goods, the formation of durable communities, and the generation of faithful, structural change.
Re-imagining theological education for cultivating just communities
“I believe that the church holds a distinct power to offer hope and good news to the world. When teams of faithful leaders come together to learn and lead, they equip themselves to offer that hope and good news as the beacons of Christ that God calls us to be. I’m so grateful for the Black Mountain School of Theology and Community – I can’t wait to see how the Holy Spirit will be at work in and through it!”
Rt. Rev. Kristin Uffelman White
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio
We are guided by the following core convictions:
Quisque eu lectus tempor, condimentum turpis non, rutrum tortor. Nulla facilisi. In aliquam sodales nunc, id laoreet purus maximus eu. Vestibulum maximus ipsum in tortor.
Morbi aliquam massa tristique porttitor maximus. Praesent eget consequat metus. Donec eros sapien, facilisis eu nibh eu, mattis blandit orci. Etiam pretium consequat nisl, in ornare turpis sodales quis. Cras aliquam gravida nisi, in convallis augue congue et. Donec non ullamcorper metus. Nunc in blandit eros, euismod dapibus ipsum. In dignissim metus sed pharetra tempus. Vivamus dui nibh, viverra in nulla at, ullamcorper commodo ipsum. Maecenas congue sed odio ut finibus.
Phasellus mauris elit, ultricies eget laoreet ut, vestibulum luctus tortor. Ut a dignissim erat, sit amet iaculis dui. Donec nisi nibh, sodales vitae dui suscipit, bibendum bibendum turpis. Aliquam erat volutpat. Quisque eu lectus tempor, condimentum turpis non, rutrum tortor. Nulla facilisi. In aliquam sodales nunc, id laoreet purus maximus eu. Vestibulum maximus ipsum in tortor semper sollicitudin. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Maecenas eu tortor laoreet, euismod neque eget, ultrices felis. Etiam sapien quam, maximus nec sapien id, posuere placerat quam. Phasellus mollis ornare aliquet. Vestibulum urna dolor, ultricies aliquam egestas vel, condimentum eu libero.
Why Black Mountain?
Just as we seek to help organizations discover the importance of place in their own identity and mission, Black Mountain, North Carolina, shapes who we are and the challenges we face. In the mid-20th century, it was the site of The Black Mountain College, one of the most innovative experiments in US higher education. The BMC reimagined formal (university) and informal educational paradigms, leaving an indelible mark on fields as diverse as art, literature and democratic education.
Situated at the “front porch” of the Appalachian Mountains, Black Mountain offers both a scenic environment for cultivating imaginative possibilities and proximity to the real issues of poverty and racial animosity that pervade US culture at large. Our unique location provides the opportunity to imagine new possibilities for theological engagement and community development that begin to heal the brokenness of our churches and communities.
Our Story
The Black Mountain School of Theology & Community was born of a shared passion for the church and hope that congregations can live justly among their neighbors. Long-time practitioners of theological education, congregational ministry, and community organizing, our core group had spent years discussing common concerns. Coming together in 2018 we began to articulate together the need for a new kind of theological educational institution — an institution that embeds collaborative research in the needs and knowledges of communities and localities with an unyielding emphasis on action and social change.
We knew the trends. Congregations were fracturing. Systemic injustices and inequities were compounding. Communities were fraying. And traditional theological institutions were increasingly ill-equipped to engage these challenges in their specific local contexts. In this gulf between the traditional academy and local needs, our team brought significant experience in the power of relationship building, co-learning, and collaborative action for change. We heard again and again, from our students, colleagues, and congregations, a deep hunger for substantive theological engagement. We had witnessed the difference that theological reflection combined with the tools of organizing and located research can make for strengthening institutions and communities and revitalizing congregations.
Catalyzed by the cultural moment, we began to envisage a new kind of platform where our passions, hopes, and expertise could serve communities and enliven churches. In 2019, we founded the Black Mountain School of Theology & Community as a space for reimagining theological education for cultivating just communities.
A shared conviction drives our work: that theological education for the 21st century must focus on helping congregations deepen their theological identities by connecting to their local contexts, collaboratively strengthening their communities, and building their power for making change through work rooted in their core ecclesial practices.
Donec pulvinar placerat est, eget aliquam libero interdum nec. Duis vel luctus mauris, consequat tempor turpis. Maecenas ac hendrerit lectus, id rutrum augue. Donec pulvinar placerat est, eget aliquam libero interdum nec. Duis vel luctus mauris, consequat tempor turpis. Maecenas ac hendrerit lectus, id rutrum augue. Kvel luctus mauris, consequat tempor turpis. Maecenas ac hendrerit lectus, id rutrum augue. Donec pulvinar placerat est, eget aliquam libero interdum nec. Duis vel luctus mauris, consequat tempor turpis. Maecenas ac hendrerit lectus, id rutrum augue pulvinar placerat est.
Donec pulvinar placerat est, eget aliquam libero interdum nec. Duis vel luctus mauris, consequat tempor turpis. Maecenas ac hendrerit lectus, id rutrum augue. Donec pulvinar placerat est, eget aliquam libero interdum nec. Duis vel luctus mauris, consequat tempor turpis. Maecenas ac hendrerit lectus, id rutrum augue. Kvel luctus mauris, consequat tempor turpis. Maecenas ac hendrerit lectus, id rutrum augue. Donec pulvinar placerat est, eget aliquam libero interdum nec. Duis vel luctus mauris, consequat tempor turpis. Maecenas ac hendrerit lectus, id rutrum augue pulvinar placerat est.
Donec pulvinar placerat est, eget aliquam libero interdum nec. Duis vel luctus mauris, consequat tempor turpis. Maecenas ac hendrerit lectus, id rutrum augue. Donec pulvinar placerat est, eget aliquam libero interdum nec. Duis vel luctus mauris, consequat tempor turpis. Maecenas ac hendrerit lectus, id rutrum augue. Kvel luctus mauris, consequat tempor turpis. Maecenas ac hendrerit lectus, id rutrum augue. Donec pulvinar placerat est, eget aliquam libero interdum nec. Duis vel luctus mauris, consequat tempor turpis. Maecenas ac hendrerit lectus, id rutrum augue pulvinar placerat est.
Donec pulvinar placerat est, eget aliquam libero interdum nec. Duis vel luctus mauris, consequat tempor turpis. Maecenas ac hendrerit lectus, id rutrum augue. Donec pulvinar placerat est, eget aliquam libero interdum nec. Duis vel luctus mauris, consequat tempor turpis. Maecenas ac hendrerit lectus, id rutrum augue. Kvel luctus mauris, consequat tempor turpis. Maecenas ac hendrerit lectus, id rutrum augue. Donec pulvinar placerat est, eget aliquam libero interdum nec. Duis vel luctus mauris, consequat tempor turpis. Maecenas ac hendrerit lectus, id rutrum augue pulvinar placerat est.
