The New Hampshire School for Ministry

The church is changing. Ministry is changing. The School for Ministry is here to prepare priests and lay leaders to serve where and how they are called to ministry in the Episcopal Church.  

Welcome from the Dean

Common Prayer. Life in Community. Context and Continuity in Ministry.

The school is strongly committed to local formation and three core principles: Common Prayer, Life in Community, and Context and Continuity in Ministry. Partnering with the Iona Collaborative, a cooperative project directed by the Seminary of the Southwest, the School for Ministry’s teaching model offers blended online and local on site education and training. Year-long and semester-long courses meet for monthly study weekends during the academic year, either online or on site, as circumstances require. Weekly online gatherings for conversation, community-building, and worship complement and enrich students’ coursework. 

Enrollment at SFM is open to any member of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire who is recommended for formation by the clergy-in-charge of their worshiping community. SFM has also welcomed students from neighboring Episcopal dioceses, with the recommendation of their Commission on Ministry. Please note that enrollment at SFM is wholly distinct from an invitation into the discernment process for Holy Orders.  

Preparing for ordination with the School for Ministry is well-suited for those whose call to the priesthood has been confirmed by the church but who do not attend a residential seminary due to family, employment, or other ongoing ties to their community. While the School prepares priests to serve in a variety of settings across the church, it may be especially appropriate for those who plan to work “bi-vocationally,” continuing secular employment while also serving as ordained clergy. 

 For the 2024-25 academic year, the School for Ministry will be based in Concord, primarily at Diocesan House.  

For More Information

For more information about the School for Ministry, contact the school’s Dean, the Rev. Kelly Sundberg Seaman