Our History
The Diocesan Church Development Institute has adapted and changed over its 30 years of service in the Episcopal Church. The program began as a diocesan consultant training program, grew to a national program hosted by seminaries, moved to a national workshop for clergy and lay people, and then returned to its diocesan-supported roots.
The original curriculum was designed by Robert A. Gallagher in 1978 for the Diocese of Pennsylvania. He set up a two-year training program to train consultants who would work closely with parishes to develop ministry opportunities. From 1981-1993, the Diocese of Connecticut expanded the program to train both consultants and parish leaders.
The program became available to a national audience when it was hosted by General Theological Seminary (GTS), in New York City, in 1985. It was co-sponsored by the Order of the Ascension, a Benedictine community. During this time, the program was known as Parish Development Institute (PDI). PDI was offered as a professional development opportunity to clergy, church staff and church leaders. GTS hosted the course for 15 years. In 1995, a second PDI was hosted at The School of Theology, University of the South, in Sewanee, Tennessee.
In 1999, the existing collaboration between the two training locations evolved into a formal network of trainers, named Church Development Institute (CDI) Trainers. CDI Trainers was established to promote the program to Episcopal church leadership, and to oversee the development and implementation of future CDI programs. To meet that goal, CDI Trainers adapted the material to a two-year program with two weeks each year. This workshop model made the program accessible to church leaders without a CDI in their home diocese. The workshop was known as CDI-NYC, then CDI-Deer Isle (Maine), then CDI-Seattle, as the location changed. Participants attended a two-week workshop the first year, worked on congregational development projects at home, and then returned for a second two-week workshop the following year. This two-year cycle of learning is still in place today. The national workshops were offered from 1985-2010.
CDI Trainers adapted to a request to design a local, diocesan-hosted program for the Diocese of Southwest Florida in the late 1990s. In this design, clergy and lay people attended together as a parish team, planning for their own parish's unique strengths and opportunities. This model of parish team training gained traction and other dioceses began hosting a CDI program to locally teach congregational development. This diocesan model is independently organized by each bishop's office with the opportunity to address the needs of the diocese and provide training to parishes of all shapes and sizes. The two-year learning cycle is still in place, but broken down into weekend sessions. Parish teams attend four training weekends the first year, work on congregational development projects at their home parish, then return for four more training weekends during the second year. CDI is now or has been offered in the Episcopal dioceses of Atlanta, Colorado, Connecticut, Eastern Michigan, Georgia, Long Island, Milwaukee, Newark, North Carolina, Northern Indiana, Rochester, Southwest Florida, Southwest Virginia, Virginia, Washington, Western Michigan, Western New York, and Western Massachusetts, and to Lutheran dioceses in Colorado and Utah.
In 2011, the administrative network of trainers was renamed the Diocesan Church Development Institute (DCDI). Today, this collaboration of participating dioceses continues to oversee the promotion, development and implementation of future CDI's. It also works to set standards, develop curriculum, maintain continuity and provide professional development opportunities for DCDI trainers.
Although the content of the training program has varied through its lifetime, the course remains grounded in the disciplines of pastoral theology, ecclesiology, congregational studies, organizational behavior, organizational culture, group development and leadership studies.
The original curriculum was designed by Robert A. Gallagher in 1978 for the Diocese of Pennsylvania. He set up a two-year training program to train consultants who would work closely with parishes to develop ministry opportunities. From 1981-1993, the Diocese of Connecticut expanded the program to train both consultants and parish leaders.
The program became available to a national audience when it was hosted by General Theological Seminary (GTS), in New York City, in 1985. It was co-sponsored by the Order of the Ascension, a Benedictine community. During this time, the program was known as Parish Development Institute (PDI). PDI was offered as a professional development opportunity to clergy, church staff and church leaders. GTS hosted the course for 15 years. In 1995, a second PDI was hosted at The School of Theology, University of the South, in Sewanee, Tennessee.
In 1999, the existing collaboration between the two training locations evolved into a formal network of trainers, named Church Development Institute (CDI) Trainers. CDI Trainers was established to promote the program to Episcopal church leadership, and to oversee the development and implementation of future CDI programs. To meet that goal, CDI Trainers adapted the material to a two-year program with two weeks each year. This workshop model made the program accessible to church leaders without a CDI in their home diocese. The workshop was known as CDI-NYC, then CDI-Deer Isle (Maine), then CDI-Seattle, as the location changed. Participants attended a two-week workshop the first year, worked on congregational development projects at home, and then returned for a second two-week workshop the following year. This two-year cycle of learning is still in place today. The national workshops were offered from 1985-2010.
CDI Trainers adapted to a request to design a local, diocesan-hosted program for the Diocese of Southwest Florida in the late 1990s. In this design, clergy and lay people attended together as a parish team, planning for their own parish's unique strengths and opportunities. This model of parish team training gained traction and other dioceses began hosting a CDI program to locally teach congregational development. This diocesan model is independently organized by each bishop's office with the opportunity to address the needs of the diocese and provide training to parishes of all shapes and sizes. The two-year learning cycle is still in place, but broken down into weekend sessions. Parish teams attend four training weekends the first year, work on congregational development projects at their home parish, then return for four more training weekends during the second year. CDI is now or has been offered in the Episcopal dioceses of Atlanta, Colorado, Connecticut, Eastern Michigan, Georgia, Long Island, Milwaukee, Newark, North Carolina, Northern Indiana, Rochester, Southwest Florida, Southwest Virginia, Virginia, Washington, Western Michigan, Western New York, and Western Massachusetts, and to Lutheran dioceses in Colorado and Utah.
In 2011, the administrative network of trainers was renamed the Diocesan Church Development Institute (DCDI). Today, this collaboration of participating dioceses continues to oversee the promotion, development and implementation of future CDI's. It also works to set standards, develop curriculum, maintain continuity and provide professional development opportunities for DCDI trainers.
Although the content of the training program has varied through its lifetime, the course remains grounded in the disciplines of pastoral theology, ecclesiology, congregational studies, organizational behavior, organizational culture, group development and leadership studies.
