September 15, 2025 [updated October 30, 2025]
by Greg Henson, Kairos University President and CEO
If theological schools hope to foster fresh expressions of theological education, they must be willing to risk openness. If theological schools hope to foster fresh expressions of theological education, they must move beyond passive transparency toward the radical, active, and communal practice of sharing and asking. This practice begins with how the institution stewards the resources God has entrusted to it. It is a deliberate and consistent commitment to making information available to everyone (e.g., staff, faculty, and board) in the same format and at the same time.
In many institutions, information is distributed selectively. Financial statements are shared with one group, enrollment figures with another, and operational updates with a third. These fragmented versions of reality rarely align. When people operate with partial information, it creates confusion, suspicion, and fragmented decision-making. It also fosters a culture where information becomes a tool of control, deepening mistrust and reinforcing power dynamics that divide the community.
To foster trust, we must treat information as a shared resource rather than a guarded privilege. Audited financials, monthly statements, giving reports, enrollment trends, debt totals, endowment figures, and other quantitative data should be shared openly across the community. Everyone should have access to the same data with the same level of detail. That kind of openness may feel radical, but only because educational institutions have long been shaped by habits of selective reporting and competitive governance. It should not be radical to practice active truth-telling.
This practice also extends beyond numbers. We must be open about how the organization allocates its time, attention, and energy (e.g., how capacity is being used, which opportunities are being pursued, and what initiatives are underway). This qualitative information helps the community understand not only how financial resources are being stewarded but also how the institution is stewarding its opportunities and focus.
To make this sustainable, institutions can create a shared dashboard that is updated regularly and accessible to all. Those who have information share it. Those who need information ask for it. This rhythm of open and active communication transforms transparency into a shared discipline of truth-telling that aligns values with lived experience and strengthens trust across the community.
The value of this practice is not found in the data itself but in the alignment and trust it cultivates. When everyone works from the same information, they are more likely to operate from a shared understanding of reality. That shared reality strengthens unity, clarifies priorities, and reinforces a sense of belonging.
Stewarding resources through active truth-telling is not about control. It is about clarity. It is about creating the conditions where honest conversation can happen, where trust can grow, and where decisions are grounded in a common understanding of what is real. It is a way of being open together, even when the data is difficult to see.
In the next post, we will explore the third and final practice for cultivating trustworthy community: developing a resilient community.