THE
SERVANT
LEADERSHIP
SCHOOL
A People's Seminary "
Historically, members of The Church of the Saviour deepened their own spiritual lives in part through their involvement in Jubilee Ministries and The Adams Morgan neighborhood. They saw the need to offer the same opportunities for spiritual growth to the wider Christian community. From the first decade of the church's life, there was talk of a "people's seminary," modeled after Dietrich Bonhoeffer's "underground seminary' in Nazi Germany.
However, it was felt that the campus, the real place of teaming, must be in the relationships with poor and excluded members of our society. Once Jubilee Ministries had grown to offer such a campus, through structured opportunities to bridge racial and economic differences, the School was born. The vision was for a servant institution with the capacity to energize and equip leaders for inner-city mission, both spiritually and practically .In the Fall of 1986, the first servant leadership class was offered in one of the upstairs conference rooms at Christ House.
At the same time, work began on securing a permanent home for this new
vision. The Festival Center was completed in the summer of 1989, and the
School began offering classes that fail. Now, nearly 2,000 people have
taken classes at the School. Through the Local Leadership Formation Program,
new Schools are being established around the country.
The Servant Leadership School and the Festival Center seek to offer
a place of preparation for the compassionate, Christian leaders needed
in our time - leaders drawn from both privileged and excluded circumstances.
This commitment encourages a diverse body of participants to be in community
with one another. It is the hope that these participants are among the
forerunners who will carry God's dream into the next millennium.
In addition to these efforts, the School has given birth to the Servant
Leadership Press. The Press provides materials, at modest prices, that
strengthen servant leaders on their journey. Festival Center is home also
to the Festival Church -- a congregation dedicated to racial reconciliation
and economic justice.
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