Updated Announcement about the 2020-2021 Year

On July 18, 2020, the BKSM Board of Directors unanimously voted to keep our campus closed through at least January 2021 in response to the ongoing pandemic.

If Covid conditions improve enough so that we are able to meet safely face-to-face after January, we will notify all enrolled students about that option as soon as the decision is made.

We use Zoom for course instruction during focus weekends, with a modified schedule to help reduce Zoom fatigue. The online focus weekend schedule  is available here.

In addition to instruction time, the community continues to worship and pray together throughout the focus weekend.

Colloquium groups meet once a month at a time determined by the facilitator and students.

Praxis sessions (discussions of practical ministry issues) take place on one Tuesday evening of every month from 7:00-8:30 pm.  Anyone interested may join these sessions; they are not restricted to current students. Recordings are available here.

Conversation & Compline with the Dean meets on most other Tuesdays from 7:00-8:00 as a means to connect and support one another in community during this unique time and to hear from other voices.  The upcoming schedule and select recordings are available here.
Important Dates
  • Now: Receiving applications for Jim Upton Scholarship
  • Now:  Order BKSM merchandise from our online apparel shop
  • Now:   Register for classes
  • Every Tuesday, 7:00 pm: Praxis or Conversation & Compline

  • October 12: November courses begin
  • October 31: September grades due
  • November 13: Oct. assignments due
  • November 14-15: November Online Focus Weekend
  • November 16: Dec. classes begin
  • November 30: October grades due
  • December 11: Nov. assignments due
  • December 12-13: December Online Focus Weekend
  • December 14: January courses begin
  • December 31: November grades due
  • January: Biblical Hebrew begins (year-long program)
  • January: Biblical Greek begins (year-long program)
  • January 8: December assignments due
  • January 9-10: January classes meet
  • January 11: February classes begin
  • February 12: January assignments due
  • February 13-14:  Feb. classes meet
  • February 15: March classes begin
  • February 28: January grades due
  • March 12: February assignments due
  • March 13-14: March focus weekend
  • March 15: April classes begin

Why Consider the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry?

  • Find a program of study that is right for you, whether you are on the path to ordained ministry, seeking education for a licensed lay ministry, taking a class or two for personal enrichment, or needing coursework for continuing education
  • Benefit from courses designed to prepare you for mission and ministry.
  • Balance your work, family and personal life with classes that meet face-to-face in Topeka one weekend a month (online until further notice).
  • Be enriched and strengthened by a faithful community of students, faculty and staff, dedicated to sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with the world.
  • Form lasting relationships with students who live in the region, providing you the opportunity for a lifelong network of peers in ministry.
  • Get to know the Episcopal Church better. You will study, worship and socialize alongside students living in four dioceses across three states, who come from a wide variety of parish ministry environments – large and small, urban and rural, “high church” and low.
  • Get to know the broader church better.  BKSM welcomes students from a variety of other Christian denominations, which adds richness and diversity to our student body.
  •  Learn from remarkable faculty who live and work in Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri, many of whom have PhD’s or equivalent in their field of study and all of whom are deeply committed to the life of the church.
  • Benefit from taking classes with students who bring a wealth of professional and personal experiences to classes and to their ministries.
  • Put ideas into practice as you go. Because this is a weekend-in-residence program, you can put new ideas, skills and training into place right away as you continue to serve in your local church.

What is the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry?

The Bishop Kemper School for Ministry (BKSM), located in Topeka, Kansas, is a unique collaborative venture of the Episcopal Dioceses of Kansas, Nebraska, West Missouri and Western Kansas. 

BKSM was founded in 2013 in order to pool financial and human resources to best support leadership formation within the four dioceses and to strengthen bonds of community and mutual mission.

The Bishop Kemper School for Ministry uniquely forms priests, deacons, and lay ministers together, fostering shared team ministry that honors and values the gifts and callings of all.

Learn More

We invite you to explore the website to learn more about the programs of study, how classes are structured, cost information and more. If you have any questions, feel free to complete the contact form online or contact the Very Rev. Dr. Don Compier, BKSM dean, at bksmdean2@gmail.com or (816) 217-4053.