Written by: United Theological Seminary June 2, 2023

Honoring Pride at United

Welcome to the first day of Pride. With its roots in protest and a collective yearning for justice, Pride is a defiant, joyful resistance against the intersecting oppressions LGBTQ+ people face, and the pursuit of a future wherein all can be free. While nearly 54 years have passed since the Stonewall Riots, targeted rhetoric, policies, and legislation continue to wage harm against LGBTQ+ lives. Trans people and youth, in particular, bear the brunt of this assault.

With 60 years of leading-edge social justice advocacy and scholarship, United offers a way forward for the Church, faith, and society, one wherein true justice—true equity—can be realized in the world. Decades before many faith communities began engaging with the affirmation and inclusion of LGBTQ+ identities, United was critically examining the relationships between sexuality, gender, identity, theology, and art.

The meaning of Pride is enfleshed in the United community.

In observance of this year’s Pride month, we will draw inspiration from the LGBTQ+ voices that constitute our faculty (past and present), staff, trustees, and alums.

From the classroom to the pulpit, the office, state houses, and the home, the heart and meaning of Pride are centered in the life of United. Be sure to follow United on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Twitter for Pride-related content and updates!

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December 17, 2025

Community Relationships Faith

Lauren Busey (’07) Ministers to a New Beloved Community at Pickledilly Skokie

Lauren Busey (’07) grew up in the Lutheran church, earned an undergraduate degree from Luther College, and thought she would probably attend a Lutheran seminary. Then, at a Luther College women’s retreat, Rev. Dr. Christie Cozad Nueger (’80)— Professor Emerita of Pastoral Counseling and Pastoral Theology (1992–2005)—was the featured speaker and knew Lauren’s campus pastor. “So,” Lauren remembers, “we just kind of got to talking, and within a couple of weeks, I was enrolled at United.” United “was a good fit,” Lauren asserts. She found a welcoming community of fellow students and treasured professors. Those who had the greatest impact include Rev. Dr. Jann Cather Weaver (Associate Professor Emerita of Worship, and Theology and the Arts, 2001–2012), Dr. Marilyn Salmon† (Professor Emerita of New Testament Theology, 1989–2014), and Dr. Carolyn Pressler (Professor Emerita of Biblical Interpretation, 1990–2020). (more…)

Images of Hope: Advent in Art

Art has the tremendous power to restore us in a time when our world seems to make no sense and we need a moment of respite and encouragement from our daily struggles. A single photograph of a flower or a laughing child can buoy our spirit to carry on. (more…)

Alex Sánchez Rodriguez Finds Vocational Inspiration at United

Alex Sánchez Rodriguez, who plans to graduate from United in 2026 with an MA in Religion and Theology, was initially drawn to the seminary’s Interreligious Chaplaincy program. Since taking more classes, engaging with his professors, becoming involved in the Student Leadership Collective, and taking on other extracurricular activities, he has settled on a new calling. “I discovered,” Alex shares, “that I have a natural affinity toward academics.” In fact, he admits, “I want to be like my professors.” Before coming to United, Alex was a substitute teacher in Puerto Rico. Since he moved to Minnesota, he has been working in student development and promoting student success. The priority of student success is the throughline, Alex perceives, from his current role and an academic career. “If I am to go into academia,” he explains, “part of my success as a teacher, professor, and researcher depends on the success of my future students.” (more…)