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Statement from
the 2005-06 Catalog
Communal worship
and prayer are an integral part of a person’s preparation for ministry. In
addition to attending services in local churches, the members of the Bangor
Theological Seminary community assemble regularly for worship on each
campus. Seminary worship brings students, staff, and faculty into a living
encounter with God as the true source and undergirding of our lives, forms
and sustains us as members of the Body of Christ, and encourages and
empowers us as a community of the Spirit active in the world. Worship is at
the heart of all we do, so regular attendance and participation by students
is strongly encouraged.
Our worship also
exhibits the ecumenical character of the Seminary, as particular services
are conducted according to the various church traditions represented in our
community. Chapel Services fulfill educational purposes as well. With the
opportunity to plan and lead community worship themselves, students develop
their own skills in the arts of liturgy and preaching. Our worship spaces
contain moveable seating and furniture, which allow us
considerable flexibility in the ways we gather for worship.
An active Worship
Committee composed of teachers, students, and local ministers coordinates
campus worship services, and meets monthly to help foster and administer the
Seminary’s various worship opportunities. Its website,
www.bts.edu/worship has current information about these opportunities,
as well as a calendar of upcoming services, lectionary readings, and worship
leaders.
The Seminary Choir
practices once a week and sings in the Bangor chapel services. As members of
the choir, students have the opportunity to develop a variety of skills
useful in worship leadership.
Statement of Gender-Neutral Language
From the 2005-2006 Catalog
Bangor Theological
Seminary charges its members to work faithfully against discrimination and
oppression. Language may and often does reflect and perpetuate unjust
divisions and distortions within the human family of God. Therefore, while
respecting the right to express one's faith, the Seminary calls upon
everyone to employ language, written and oral, which affirms the dignity of
all persons and communicates the gospel as the liberating and healing Word
of God.
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