Gracious God, as we begin this new venture we do so with deep gratitude for your faithfulness in the past. Thank you for calling us to this fellowship of Christian scholars–women and men who seek to be faithful to your call to follow you, speak the truth in love, and lift up Jesus Christ. Thank you for the opportunity to learn from you so that we can teach others also.

We know it is not by our talent or strength or gifts–but it is by your Holy Spirit that AFTE (A Fund for Theological Education) came into being. We thank you for the vision and faithfulness of Ed Robb and Albert Outler who started this ministry in 1976–and for the many faithful men and women who have provided the spiritual and financial resources to make this vision a reality.

For all that is past–we thank you. For all that is before us–we ask for your guidance. And for this present moment–we pray that we will be good and faithful disciples–so your kingdom will come and your will be done in us and through us this day.

We offer ourselves along with this prayer, in the name of Jesus.