History

The idea for the SAET was conceived by Gerald Hiestand in the fall of 2004 during his transition from full-time pastoral ministry to graduate school. The transition left him with the distinct impression that much of what was taking place in the academy did not always translate easily into the life of the church. Increasingly convinced that the unique—and often diverging—social locations of the academy and the local church lay at the root of the disconnect, Gerald began to appreciate in fresh ways the benefit of uniting theological formation and pastoral ministry—a union typified by many of church history’s greatest pastor-theologians: Athanasius, Augustine, Calvin, Luther, Edwards, Wesley, and more. Gerald began to envision a theological society that would pull together pastor-theologians dedicated to producing ecclesial theology—a theology born out of the context of the local church, and directed toward the ecclesial community.

In 2005, William Edmondson (software developer, graduate student at Kellogg) and Jonathan Cummings (Senior High Pastor at College Church in Wheaton, IL) caught the vision and the three men began working together to flesh out what such a theological society might look like. In 2006, Dr. Todd Wilson (Senior Pastor, Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, IL) joined the group and a workable vision began to take shape. A few months later, the Society for the Advancement of Ecclesial Theology (SAET) was born. Dr. John Yates (Associate for Adult Discipleship at Church of the Good Samaritan, Paoli, PA) joined the SAET board in the Summer of 2009.

Formally incorporated in 2006, the SAET underwent numerous mission shifts before sorting itself out in it’s current form. Today, the SAET is an evangelical organization dedicated to assisting pastor-theologians in producing ecclesial theology for the renewal of the church. At present, the primary mission emphasis of the SAET is the SAET Fellowships, made up of a broadly diverse and select group of pastor-theologians. Each Fellowship gathers annually for a two-day theological symposium where Fellows collaborate together on various theological projects (both personal and corporate).

The ultimate aim of the SAET is the renewal of the Church, through the advancement of a robust, Christ exalting ecclesial theology.