Inter/Met

The term stands for Inter-faith Metropolitan Theological Education, Inc. This experiment in theological education was conceived by John Caldwell Fletcher, an Episcopal priest and associate professor of church and society at Virginia Theological Seminary. Inter/Met began its pilot year in 1970-1971. Fletcher served as director. Inter/Met's vision was that the best place to learn pastoral ministry was in the place of ministry, that is, the churches, and not in the cloister of a seminary. It stressed residentiary theological education, but resident in the place of ministry. Fletcher served as director from 1970 until 1977, and was assisted in his work by the Rev. Tilden Hampton Edwards III, director of the Washington Metropolitan Ecumenical Training Center. It ceased to exist on June 30, 1977, because of lack of funding.