sustain:if:able kiwi

I have a new job. A responsible job!

That the Standing Committee:

1. APPOINT Rev Dr Steve Taylor to the position of Principal, Uniting College for Leadership and Theology, for a period of three years commencing 1 July 2012.

The job is becoming vacant because the current Principal, Andrew Dutney, (much loved, big shoes to fill!) is becoming the President of the Uniting Church in Australia.

So a new Principal at the College I work at, Uniting College, was needed. The position was advertised in August and one Sunday I had a sort of God encounter in the midst of a children’s talk. The Moses and the burning bush story was being told and I realised that I was being Moses – that a number of folk had suggested I consider the role of Principal- but that I was simply compiling a list of reasons for wanting to hide. And that God was asking me, like Moses, to simply give what was in my hand, not a literal shepherds staff, but my leadership experiences and gifts.

So I put in an application, still with lots of questions esp re workload(!). And after 3 interviews, the job was offered. And after 4 Team Taylor family conferences, we decided to let my name go forward to the Synod of South Australia Standing Committee. They met during the week past, with the news becoming public Friday, once College staff and Leadership Development Council had been informed.

It’s a responsible job – a staff of 13, offering training from certificate level all the way through to PhD and at distance locally and nationally, training ministers and lay leaders. The College is in a major change process, wanting to train leaders to be more innovative and outward looking and I think the panel thought I could bring some skills and passion in that area.

Uniting College for Leadership and Theology isn’t a repackaged version of what we’ve always done in theological education. It’s a fresh start – a fresh departure. It’s not a comment on what we’ve done in the past. It’s a response to the demands and opportunities of mission today. It’s not the best thing that’s ever happened in theological education. It’s simply the next thing that has to happen for the College to serve this pilgrim people on the journey.

For more, go here.

I’m nervous and scared, but also really excited.