Seminary of the Southwest made a memorable showing at the Episcopal Parish Network conference in early March, reconnecting with alumni, friends, parish leaders, and church partners from across the Episcopal Church.
Throughout the gathering, Southwest’s booth was a steady center of conversation, hospitality, and renewed connection. Visitors stopped by to learn more about the seminary’s work in forming leaders for vocations of ministry, service, and healing, and to reconnect with faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the institution. The booth’s strong traffic reflected both the vitality of the conference and the seminary’s growing visibility across the wider church.
A particular highlight of the week was Southwest’s dinner for alumni and friends, which offered a distinctive and warmly received opportunity for fellowship amid a full conference schedule. The gathering created space not only for reunion and conversation, but also for renewed commitment to the seminary’s mission and future. In a conference marked by rich programming and busy days, the dinner stood out as a joyful expression of the Southwest community’s depth of relationship and shared purpose.
The conference’s closing keynote by the Rev. Steven Tomlinson, PhD, associate professor of leadership and administration at Seminary of the Southwest, provided one of the most memorable moments of the event. According to the Episcopal Parish Network, Tomlinson’s address, “The Living Story of Faith: Grace, Imagination, and What Comes Next,” invited participants to gather “the wisdom of the week into a single, living story of faith.” Rather than offering a simple set of strategies or solutions, the keynote drew attention to “the deeper patterns of our time together,” including “the courage to face truth, the willingness to be repaired, the hope that grows through community, and the joy of lifelong formation.”
EPN also described Tomlinson as drawing on his gifts as “storyteller, theologian, and teacher” to help listeners reflect on what it means “to live faithfully in a world both aching and alive with possibility.” Through story, humor, and spiritual insight, he reminded participants that the Church’s shared life, its relationships, imagination, and witness, reveals God at work among us. The conference organizers said the keynote celebrated the Episcopal Parish Network and the wider Episcopal Church as “a vibrant, connected community equipping leaders, strengthening parishes, and boldly imagining what’s next.”
Tomlinson’s own background reflects the distinctive interdisciplinary strengths of Seminary of the Southwest. In addition to serving on the seminary faculty, he holds a PhD in economics from Stanford University, taught economics and finance for 17 years at The University of Texas at Austin, designed and directed the MBA professional development program there, and continues to coach leaders in corporate and organizational settings on leadership and communication strategy. He is also an accomplished playwright and performer whose solo work has been staged in Austin and off-Broadway.
For Seminary of the Southwest, the conference offered more than visibility. It provided an opportunity to strengthen relationships, celebrate the seminary’s contribution to the life of the church, and witness the ways Southwest faculty and alumni continue to shape faithful leadership for a changing world. The combination of a lively conference presence, a warm gathering of alumni and friends, and Tomlinson’s powerful keynote made the week a notable moment of connection and encouragement for the seminary community.
