Back to Princeton

Today I told my congregation that I will be heading back to Princeton Theological Seminary to pursue Doctoral studies. It went as well or better than I expected. They are disappointed that I'm leaving, thankful for the time I've been there and excited for me and the future possibilities.

Those future possibilities are a Phd in Practical Theology from PTS. We'll be moving this summer, back to the same apartment complex we lived in last time. The downsizing will be extreme as we go from 5 bedroom century home to 2 bedroom grad school res. We aren't upset about it although it will pose a little bit of a challenge.

I will be taking classes for a couple of years, doing comps after that and then finally a dissertation. We are returning in four years so I hope that I have it done by that point. At the moment the dissertation is about St. Ignatius, vocation and youth/young adults.

The logic behind doing this now is two fold. First, I've got some ideas that I've been thinking about forever but have not got out onto paper. This is a dedicated time to do that. Second, our kids are young enough that they can adapt to the change. We are committed to seeing our kids through middle school to high school in the same location, so our next move is relatively long term for me. The longest I've been in one place is Elmira and that was about 10 years.

I'm not sure what the future holds but we are now full speed ahead to Princeton. We covet your thoughts and prayers as we make this big move.