McCormick Theological Seminary Brings Trauma Healing to the Forefront of Theological Education

Trauma Healing Initiative conference logos

Trauma Healing Initiative pairs a national conference & public talk with bestseller Cole Arthur Riley, linking scholarship, spiritual practice & community care.

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, October 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As grief, polarization, and burnout challenge communities and the leaders who serve them, McCormick Theological Seminary’s Trauma Healing Initiative is creating opportunities to explore how theological education can help people respond with compassion, resilience, and hope. Two October gatherings—Disrupting Trauma: The Power and Promise of Theological Formation and Healing Forward—will connect learning with lived experience, advancing McCormick’s commitment to education that responds to the realities of today’s world.

Presented in partnership with the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), Disrupting Trauma will take place October 26–28, 2026, in Chicago. The conference brings together theological educators, administrators, students, scholars, and faith leaders from across North America to explore trauma-informed teaching, leadership, and community care. Scholarship, spiritual reflection, and practical learning will help participants strengthen their approaches to formation and ministry.

“Trauma shapes the stories people carry into our classrooms, congregations, and communities,” said Rev. Dr. Stephanie M. Crumpton, director of McCormick’s Trauma Healing Initiative. “Theological education has an opportunity—and a responsibility—to help leaders recognize those realities and respond with care. Through these gatherings, we are asking what becomes possible when healing informs how we teach, how we lead, and how we practice being in community.”

The conference integrates embodied practices alongside its academic sessions, creating space for participants to reflect, reconnect, and attend to their own well-being as they consider the needs of those they serve.

On Sunday, October 25, as a pre-conference lead up, Healing Forward will feature Cole Arthur Riley, the New York Times bestselling author of This Here Flesh and Black Liturgies, in conversation with Crumpton. The free public gathering explores healing as a communal practice, with attention to faith, belonging, leadership, and courageous hope. Designed for people across professions and backgrounds, the event requires no theological training.

“Seminary education comes to life when it meets people where they are and equips them to imagine what can become possible,” said Dr. Maisha Handy, president of McCormick Theological Seminary. “McCormick is committed to innovative, progressive programming that brings rigorous scholarship into conversation with lived experience. The Trauma Healing Initiative embodies that commitment, creating new pathways for learning, deepening partnerships, and preparing leaders to participate in God’s work of healing and transformation.”

Together, these gatherings build on the Trauma Healing Initiative’s broader work to cultivate a compassionate, trauma-informed culture in theological education. Its programming equips pastoral and community leaders to engage personal, collective, historical, and institutional trauma while recognizing the connection between caregivers’ well-being and the health of their communities.

Both events sold out within days of registration opening, underscoring the strong demand for programming that connects theological learning with trauma healing and community care. A recording of Healing Forward will be shared in the weeks following the event, and a resource center dedicated to trauma care and education will be available at disruptingtraumaconference.com, extending access to learning beyond the gatherings.

About McCormick Theological Seminary
Founded in 1829, McCormick Theological Seminary (MTS) is a progressive leader within the Reformed tradition. McCormick is committed to fostering a community of Christian leadership that serves diverse ministries and congregations in a challenging and complex world. Through academic excellence, critical reflection and transforming witness, McCormick uniquely equips excellent church leaders for faithful, inclusive and liberating ministries in God’s world.

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