History of Shaw
A generous gift from the Shaw family
SFTS blazed a trail in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) when SFTS alumnus Rev. Dr. John F. Shaw (MDiv, 1954) and Mrs. Julia Shaw endowed the first CPE chair in a theological seminary in 2012. The Shaw name is one with which the entire San Francisco Theological Seminary is very familiar. It adorns the sign in front of the beautifully-restored Shaw Guest House; and denotes the first fully-endowed Chair and Supervisory Education Fellow in the CPE program.
After 20 years as a pastor at several different churches on the west coast, John still felt that he had not truly found his call, and it was through his volunteer work at a local hospital that he discovered his passion for chaplaincy. He noticed how different this form of ministry was to that which he had been performing all his life. After receiving his CPE certification, he then pursued a PhD in pastoral counseling. With the creation of the Shaw Chaplaincy Institute for Spiritual Care + Compassionate Leadership, John describes this as “a dream which was fulfilled.”
Laurie Garrett-Cobbina Realizes Shaw Vision
Garrett-Cobbina, whose endowed chair was first created by a previous Shaw gift, is the visionary behind the newly expanded program. She describes the Shaw Institute as a “school within a school.” She says the Institute embodies the seminary’s commitment to transformative theological education by engaging students in practical spiritual care and service in their communities. “The people of God need skilled, caring professionals who know how to facilitate groups, engage suffering, understand trauma and grief and their complex socio-cultural roots, care for the dying, and bring real transformation and healing to such situations,” she says.
The Shaw Chaplaincy Institute will develop partnerships with healthcare organizations, medical schools, nursing schools, law schools, and social science/social care departments. Garrett-Cobbina envisions continuing education offerings to help nurses, physicians, lawyers, social workers, and chaplains enhance their caregiving skills.
International in Scope
leadership
REV. DR. LAURIE GARRETT-COBBINA
Shaw Chair for CPE, Director of Shaw Chaplaincy Institute
REV. PAUL GAFFNEY
Program Manager of Education, Community Relations and Spiritual Care Services
REV. DR. DONNA ALLEN
Shaw Chaplaincy Institute Adjunct Faculty, ACPE Certified Educator Student
About SFTS
As the only Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) affiliated seminary in the West, San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS) reinvents education for service through unparalleled innovation, rigorous scholarship, and a 150-year tradition of commitment to spirituality and leadership in advancing social justice in classrooms, organizations and communities of faith throughout the world.
We are a welcoming multicultural and interreligious community assembled from our global community. Our degrees in theology combine classroom learning with immersion in practical service, preparing students to bridge theological, cultural, and political divides. Any student who exhibits a commitment to theological inquiry, vocational curiosity and caring service is welcome. Here you will refine your unique gifts to cultivate spiritual advocacy and compassionate leadership in its many forms for your journey in our expansive, ever-changing world.
ABOUT The Graduate Theological Union (GTU)
SFTS embraces the belief that an all-inclusive knowledge of religion is tantamount to becoming an effective and inspired agent of positive change.
In 1962, SFTS joined with neighboring theological schools in founding the Graduate Theological Union (GTU), created with the certainty that the future of religious renewal and theological education depends on the willingness of faith traditions to come together. The GTU is composed of eight seminaries — five Protestant, two Roman Catholic, and one Unitarian Universalist — and 12 affiliates, academic centers, and certificate programs.
Today, the GTU provides a forum for dialogue on social justice issues, encourages programs in emerging fields of theological inquiry, and connects students to a wide and diverse community. Curricula amongst the schools includes the arts, biblical studies, cultural and historical studies, ethics, social theory, religious and science, spirituality, interreligious and interdisciplinary studies.
For more info, please visit the GTU website.
