Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: There is a big celebration happening with the Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit. And with me in the studio is the head of the thing.
I am so excited to meet you. Dr. Theodore T. Terman. How are you?
[00:00:21] Speaker B: I am very well. It is a pleasure to meet you. It's a pleasure to put a face with a voice.
[00:00:27] Speaker A: Thank you.
[00:00:27] Speaker B: It's a pleasure to meet you.
[00:00:29] Speaker A: You as well. Now, I told off the air, I thought you were gonna be a lot older. And they're talking about your year anniversary. First of all, congratulations.
[00:00:38] Speaker B: Thank you so much. Time flies.
[00:00:40] Speaker A: It really does. And how has this year been for you beginning, you know, how you started off at the beginning and where you are right now?
[00:00:51] Speaker B: Sure. Well, we're in pretty good shape. I mean, I think when you enter into a new space, there are all kinds of new people and new rhythms. And so I think as a leader, one of the first you really try to do is just learn the people, build trust, try to let them know you're not coming in to tear down the thing that they love very much. And I know that pastors and administrators, sometimes, because they think they're so smart, kind of have a tendency to kind of almost wreck things because they try to move too quickly. And so we've tried to be very intentional about getting to know the people, getting to know our students, our alumni, getting to know our local community partners, and even kind of slowly but surely begin to expand our network to make sure that we're offering the best education that we can.
[00:01:41] Speaker A: You all have been doing commercials on the station for a while, and I hear them all the time, and I'm like, this is really good. I know a lot of people who have gone through the school and are doing some really big things. And you don't necessarily have to be a preacher to go.
[00:01:57] Speaker B: Absolutely, absolutely. I think when I was interviewing, one of the things that the search committee kept saying was, we're the best kept secret in Detroit. I said, that's a horrible marketing plan.
So we need more people to know that we exist. We need more people to know that theological education is available to them in the city of Detroit. And like you said, that you don't have to be a preacher.
[00:02:20] Speaker A: That.
[00:02:20] Speaker B: That. I think one of the things that I didn't know almost two decades ago when I was heading into seminary was that different schools produce different kinds of alumni, for sure. And that we're a school that produces, yes, certainly, scholars who will return to the academy. But we produce pastors, we prod healthcare chaplains and military chaplains. And Even people who serve in nonprofit spaces who want to launch the next nonprofit to deal with foster care and people who work in the private sector, but just want to do it with a theological foundation, maybe like a DJ on a radio. Absolutely, Absolutely. Absolutely. So, I mean, our, our education runs the gamut of people and places and spaces in which you can occupy. And one of the things we know is just God calls us in different amazing way. And we want to make sure that wherever your seat, whatever your microphone looks like, that you are as equipped as you can be.
[00:03:19] Speaker A: I love that. Well, the seminary is having a gala coming up in November.
And what's happening with that?
[00:03:27] Speaker B: Sure. So we do a gala every year.
Obviously with COVID There was some interruption and things like that. And so every year it's an opportunity to celebrate. It's an opportunity to get dressed up and enjoy each other, listen to some good music, to reflect on all of the work, not just of the seminary, but even of our partners. And so it happens, as I say, every year it's in. This year it'll be November 14th at the Henry Hotel in Dearborn, and it will start, you know, doors will open at 6 o'. Clock. And as I said, it's just an opportunity to celebrate. It's an opportunity to recognize those who have served in ecumenical spaces. And so what that means is we're looking at people we're constantly thinking about who have been sort of in their service, whether in their job or volunteerism or whatever, who's been serving, you know, not just the Baptist community, not just the cogic, not just the Pentecostal, not just Presbyterian, but who's kind of given of themselves across, across multiple denominational lines.
[00:04:33] Speaker A: I love that. And you're honoring two people this time around.
One is my absolutely favorite person in the whole wide world in the industry.
[00:04:41] Speaker B: Absolutely. So I'm. I'll do the. I'll. I'll save that one second. So we're, we're celebrating Marty Fischoff, who is the director of Community Engagement for Detroit pbs. Personally, I'm a huge proponent for. I can't say it. Can I say that here for public broadcasting?
[00:04:56] Speaker A: No, no, I agree.
[00:04:57] Speaker B: We love all of the. We love all the radio stations equally, but we appreciate the value of public broadcasting. And one of the things that ETS has is a partnership with local Detroit PBS to do a better job of telling the stories of particularly African American churches in the metropolitan Detroit area. And Marty has been one of those people that's constantly been creating spaces for us to tell our stories. So we wanted to.
[00:05:23] Speaker A: Local stories.
[00:05:24] Speaker B: Absolutely. So we wanted to acknowledge him. And then we're celebrating Dr. Deborah Smith Pollard, who is for those who I can't possibly imagine who wouldn't know on this particular radio station, but as not just a local radio dj, but a scholar in her own right, a professor at the University of Michigan, Dearborn. And so for her years, decades of service again across denominational lines and just kind of telling our stories through music and the conversations that she's hosted. And just her own personality has just been so rich to those of us who have kind of gotten ready for church every Sunday morning listening to her. So I'm looking forward to. Looking forward to celebrating her as well.
[00:06:10] Speaker A: Love that so much. So, Dr. Turman, how do we get tickets? How do we get involved?
[00:06:14] Speaker B: All you have to do is go to the school's website, ET Seminary www.etseminary.edu. right there at the top of the page is a clickable link to go to the gala. It'll tell you all of the information and give you pictures of previous years so you can kind of get your. Get your mindset right and get your. Get your outfit together.
Tickets are $150. And that goes to support the seminary it goes to. We are not a seminary that has the benefit of a large university to support it or denominations that support it. We exist off the strength of tuition and community support. Absolutely.
[00:06:55] Speaker A: We have to keep the school going.
[00:06:57] Speaker B: I hope so. Please.
[00:06:58] Speaker A: Because it's so amazing the people who have gone there and what they're doing in their lives, their careers now.
Absolutely. Again, November 14th.
[00:07:10] Speaker B: The web address again, www.etseminary.edu.
[00:07:17] Speaker A: Well, congratulations once again on your one year anniversary. Thank you. And I look forward to hopefully being a student one day.
[00:07:26] Speaker B: Let's go. Listen, not just a student. You need to be teaching.
[00:07:30] Speaker A: I've done that before.
[00:07:31] Speaker B: I know. Absolutely. Come on, Come on. Help.
[00:07:35] Speaker A: Help.
[00:07:35] Speaker B: The next set of podcasters and, and gospel DJs. I love that. Get ready. So, yeah, let's.
[00:07:41] Speaker A: Let's turn some wheels a little.
[00:07:43] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:07:44] Speaker A: Dr. Theodore Turman, thank you so much.
[00:07:46] Speaker B: Thank you. Appreciate it.
