No Matter Where We Go, Faith Is Our Center of Gravity Faith makes us resilient. It allows us to grow, adapt, evolve, and persevere. It allows us to be Claremont School of Theology wherever we are. Our core values are portable, which is more important than ever in a culture that communicates at the speed of light and interacts on small glass screens . Some say change is constant. We say faith is constant and change is creative. We are open and transparent about our future, with all its unanswered questions. Then again, it is the mystery of our traditions and the reality of our world. And it is why our students develop a center of gravity that works anywhere in the world. Look at where we have been. Have faith in where we are going. • In 1885, when Methodist minister and California Senator Charles Maclay started Maclay College of Theology (CST’s predecessor) in his newly founded town of San Fernando, the railroad had just linked Los Angeles with the rest of the United States, the population of LA was only about 50,000, Grover Cleveland was president (for the first time), and Protestant Christianity dominated the terrain.
• In 1900, when Maclay College of Theology embedded within USC, refrigerated railroad cars were in operation, the population of Los Angeles had more than doubled, the United States had gained global power status from its victory in the Spanish-American war, and the Christian Temperance Movement was in full swing. • By 1956, when the groundbreaking for the Southern California School of Theology began in Claremont, underground train systems were gaining popularity, the city of Claremont was preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary, Dwight D. Eisenhower was president, and the Supreme Court ruled that mandatory religious exercises were unconstitutional in public schools. • Today, as Claremont School of Theology contemplates its future , hybrid cars and hybrid education are commonplace, technology has advanced at monumental speeds with social media serving to both unite and divide, a billionaire reality TV star is in the White House, the United States is the most religiously diverse country in the world, and mainline religious institutions are dwindling in both size and influence. Tomorrow, some churches will look the same; some will look totally different. Spiritual practices will evolve, and ancient practices will re-emerge. It is a thrilling time because people are asking questions and challenging convention. So, our graduates are robust in their faith and resilient in their ministry, because ministry needs no specific location, and faith is bigger than a building . This is why we are combining traditional teaching and digital education, so students can study and serve at the same time, work and discern without moving cross-country, and prepare for a changing world without changing their mission. And it is why we must embrace a changing future.
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