Austin Seminary is a new home for Progressive Youth Ministry
About Austin Seminary
What does living the faith look like today? How can we engage the world as it is and as it is becoming? As the answers and questions shift, one thing remains clear: the world needs adaptable, imaginative Christian leaders to help heal our fractured communities and lead faith into the future.
Austin Seminary offers a safe, loving, and creative space to answer God’s call. We are a creative academic community grounded in the Reformed (Presbyterian) tradition that welcomes individuals of diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and traditions, creating an environment of openness that permeates learning and life on campus.
Austin Seminary is a place for curious, sincere learners who are seeking to serve the world through Christian ministry or service. Here, students of diverse Christian traditions are encouraged and supported by a family of esteemed faculty as they seek to connect with their calling, their colleagues, and their communities; seek to challenge their expectations, their abilities, and their comfort zones; and seek to change systems and societies as learners and leaders.
What We’re All About
Progressive Youth Ministry seeks to be the dynamic heart of connection and collaboration for youth workers seeking to lead young people into a faith that's compassionate, just, and inclusive in the ways of Jesus. We are committed to fostering a diverse, loving, eclectic, inclusive, and collaborative community that empowers those who work with children, adolescents, and emerging adults to discover other kindred spirits, unearth invaluable resources, forge partnerships with a tapestry of progressive organizations, tap into unwavering support from the PYM community, gain valuable education and training, and infuse new life into their own work and calling.
The History of Progressive Youth Ministry
Two friends and veteran youth pastors, John Vest and Tony Jones, were complaining to one another about how there did not exist a gathering for youth workers that was unapologetically progressive. So they decided to do something about it, and in 2014 they launched the Progressive Youth Ministry Conference.
For two years, PYM was held at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, then in 2016 at Cathedral of Hope in Dallas, and then for two years at Montreat Conference Center near Asheville, North Carolina. After each conference, PYMers could not wait to attend the next one.
Then there was a pandemic. Incredibly, PYM continued to grow while conferences were put on hold, but through a Facebook Group boasting over 3,500 members.
In 2023, the PYM community found a new home with Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. An online conference in being planned for February 2024 (dates to be announced soon), and an in-person conference is slated for November 7-9, 2024 in Austin, Texas.