CHICAGO, IL (November 3, 2010) – The Center for Spiritual Direction that is operated through North Park Theological Seminary will officially be renamed the C. John Weborg Center for Spiritual Direction at a dinner July 30, 2011. The location of the dinner has yet to be determined.

“We just really wanted to honor John for all the leadership he has given the Covenant in the area of spiritual direction,” says Linda Cannell, academic dean at the seminary. The school operates the center in cooperation with the Department of Ordered Ministry and the Department of Christian Formation.

Nicholas Wolterstorff will deliver the keynote address. He taught philosophy for 30 years at Calvin College and for 13 years at Yale Divinity School, where he is the professor emeritus of philosophical theology.

Claire Kingma Wolterstorff, an Episcopal priest and former spiritual director at Yale Divinity School, will give the commencement address for graduates of the center the following day.

Weborg, the professor emeritus of theology at the school, is considered to be one of the most influential people in the Evangelical Covenant Church. Although he officially retired from the seminary, he has continued to teach courses at the center.

The center was begun as part of a Lilly Endowment’s Sustaining Pastoral Excellence grant.