Following the pandemic, it was clear that the needs of the BIPACT/SEPTT* community were changing. In December 2022, the board of BIPACT met for a retreat in Connecticut. With the support of a local minister and retreat director, the group spent hours in collective and individual prayer, reflection, discernment, and discussion. The richness of this time led the group to verbalize a new mission and vision, that would still center the community around a core commitment to Christian beliefs and psychoanalytic inquiry. The board felt led to expand the mission to emphasize life-long learning and to systematically focus on long-term sustainability. The richness of this retreat time served as a reminder of gathering together to break bread at the Brookhaven farmhouse in Allentown, PA. Following the shift during the pandemic to emphasize online learning opportunities throughout the analytic community, the board committed to emphasizing the physical importance of in-person opportunities for fellowship, community, and learning.
The new name -Center for Christianity and Psychoanalysis – reflected the action of being pulled together by shared values while embracing the rich diversity of opinion within our group. A visual symbol also emerged – that of new life budding up from a tree trunk. A version of this graphic is found throughout Center materials, along with this short description of the Center for Christianity and Psychoanalysis: Learning in community. Formed in fellowship. Serving together.
