On December 11 of last year, the Rt. Rev. David Lindrooth (M.Div. ‘90, AA ‘84) invited college president Sean Connelly (BA ‘94) to his office in Bryn Athyn, PA for a livestreamed interview. Bishop Lindrooth is the Assistant Bishop to the General Church of the New Jerusalem.

After welcoming President Connelly, Bishop Lindrooth observed that Bryn Athyn College of the New Church, like many colleges, faces challenging times. And yet, he said, “We have a college that has a purpose and a mission that is vital to humanity.” He pointed to a crisis of meaning in modern culture: a lack of clear differentiation between good and evil. Bryn Athyn College of the New Church offers an answer to that problem, with doctrine that supports rational thought—thought that can lead culture.

Bishop Lindrooth invited President Connelly to introduce himself, and after giving a brief biography, President Connelly concluded, “I wouldn’t have my life, my wife, my family, my kids without New Church higher education.” He never imagined he’d be in the position of president, but he felt a clear call to the role during the General Church Assembly in 2024.

Bishop Lindrooth suggested that perhaps an entrepreneurial spirit is what the college needs at this time, then asked about President Connelly’s experience over the last year. After joking that he now knows everything, President Connelly said he feels lucky to hold this rewarding, challenging position. He spoke about the strategy of “failing fast”--identifying, experimenting, and pushing forward, always with mission and sustainability in mind.

When asked what the college would look like in five years, President Connelly said he hopes to bring to life the strategic plan currently being written, a collaborative effort between faculty, staff, and administration. His “north star,” he said, is to provide students with the best possible outcomes. When Bishop Lindrooth asked what success would mean, he replied that this would look like students graduating equipped with eternal truths they can apply to their lives. He emphasized that “the faculty are the ones who are bringing this to life. They are the ones delivering the magic in the classroom.” He’s there to highlight this, market it, and connect with interested students.

Reflecting on his time at the college, Bishop Lindrooth suggested that the educational methods developed through understanding of New Church doctrine elevate people’s intelligence. They connect people with what’s deeper and teach them to associate spiritual things with worldly things. AI, on the other hand, connects like with like—a two-dimensional intelligence. Through correspondence, New Church theology can lead to a three-dimensional intelligence, improving one's ability to think. There are hundreds of colleges out there, he said, but there’s only one place in the world students can get that.

President Connelly agreed, recalling constructs he brought away from his time at the college. He wants that to continue with every student who comes onto campus. It’s been happening for 150 years, and he’s looking forward to another 150 years and more.

The college has seen its share of hardship, Bishop Lindrooth pointed out: world wars, the Great Depression, austere times. During the Second World War, the college operated mainly through the library “on a shoestring,” but even then, those graduates went on to have profound effects on the church and the world.

Today institutions of higher education face new challenges: AI, the birth dearth, the enrollment cliff, and the need to prove relevance. “If you want just facts, don’t go to college,” President Connelly said. “If you want foundations and transformational lenses that you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life, that’s why you want to go to college.”

Bishop Lindrooth pointed out that anyone can get free Harvard courses online, but Bryn Athyn College of the New Church offers interaction with a passionate, wise faculty. It’s a challenging environment, a tempering process. President Connelly agreed, reflecting on the three pillars of his presidency: trust-building, rightsizing, and reimagining. He believes all three are necessary to provide an education that is “distinctive and essential, relevant and valuable in today’s market.”

Viewers of the livestream were invited to submit questions and comments, and when asked what the best thing New Church people could do for the college, President Connelly invited interested students and parents to come take a look at the college and asked alumni and supporters to spread the word.

Bishop Lindrooth concluded by reflecting that Bryn Athyn College of the New Church provides a place to acquire not just knowledge, but wisdom, and to wrestle with life’s biggest questions. President Connelly invited him to the college for another conversation in the future.

Watch the full interview at the New Church YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNjdHwdmFSw