Mission, Vision and Core Values

Mission
Seminary of the Southwest forms men and women for the service of Christ in lay or ordained ministry within the church and the larger society.

Vision
Southwest’s vision is to be a community for formation and leadership within the church supported by a strength of program, endowment, and environment that assures excellence in theological and pastoral education.

Core Values
Our core values describe what we stand for and believe in.

• Hospitality: creating a common life that welcomes difference and ensures that all voices are heard
• Conversation: listening to and critically engaging a variety of cultural and religious voices in order to commend the Christian tradition and discover fresh wisdom
• Mutuality: nurturing a collaborative environment that promotes mutual inquiry and accountability
• Respect: cultivating the virtues of patience, justice, and charity, so as to affirm the dignity of every member of the community
• Rootedness: embodying the richness of the Episcopal and Anglican traditions in particular contexts, especially that of the American Southwest and its Hispanic cultures
• Celebration: glorifying and enjoying God in worship, prayer, study, service, and fellowship, so as to create a community of gratitude and gift

The primary commitment of Seminary of the Southwest is to our students’ growth in the knowledge and love of God as witnessed to in Holy Scripture, the Creeds, and in the universal and ecumenical traditions of the Church through the ages. Our purpose is to foster Christian ministers who are faithful, imaginative, and skilled.