Mercer End of Year Celebration! 

LUNCH & LEARN FOR BUSY PEOPLE
Lunch & learn began as the response to a question:  What if we offered short courses for busy people around the time of the lunch hour? Local parish adult education offerings often take place in the evening.  Some people prefer not to drive at night or give up their evening at the end of a workday.  If we kept to a midday schedule, that might attract those who could commute to the school late in the morning and leave before evening rush hour.  And so “Lunch & Learn” was born.  

Our first short course was during Eastertide 2018.  We presented a five-part course on the history of our Episcopal tradition as our diocese approached the celebration of its 150th anniversary.  Since then, we have offered courses covering a variety of topics, including “The Story of the Hymnal,” “Viewing Paul through a Detective’s Lens,” “Hidden Jewels in the Book of Common Prayer,” and other scriptural, pastoral, and liturgical subjects. Our original schedule included a bag lunch and took place immediately after the daily midday Eucharist at the Cathedral.

Our move to an online lunch & Learn via Zoom in spring 2020 offered a more convenient venue for those working either at home or in the office. It also allowed us to increase our offerings.  As the program has evolved, our enrollments have climbed, and the variety of topics increased. Since 2020 more than thirty short courses have been offered, with an average of 20-30 participants in each session.  Courses are usually offered once monthly on three or four consecutive Thursdays.  Each session meets exactly from 12 noon to 1 p.m. via Zoom.  
 

Our online catalog is up

​Registration is open!

HOW TO REGISTER FOR CLASSES  
Click on the cover of the new Catalog pictured in the upper right-hand corner of this page. Then, find your course and click the link "REGISTER HERE." 

Follow the instructions for online registration. The online system should send a confirmation to your email address.
You will find courses from our full three-year fall-winter schedule described in our online catalog, which can be accessed by clicking on the image of the catalog front page on the upper right of the Mercer School home page. 

Still online? Yes.  We will continue to offer both our online core curriculum and program and our popular Lunch and Learn sessions on Zoom through June 2025.

Focus.  We will stay laser-focused on our academic program supporting the formation of deacons for the Church while providing opportunities for clergy and laity to engage in the study of scripture, theology, church history, liturgy, and other churchy topics along with our ordination track students.  There is no charge, and full participation in courses is encouraged. 

Courses.  In fall-winter 2024-5, we will teach all nine courses in the full three-year program for the first time since 2020.  But there are some changes.  The first-year courses in liturgy (LT1) and church history (CH1) have been revised and will be taught by two of our new faculty members.  The second-year New Testament Gospel of John course (NT2) has also been revised. New courses in Old Testament and Christian Ethics will be offered.
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Faculty.  Any school is as good as its faculty.  Most of our faculty have earned doctorates or other advanced academic degrees in their fields.  Last year, we added three new, experienced scripture teachers. For the upcoming academic year, we welcome Dr. Laura Nelson (philosophy and ethics), The Rev. Dr. Clair McPherson (church history), and The Rev. Jenn Pilat (liturgics) to the team.  Their biographies are posted on the school website at:
https://www.mercerschool.org/instructors.html

Self-Study Course in Episcopal Church Law

We are excited to announce the Episcopal Church Law Self-Study Course.  In a web-based multimedia format, you will be introduced to the structures and laws (canons) which make up the unique “polity” of the Episcopal Church.  

In addition, we will consider the intersection of “church law,” as described in the constitutions and canons of the General Convention and the Diocese of Long Island, with the varieties of secular law. 

This new format allows you to take the course at your own pace on your own schedule.  This course is designed for clergy and lay leaders.

Registration is required and is now open!

More information about our School for Ministry program, please click here and contact Director of Academic Programs - Canon Ted Gerbracht [email protected]. ​

Mercer Library Hours


Tuesday and Wednesday 10am - 3pm
Saturday by Appt Only

Contact [email protected]

Welcome to Mercer!

The Very Rev. Dr. Michael Sniffen
Dean
[email protected]
Diane Muscarella
Director of Operations
[email protected]
Canon Ted Gerbracht
Director of Academic Programs
​School for Ministry
[email protected]
Aissa Hillebrand
Assistant Director of Operations
[email protected]
Jane Herbst
Librarian
[email protected]
The George Mercer, Jr. Memorial School of Theology
Episcopal Diocese of Long Island
65 Fourth Street, Garden City, NY 11530 • 516 248-4800 Ext 140
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