The Very Rev. Cynthia Briggs Kittredge, dean and president, recently announced the upcoming retirement of the Rev. Dave Scheider, Director of the Loise Henderson Wessendorff Center for Christian Ministry and Vocation and Lecturer in Counseling, Chaplaincy, and Spirituality.
Her statement reads:
It is with enormous gratitude – and great sadness – that I announce that on May 31, 2019, the Rev. Dr. Dave Scheider will retire as director of the Loise Henderson Wessendorff Center.
Dave has served as Center director since January 2013, and his achievements in that time have been transformational. Under his guidance and vision, the Center received CACREP accreditation for its counseling program and launched both the Latino/Hispanic counseling concentration and the Spiritual Integration in Counseling focus. Dave’s leadership was crucial in obtaining over $7.5 million in grants to fund Center programs, including salaries for three full-time counseling faculty members. The move from adjunct faculty to full-time permanent faculty brought numerous beneficial changes to the counseling program. During assessments of the Center’s chaplaincy and spiritual direction degree programs, Dave’s proposals led to the creation of healthcare chaplaincy, school chaplaincy, and military chaplaincy concentrations in the Master of Divinity program.
Dave’s determined vision to enhance all aspects of the Center experience for students has been successful and impactful, and his influence is immeasurable. The accomplishments under his leadership will allow the Center to move forward with robust enrollment and degree programs that better serve our students and community.
The counseling programs will continue to thrive, as I am happy to announce that Dr. Gena Minnix will take over as director of the Center, effective June 1. I am confident that this transition will be smooth, thanks primarily to the wonderful team that Dave has assembled.
Please join me in wishing the Rev. Dave Scheider the very best in his retirement.
Faithfully,
Cynthia
Before coming to Southwest, Scheider served as a U.S. Army chaplain for 25 years. He specialized in family therapy, earning two additional master’s degrees in counseling and certification and licensure as a marriage and family therapist and supervisor. Additionally, Scheider achieved certification as a Diplomate in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors and Diplomate for the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy. He is also a graduate of Seminary of the Southwest’s Certificate in Spiritual Formation program as well as a DMin graduate of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Scheider is a graduate of the Shalem program in Spiritual Guidance in the Christian Contemplative Tradition and practices spiritual direction in Central Texas.
Scheider is an Episcopal priest, canonically resident in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. He holds advanced degrees from Andrews University, Wright State University, Kansas State University, and Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
