W E L C O M E
1700 years with Nicaea
Faces of Nicaea
Four Voices Who Shaped the Creed In celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, join us in June for a special Lunch & Learn exploring four real people, leaders, thinkers, and faithful Christians who helped shape the Creed we still say today. These were not just theologians but human beings navigating controversy, empire, and the mystery of God.
June 5th Arius the Priest, who grappled unsuccessfully with the revelation of Christ’s divinity
June 12th Constantine the Emperor, who sought unity and presided over the Council while himself unbaptized June 19th Alexander the Bishop, who debated Arius, one of his own presbyters, and later excommunicated him June 26th Athanasius the Deacon, who, as secretary and successor to Alexander, became the champion of the Nicene faith 
Join us online with The Rev. Canon Dr. Michael Hull, Principal and Pantonian Professor of Divinity at the Scottish Episcopal Institute (Edinburgh).
Four Thursdays in June from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm via Zoom. Lunch & Learn began as a response to a simple question: What if we offered short courses for busy people during lunch? Many local parish adult education programs occur in the evening, which can be difficult for those who prefer to avoid driving at night or want to avoid giving up their evening after a long workday. By scheduling midday, we could cater to those who could easily commute to the school late in the morning and leave before evening traffic. And so, Lunch & Learn was born. JOIN US!
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On Sunday, June 8, we celebrate the Feast Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples of Jesus, empowering them to speak in a myriad of languages to a linguistically diverse crowd gathered in Jerusalem. Fast forward about three hundred years to an assembly (Council) of Christian bishops from around the Mediterranean called together by the Roman emperor to Nicaea in present day Turkey to reach consensus and affirm the Christian faith in the triune God. The result was the Nicene Creed, which we say together as part of our celebrations of the Holy Eucharist. Fast forward again 1700 years to the present day. The Creed we say today has become a symbol of Unity across diverse branches of Christianity. Using the theme “Living the Apostolic Faith Together Today,” The World Council of Churches (WCC) is offering a year of activities to mark the 1700th anniversary of the first Ecumenical Council at Nicaea in 325, a key moment in the history of Christian faith and for the ecumenical journey today. Click on this site for further information: https://www.oikoumene.org/events/nicaea-2025 We at Mercer will celebrate this anniversary through a special Lunch & Learn in June focusing on four key personalities who were present and contributed to the outcome. Look elsewhere on this page for details. Self-Study Course in Episcopal Church Law Polity and Canon Law Update As we revise the Episcopal Church Law course to incorporate changes in our polity and canon law made at the Episcopal Church’s General Conventions in 2022 and 2024, we offer video recordings of our October 2024 lunchtime sessions covering the most significant of these changes. To access the videos, follow this dropdown sequence: EPISCOPAL CHURCH LAW COURSE => LUNCH AND LEARN CANON LAW. No registration or password is required. More information about our School for Ministry program, please click here and reach out to
Director of Academic Programs - Canon Ted Gerbracht [email protected]. 
Mercer Library Hours |
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