Iona Collaborative

Wow—thank you for extending such grace, kindness, and especially patience as we opened registration for our Fall 2026 Continuing Education today with a new system! We’ve worked through most of the hiccups and are still smoothing out a few details. We’re so grateful for you and your understanding.

If you need assistance, please reach out to Katherine or Aneya.
iona.ssw.edu

Welcome the Rev. Ruthanna B. Hooke, PhD, as the Seminary of the Southwest 10th dean and president!

Seminary of the Southwest elects the Rev. Ruthanna Hooke, PhD, as 10th dean and president - Seminary of the Southwest The Board of Trustees of Seminary of the Southwest has elected the Rev. Ruthanna B. Hooke, PhD, as the seminary’s 10th dean and president.

Registration is OPEN for our Fall 2026 Continuing Education courses!

We’re thrilled to welcome new instructor voices alongside returning favorites whose courses continue to inspire, equip, and nurture those serving the Church.

Explore the courses and register today: https://iona.ssw.edu/continuing-education/

A few reminders:

• $25 registration fee for participants from Iona Collaborative member dioceses
• $100 registration fee for participants from non-member dioceses
• Registration fees are nonrefundable

Not sure whether your diocese is a member of the Iona Collaborative? Visit our website to confirm.

We can’t wait to gather with you this fall!
iona.ssw.edu

Registration for our Fall 2026 courses opens tomorrow—Tuesday, August 4!

You’ll find registration details in our newsletter, Gather Iona, and on the Iona Collaborative website.

We are looking forward to a new season of gathering and to the rich conversations that will grow from our time together. Our hope is that, together, we will create spaces for connection, learning, nurturing, discerning, and imagining what may be possible in our lives, ministries, and congregations.

We hope you’ll gather with us this fall.

Fall 2026 registration may look a little different for those who have taken an Iona course before!

Our team has been working diligently to prepare a new registration system designed to help us better support our participants. We have tested and troubleshot the process carefully, but we also know we cannot anticipate every possible scenario.

As registration opens, we ask for your patience and grace while we smooth out any unexpected kinks. If you experience difficulty registering, please reach out to Katherine Buzzini. As she has in past semesters, Katherine is ready to help shepherd participants through the registration process.

Thank you for learning—and growing—with us as we make this transition!

Registration opens Tuesday, August 4!

What are you hungry for?

In ministry, our energy often flows toward what needs our attention next.

But what if we paused to ask a different question?

What is your soul hungry for?

Perhaps this fall is an invitation to deepen your understanding of Scripture, practice discernment, strengthen your leadership, or find companions for the journey.

Registration opens Tuesday, August 4.

Earlier this summer, small church leaders, diocesan staff, and representatives from diocesan schools of formation across the Iona network gathered in the Piney Woods of Texas at beautiful Camp Allen for the 2026 Iona Collaborative Annual Retreat and Deans’ Meeting. Participants traveled from as far away as Hawaiʻi and as close as Texas for a week of learning, reflection, fellowship, and renewal.

Read more about the Annual Retreat and in-person Deans' Meeting here: https://iona.ssw.edu/formation-fellowship-and-renewal-the-2026-iona-collaborative-annual-retreat-deans-meeting/

The latest issue of Small Church Voices is out now! During this season of green, growing, Ordinary Time, we're grateful for the opportunity to reflect on a season of learning, connection, and renewal.

In this issue, you'll find highlights from our 2026 Annual Retreat and Deans' Meeting at Camp Allen, where leaders from across the Iona network gathered to worship, learn, and encourage one another in ministry. You'll also get a look at our Fall 2026 Continuing Education lineup, with registration opening August 4, and discover a new self-guided Sabbath resource designed to support you in ministry and in life.

We hope these stories and opportunities encourage you and remind you that you are part of a vibrant community of small church leaders learning and growing together.

Read more here:

Small Church Voices Newsletter Email from Seminary of the Southwest For Leaders of Small and Rural Churches Small Church Voices Newsletter From the Iona Collaborative During this season of green, growing, Ordinary Time, we're grate

Welcome to everyone who has joined us recently! We're so glad you're here.

If you're new to the Iona Collaborative, here's a little about who we are.

The Iona Collaborative at Seminary of the Southwest exists to help local leaders and small congregations thrive. We believe that faithful, life-giving ministry doesn't depend on the size of a church—it grows through thoughtful formation, meaningful community, and ongoing learning.

Here's what you'll find at Iona:

• A Network of Local Schools of Formation that equip dioceses to form priests, deacons, and lay leaders within their own communities through adaptable curriculum and ongoing support.

• Continuing Education for priests, deacons, and lay leaders through accessible online courses led by experienced practitioners.

• The Certificate in Congregational Spiritual Direction, helping leaders cultivate deeper practices of awareness, reflection and discernment within congregational life.

• A growing resource library of asynchronous courses, videos, podcasts, and spiritual formation resources that you can access wherever—and whenever—you learn best.

• Retreats, conversations, and resources created especially for those serving in small and bivocational congregations.

Today, the Iona Collaborative serves more than 30 Episcopal dioceses across the United States, along with global partners, all with a shared commitment to forming leaders for the church as it is today—and as it is becoming.

Whether you're discerning a call to ministry, serving in a congregation, supporting a diocesan school of formation, or simply looking to deepen your own spiritual life, we're grateful you're here.

Returning Instructors: The Rev. Jane Patterson, Ph.D. & The Rev. John Lewis, D.Phil.

Some practices don't simply teach us something new—they change the way we live.

We're delighted to welcome back Jane Patterson and John Lewis, longtime Iona instructors who have been part of our Continuing Education program since its earliest years. This fall, they'll once again lead Christian Discernment: Life in Full Color, a course they've guided through Iona for the third time.

Together, Jane and John introduce a formative practice of Christian discernment that they have cultivated for more than 25 years. Through Scripture, prayer, and shared reflection, participants learn to recognize God's presence in the ordinary events, challenges, and joys of everyday life.

Over time, this practice helps participants weave together faith and daily living in ways that feel natural, practical, and life-giving.

Whether you're seeking deeper personal discernment or hoping to accompany others with greater wisdom and faithfulness, this course offers a steady rhythm of reflection that continues long after the final session.

Life in Full Color is open to students taking this course for the first time. If you have previously taken this course and would like to continue, please contact Aneya Elbert.

Tuesdays | 4:00–5:15 p.m. CT
September 8 – November 10
Registration opens on Tuesday, August 4.