The Living Church reports The Rt. Rev. Edward L. Salmon, Jr., a former bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina, has been chosen to serve as the next dean and president of Nashotah House Theological Seminary.
Bishop Salmon, a member of Nashotah’s board of trustees since 1993 and its chairman since 1996, said the board elected him in late May, when it announced the resignation of the Very Rev. Robert S. Munday.
Dean Munday’s resignation takes effect June 30, but he will remain on Nashotah’s faculty as research professor of theology and mission. He was dean and president of Nashotah House for 10 years….
Salmon said he plans to strengthen relationships, both among seminary faculty and staff and between the seminary and bishops of the Episcopal Church.
Salmon faces the considerable tasks heaped upon every dean of an Episcopal seminary these days:
…striking the balance between a rapidly shifting culture with new missional paradigms and grounding students in the lore and tradition of the faith;
…working within the wider seminary community as one voice among many (as opposed to schools simply representing entrenched political commitments);
…communicating with valuable contacts as potential donors, and with jurisdictional bishops to create the best possible enrollments;
…providing for the common good in the common life of students, teachers, and faculty.
The choice of Salmon is appreciable across these several fronts, and from a certain point of view the choice of a bishop is as well. (With compulsory retirement, bishops may become available to the educational side of things and would show up with many desirable skill sets and contacts already in place.) It also speaks well to the institution doing the hiring: who wouldn’t want to broaden their appeal?