Crossings Conversations

Our guest on this episode of Crossings Conversations is Weston Morris, a first year student in CDSP's residential M.Div. program. Weston spoke with us about his work for greater inclusivity of LGBTQ and disabled people in the Episcopal Church, Welcoming Every Body, the organization he helped found for that purpose, and the opportunities and challenged he has faced in that work at CDSP.
Download full episode transcript hereGuest Bio: Weston Morris is a first year student in Church Divinity School of the Pacific's residential M.Div. program. He is a postulant from the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina and founding member of Welcoming Every Body, an organization dedicated to greater inclusivity of LGBTQ and disabled people in the Episcopal Church. Find out more at https://www.welcomingeverybody.com.

About the Show: Crossings Conversations is a co-production of Church Divinity School of the Pacific and Trinity Church Wall Street. If you enjoyed the show, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or share it with a colleague. You can learn more about the only Episcopal seminary on the West Coast and subscribe to Crossings magazine at cdsp.edu.

Our guests on this episode of Crossings Conversations are the Rev. Dr, Randal Gardner and the Rev. Richard Schaper from Church Divinity School of the Pacific's Advancement Department. They spoke to us about planned giving, the ways and reasons people give, and the sometimes surprising opportunities to build relationships that come from such gifts.
Download full episode transcript hereGuest Bios: The Rev. Richard Schaper is an Episcopal priest and Certified Financial Planner. After studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University, he completed his graduate studies in financial planning and the management of nonprofit organizations at Golden Gate University and the University of San Francisco. He graduated magna laude from Colgate University with a major in Philosophy and Religion and earned a Master of Theology degree from The Divinity School of the University of Chicago. A former Rhodes Scholar, Benedictine monk, hospital chaplain and parish pastor, he continues to serve as a consultant and gift planning officer for the Episcopal Diocese of California and CDSP.
The Rev. Dr. Randal Gardner works for donor and alumni relationships with CDSP. He graduated from CDSP with an M.Div. in 1984 and has since served as rector for various parishes in Washington and California, adjunct faculty at Virginia Theological Seminary, and Canon for Congregational Life in the Diocese as California before returning to CDSP as Director of Chapel in 2016. He retired as Director of Chapel in 2021, but continues to work with CDSP's advancement department on donor an alumni relations.
About the Show: Crossings Conversations is a co-production of Church Divinity School of the Pacific and Trinity Church Wall Street. If you enjoyed the show, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or share it with a colleague. You can learn more about the only Episcopal seminary on the West Coast and subscribe to Crossings magazine at cdsp.edu.

Our guest on this episode of Crossings Conversations is Bishop Deon Johnson of the Diocese of Missouri. Bishop Johnson talks about some new models for regional church leadership beginning to take root in Missouri. He also discusses the role of joy in proclaiming the gospel.
Download full episode transcript here.
Guest Bio: The Right Reverend Deon Kevin Johnson is bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri. A veteran Episcopal priest with deep experience in social justice issues and ministry to gay and lesbian communities, he has served in many positions in the wider church and the community. He continues to serve on the Taskforce for Liturgical and Prayer Book Revision and as a consultant with the Office of Black Ministries.
Resource Links:

• Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu

About the Show: Crossings Conversations is a co-production of Church Divinity School of the Pacific and Trinity Church Wall Street. If you enjoyed the show, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or share it with a colleague. You can learn more about the only Episcopal seminary on the West Coast and subscribe to Crossings magazine at cdsp.edu.

In the latest episode of Crossings Conversations, we spoke with the Rt. Rev. J. Scott Barker, bishop of the Diocese of Nebraska and recently announced nominee to the slate for 28th presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. The interview was part of our reporting for the upcoming Crossings cover feature "Early Returns: CDSP-funded curates already adding new life in new roles."
Bishop Barker spoke to us about the clergy shortage in the Episcopal Church, formation models and spiritual priorities for early-career priests, and his excitement about the CDSP curacy program and its potential impact for students from his diocese.

When Aissa Hillebrand ‘27 and Reese Fuller ‘27 sat down with Crossings in fall of 2023, they were fresh off their first CDSP gathered session. They recently reconvened for a chat about how the year went and what it’s like being a seminarian today.
“If it looked like anything, it'd look like my desk right now,” Fuller said.
“Good point ... a mess, yet I know where everything is,” Hillebrand added.