The first SECF cohort, advisors, and DoSER staff gather in person for a kickoff meeting in spring, 2025 | Image by DoSER Staff
In the face of accelerating scientific discovery and technological advancement, faith communities are important, often underappreciated sites for understanding and interpreting novel challenges and opportunities. Clergy and lay leaders are often called upon to guide their communities’ engagement with science and technology, but they may not feel equipped to address the practical, ethical, and theological questions brought to them by their parishioners. The AAAS Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion (DoSER) program is excited to help bridge this gap through a new initiative titled Science Engagement for Congregational Flourishing (SECF).
The SECF project will support organizations as they equip congregational leaders to engage with critical issues at the intersection of science and society. Participants will develop or enhance educational programs for pastors and congregational leaders with an emphasis on bringing science literacy and communication about science and society topics into the skillset of congregational ministers. DoSER will also provide connections with scientists and science resources and will support grantees through workshops, cohort meetings, and networking opportunities.
DoSER has awarded grants to four continuing education providers in the first SECF project cohort:
- American Baptist Home Mission Societies
- Department of Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary
- South Dakota Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
- William Jessup University
These grantees’ projects will focus on a variety of topics to address pressing needs across their respective communities. These include informing and shaping the ethical use of AI; understanding the effects of trauma on individuals and communities and cultivating resilience at the congregational level; and inquiring into humanity’s place within the physical world and providing faith leaders with tools to engage constructively with “unsettled science” when they encounter it.
This project is a natural extension of previous DoSER projects. “DoSER has had a chance to bring forefront science engagement to faith leaders in training through our Science for Seminaries and Climate Science in Theological Education projects,” said Katy Hinman, Director of DoSER. “The Science Engagement for Congregational Flourishing project is giving us the opportunity to bring this work directly to congregational leaders that are already active in ministry. These projects will not only inspire and engage faith leaders, but also equip and empower them to lead their own congregations and communities in engaging with the rapid advancements in science and technology that are impacting their lives.”
DoSER Director Katy Hinman welcomes SECF grantees and science advisors at the SECF Kickoff Meeting.
Religious leaders often face challenges in engaging meaningfully with the contemporary issues facing their communities while remaining faithful to their theological traditions and practices. By providing resources and practical guidance in science engagement for congregational leaders, SECF will equip these leaders to shepherd their congregations through the challenges and opportunities raised by scientific and technological advancements that are shaping the world today.
The Science Engagement for Congregational Flourishing project is being funded with support from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Thriving Congregations Initiative, which aims to encourage the flourishing of Christian congregations by helping them deepen their relationship with their faith, enhance their connections with each other, and contribute positively to their communities and the world.
For more information about the Science Engagement for Congregational Flourishing participants, visit ScienceForSeminaries.org.
