Reflections on Life at the
Theological School
Rev. Dr. Andrew M. T. Dibb
Dean of the Bryn Athyn College Theological School
A
s I write this, we are drawing to the end of the fall term of the 2015-16
school year, and it seems a good time to reflect on where the Theological
School is these days. Reflection on the present, however, is always more
meaningful when we put it into context with the past. So I’ve also being
thinking of where we have come from, of who passed through these doors to
serve the Church in many different ways.
The first graduates of the Theological School, in 1880, were Edward C.
Bostock and John Whitehead. Bishop Bostock’s episcopal portrait hangs in
the school lounge. His robes are essentially the same as robes today, except
for a white bowtie around his neck. His picture hangs alongside others of
that vintage: Bishops Benade and N.D. Pendleton, who graduated in 1889.
Portraits of Bishops George de Charms and Willard Pendleton are a further
reminder of our roots and traditions.
There are many well-known names on the list of graduates from the early
days to the present, many still well represented by families in the Church
today. But there are some mysterious names that would require detective work
to find out who they were. William H. Schliffer (1883) and Richard H. Keep
(1895), for instance, have disappeared into the mists of history.
Looking down that list of names is a trip down memory lane. There are the
names of friends, mentors, men who, with their wives and families, gave their
lives to the Church.
Like Bishop Bostock’s robes, there is much about the Theological School
that would be familiar to these alumni. The subject matter hasn’t changed
much as the Heavenly Doctrines are still regarded as the Divine source and
inspiration of all we do. Course work in doctrinal study makes up the backbone
of the program, as ministers need to know and understand the doctrines to be
effective ministers. But like the bishop’s bowtie, some aspects of the education
in the Theological School have changed in an attempt to enable graduates to
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