The Center for Pastor Theologians (CPT) is an evangelical Christian organization that is based in Oak Park, Illinois with the stated mission of assisting pastor theologians with “the study and written production of biblical and theological scholarship for the ecclesial renewal of theology and the theological renewal of the church."
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Background and Goals
The organization was founded in 2006 by Gerald Hiestand and Todd Wilson, originally with the name The Society for the Advancement of Ecclesial Theology. Ecclesial theology, as described by Hiestand, is a theological project born in an ecclesial context, driven by an ecclesial agenda, and prosecuted by ecclesial thinkers; not merely theology about the church--but theology for the church.
The Center believes that many pastors are either ill-supported to contribute to the theological formation of the broader church, or not expected to do so at all, given the majority of theological scholarship being produced by professors in seminaries and universities.
The Center’s offices and symposia are hosted at Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, Illinois. Symposia are held for three fellowships, groups of roughly 20 pastor theologians who gather to discuss a theological text with a noted theologian. For each symposium, several fellows are likewise commissioned to present papers on the topic, which are then made eligible for publication in the Bulletin of Ecclesial Theology, an annual journal published by the CPT. Additionally, at each symposium fellows solicit feedback on personal projects.
Annual Conference
In 2015 the CPT held its first annual conference. The conferences are meant to be an opportunity for non-fellows, including pastors, students, and local church members, to participate in the vision of the CPT.