When I graduated from Yale Divinity School I was called to a little church in a community of 1,200 people in northwest Indiana. As a suburban Connecticut boy, it was a cross-cultural immersion for which YDS did not prepare me. They were very forgiving and I learned gradually, but I'm not sure I was ever fluent in small-town agricultural culture. I did learn about soybeans.
While I think it is legitimate to say there is an "American culture" largely nurtured by media and social media (largely centered around consumerism, sports and entertainment), it is probably more legitimate to talk about multiple sub-cultures. If under "New day dawning" we are seeking graduates who are "culturally fluent" in the culture in which they will minister, then educating folks in place (rather than for culture in general) makes all the sense in the world. So ..... we should lean into distance education not just for market but for ministerial effectiveness.
Inasmuch as finances are driving more and more congregations away from "called and installed" pastors, this means leaning into CEP. But it also means expanding our denominational base so congregations inside and outside our traditional PC(USA) and UM constituencies can see a way to raise up M.A. or M.Div. educated pastors. As denominations fragment we need to meet congregations and candidates where they are. This probably means listening carefully to these constituencies and adjusting offerings to respond to particular needs of different denominations or different constituencies within denominations. Which is to say, we need to become ecclesiastically fluent.