Written by: United Theological Seminary November 18, 2020

“A Rare and Magical Space”: An Interview with Community Partner Allison Jones

Allison Jones is a community partner and friend of United who has participated in numerous events and programming at the seminary, including Arts Lunch, Social Transformation events, and Queertopia United. She is a long time musician and emerging artist with a passion for social justice, education, and public health. She currently works in the education department at JustUs Health in Saint Paul. I sat down with Allison Jones last Friday Nov. 13 to interview her about her experience being a community partner with United.

Friend of United, Allison Jones

Hi Allison, it’s great to talk with you! To begin how would you describe your relationship to United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities?

AJ: I am the roommate of a United graduate, so that was my introduction to United. I really have no theology back ground or a religious tradition that I actively participate in. But I started going to community events and following their social media presence and found that I care about a lot of the same stuff that United is focusing on. I think of myself as a United community member at large. I come to events like arts lunch, and I’ve found an artist community there. I go to a lot of their public lectures and am kind of a cheer leader for the good work that United is doing.

Awesome! And when you’re not with us at United, what else are you up to?

AJ: I work at JustUs Health, which is a public health agency in the Twin Cities that serves Minnesota. I am in the education department. I am working primarily on curricula for healthcare professionals to help them be more aware of LGBTQ issues and help them serve their LGBTQ patients and clients better, and also make sure that people are updated on the latest information about HIV prevention and treatment. So that’s my dad job.

I am also working on building an artistic practice, with visual arts, and working on trying to make that more of a community thing instead of just something I do in my room. Eventually, hopefully I will be an emerging artist whose work you can actually see somewhere, so stay tuned!

And you also do a lot with music, correct?

AJ: Yes! I am also a lifelong musician. I don’t perform a lot, but I do like to every now and then. I have also been involved in theatre or had theatre in my orbit for much of my life.

125430180_1233473733698835_4797017528635658306_n Allison Jones performing in Rochester, MN, 2019.

So, digging a little deeper, since Covid, you have been a regular participant in United’s Zoom Arts Lunches. Can you talk a little about that?

AJ: Arts Lunch is a weekly meeting for United students, faculty, staff and community members. Each week has a different topic led by a volunteer. Sometimes it’s a look into a specific artist. Sometimes it is making art together. Sometimes it’s like a show and tell or a listening party. It can take a lot of different forms.

Personally, it has helped me loosen up and experiment with different media, for instance I went to a poetry themed one—and I NEVER write poetry—but it got me writing some poems. It exercises parts of my brain that I normally don’t use. It’s obviously an educational experience, and the most important thing about it for me is that I have gotten to meet some really cool people and learn about art that other people are making and have a place to bounce ideas off of people or do a presentation in a low stakes environment.

You mentioned “listening parties,” which I believe is something you introduced to the group. Can you tell us a little more about that?

AJ: Sure! For a listening party, everybody brings a song or a couple of songs of their choice, either based on a theme or something they’ve been vibing on, and we listen to it together. Sometimes there’s a little bit of commentary, but the main point is to really spend time with the music. It stared because I had been listening to a lot more new music or music that is new to me during COVID times as a kind of spiritual or contemplative practice. When I listen to music, it’s like a meditative process. It helps me get out of my own head. So instead of just listening on my own, I thought I’d share the process with a community.

You have a really strong connection to music, both as a listener and as a singer?

AJ: What I like about music is that it conveys things you can’t necessarily convey with words or images. The way I emotionally connect with music is not usually something I can articulate. That is the kind of connection I can see with the divine or spiritual practices. I use music to try and access parts of myself and of the community that transcend words. As a long time choral singer that’s probably the closest I’ve felt to having a religious community and learning about the history of western music born out of Church context. So the choirs that I’ve been in are part of this long tradition of composers trying to make something beautiful enough to convey the majesty of God they were feeling. When I am singing with other people, I can connect to that larger-than-myself kind of feeling. I can see what these super religious dudes way back in the early music days were doing, and I am connecting with them in this experience. And also like Hildegarde of Bingen–not just “dudes”–but some really amazing women, many of whom have probably been lost to history.

125428752_475460160098310_8445892807851944245_n
Influenced by psychedelia, Allison Jones is particularly interested in the artform of make up.

Switching gears a little bit, you are also a participant in United’s queer learning and support group, Queertopia United. How have you found community in this somewhat more academic space?

AJ: Queertopia has been really wonderful! It’s sort of a cross between a book club and a class, and it’s free, and you don’t have to be enrolled in the school. I say all the time, I’m like “grifting” United out of an education, and this is a great example of that. It’s led by alum Max Brumberg-Kraus and current student Stephani Pescitelli. Basically, we meet regularly to talk about queer theory in the context of theology and the kinds of professions United students are going into like chaplaincy or spiritual care. But it’s just a volunteer group of people who all care about this stuff to talk about it.

Why did you get involved with the Queertopia United?

AJ: I graduated undergrad a little over four years ago, and I’d finally gotten the itch to get back into learning, reading, and engaging in theory. And this is a way that feels lower stakes to get into that practice again. We’ve been reading some really amazing seminal queer theory pieces and some that are more explicitly theological. And it’s just been wonderful. I mean we engage with kind of challenging ideas, on one hand taking an academic approach to these texts but there’s also a really big community component. I feel pretty similarly about it as I do about arts lunch, if not even more strongly connected to my Queertopia United comrades, because we get into some pretty personal stuff. In my undergrad, I studied Critical Identity Studies and Sociology, which are both disciplines where people bring a lot of their personal experiences into the classroom. But in undergrad, I never really hit on the same sort of “realness” that we are reaching in Queertopia. We are unearthing–I am unearthing truths about myself and about the world that are so helpful to take into my world even though I am not very religious or a spiritual care provider.

What are you all reading right now?

AJ: Right now, the text I am in the middle of is Time Binds by Elizabeth Freeman. It’s about queer temporality, or the ways that we as humans have structured or kept track of time and how that can uphold heteronormativity or patriarchy as well as capitalism. What’s cool about it and another book we read, Queer Phenomenology by Sarah Ahmed, is that both books are turning the camera onto these really foundational structures of our society: time, in this book, and then, for Sarah Ahmed, physical space. These are things we don’t really think about, things that are just part of regular every day life that we don’t look at, and these thinkers are pointing out how time and space are ushering us into certain life paths. Feeling dissonance with the very world itself doesn’t necessarily mean that you are out of place; it can often mean that the world is, in very fundamental ways, structured in ways so that not everybody is at home in it. Talking about that in the context of queerness with other queer people is really important and special because we can say “Oh, you feel that too!” or “you’re experiencing this too!”

How do you see participation in this group affecting your life outside of United?

AJ: I am sure there are many ways that the things we are reading are going to impact my work very directly, since I am working with LGBTQ populations. However, right now, it’s showing up the most in my personal life by addressing my own emotional turmoil. Something I have been struggling these last few years as a recent and not so recent college graduate is trying to “figure out” my life. I have been trying to follow career paths that I think will give me a certain amount of normalcy in my life, and I have been reaching toward certain goals that more and more I am realizing are not things I actually want but that I am more trying to fit myself into this mold in society. Reading these books has helped me understand why that is not satisfying. It might not immediately be obvious the tie to queerness, but it’s shown me how many of the class signifiers I was reaching for are inextricably tied to signifiers of heterosexuality. For instance, getting married and owning a home are supposed to be markers of success in the same way that having an office 9-5 job, and then the people at the 9-5 job always talk about their heterosexual lives, and they sort of feed into each other. I was just feeling out of place in that system but didn’t have words to express it, because it is something that is so fundamental to living in this world. That’s how I am applying the readings. They’re showing me some of the restrictions that I have placed on me or that the world has placed on me, and they’re starting to give me the kind of tools to lift those restrictions from myself.

Wow, that is really amazing. As you speak about your experience with the readings, I am thinking about the United student body. Many students come from all these different backgrounds having felt a call to a fairly non-traditional line of work. Many students are changing their careers or are pursuing innovative work in the arts or social justice in ways that also don’t necessarily follow traditional or “normal” paths.

AJ: Totally. One of the most important things I’ve found in the United community are just the people who go there or who are staff and faculty, who come from all these different walks of life and different ages. It’s a very multigenerational student body, which is not something I was used to coming first from college and then AmeriCorps with a bunch of other “young professionals.” I found so much value in getting to know people who are taking less traditional life paths. And realizing you can be 50, 60, 70 and decide to change your career. Just meeting people who are really going for it and deciding to do something in their life that they really care about is really exciting. And it’s not just meeting one person who is doing that but having a whole community of people in that space is really rare and magical.

125941045_177338877359121_4221870256091432623_n

Any final thoughts?

AJ: Just this. I grew up in an atheist context, and I was suspicious of religion in general. I have later realized that when I would speak of religion I was really speaking about Christianity. So I had this suspicion of religiously, and especially Christian, affiliated spaces. This is to say, United is not the sort of space I would normally just stumble across. But I was very pleasantly surprised to see that when I would go to a lecture or something like that, the audience had a lot of people like me in it. AND there were a lot of people who were not like me who came from all kinds of different religious traditions. I’ve learned you can get a lot out of considering theological questions, whether or not you would normally frame things that way. These sorts of questions offer so much more than just “talking about God,” because when we talk about God, we are talking about the world as well. So United has given me an additional framework and tool to think about really big questions that before I joined the United community I shied away from. These questions have enriched my work and life and emotional wellbeing. On top of that, everyone has welcomed me into this community. It doesn’t matter to anybody, except me in my early days being at United, that I am not enrolled as a student. United is a place that is really enthusiastic about welcoming community members and neighbors into the fold. When they put on events, it’s a way to stay connected and engaged with really important questions and social justice causes and to enrich your understanding of the community that you are in and meet problems we are all facing.

Interested in joining the United Community?
{{cta(‘ff044dbe-f8c3-4d68-a315-229ed9c59a29’)}}

Explore More Articles

July 16, 2026

Announcements News Releases President

Rev. Dr. Molly T. Marshall to Retire in 2027 Following Six Exemplary Years as President

Her Vision and Leadership Have Transformed United Following six historic and transformative years as President of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, Rev. Dr. Molly T. Marshall will retire on June 30, 2027, upon completion of the seminary’s 65th academic year. President Marshall secured United’s financial standing, advanced institutional objectives toward long-term sustainability, and catalyzed historic growth in institutional fundraising and student enrollment. Rev. Dr. Marshall assumed her role as Interim President in March 2021 following thorough vetting by a search committee and the Board of Trustees’ unanimous vote. Having served in theological education for more than 40 years, her reputation preceded her. She made headlines as the first woman appointed to the School of Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention. Ordained as a Southern Baptist, she later received the privilege of call by the American Baptist Church. In 1997, she joined the faculty of Central Baptist Theological Seminary as professor of Theology and Spiritual Formation, thereafter stabilizing and revitalizing the school as President from 2004 to 2020, becoming the first woman ever to lead a Baptist seminary or divinity school. President Marshall’s respect and renown culminated in her executive report on effective seminary leadership, written for The Association of Theological Schools (ATS) before she arrived at United. Her experiences as a congregational minister, feminist theologian, prodigious academician, and her achievements as an administrator in theological education augured well for the seminary’s future in her care. Less than a year later, her position was made permanent, formally making her United’s tenth president, and, desiring to honor United's legacy, she pursued and received clergy standing with the MN United Church of Christ. United trustees outlined a set of priorities at the beginning of President Marshall’s tenure, on which she began immediate work. She invested much of her first several months in office in forming connections with alums, donors, and faculty. She concentrated her relational acumen on Advancement, and donors responded enthusiastically. In September 2021, United announced the Johnson-Fry Chair in World Religions and Intercultural Studies, endowed by Rev. Dr. Andrea Johnson (’17, ’23) and David Fry. Cultivating “respect for the lived religion of others,” as President Marshall often asserts, is a pillar of her scholarship and the seminary’s academic ethos. The Sophia Chair in Religious and Theological Studies, funded by a generous gift from Dr. Mary Farrell Bednarowski—Professor Emerita of Religious Studies (1976–2004)—and her husband and former trustee, Keith Bednarowski, followed in 2024. Finally, in 2025, a cadre of friends, alums, and former faculty established the Wilson Yates Chair in Theology and the Arts. These chairs, paired with substantial growth in endowed scholarships, feature prominently in President Marshall’s legacy and will endure as a witness to her faithful stewardship of alum and donor relations. Rev. Dr. Cindi Beth Johnson, Vice President for Advancement, reflects, “President Marshall’s enthusiasm, attention, and engagement with our donors have been important components of her leadership. She has honored our alums and delighted in our students. Molly has valued United’s history even as she has led us into new ways of being. She has built a culture that reflects her dedication, vision, and generosity. She has been a bright light in the broader community, embodying her passion for and dedication to United. Molly arrived with both expertise and heart, and she has shared them generously. She leaves a lasting imprint, and we are better for that. On a personal note, it has been a great gift to be her colleague.” Historic enrollment has been a fixture of President Marshall’s tenure. Between fall 2020 and fall 2025, degree-seeking student enrollment grew 57 percent, with the seminary welcoming its largest incoming class of degree-seeking students ever in fall 2025. In a climate where many theological schools have experienced stable or declining enrollment, United has surged. The Association of Theological Schools (ATS), one of the seminary’s two accrediting bodies, named United in its 2023 Holiday Colloquy Online issue as one of only 18 ATS-accredited seminaries to have demonstrated “steady year-over-year growth during the past five years.” President Marshall has positioned United as a leader in progressive theological education and a model for historically Mainline Christian schools. Commenting on what makes the seminary unique, President Marshall astutely noted United’s “desirable curriculum that emphasizes social transformation, theology and the arts, interreligious engagement, and public theology” and the intentional welcome of “students with myriad religious, spiritual, and theological leanings.” She sharpened and raised the seminary’s prophetic voice, believing that progressive theological education exists to serve the common good. From considerable growth in the Interreligious Chaplaincy program to the establishment of the Sims Scholars Initiative, she has expanded the student body’s depth and breadth. Under President Marshall’s fastidious leadership, United completed a Five-Year Strategic Plan in 2026. David S. Anderson, former Chair of the Board of Trustees (2020–2026), witnessed firsthand President Marshall’s effective management of United’s revitalization and her manifold accomplishments in office. On his close friend and colleague, David writes, “In her writings, President Marshall, Molly to me, once observed, ‘. . . following the Spirit will require of all of us faith—all the guidance we usually get is enough to take the next uncertain step.’ United, in late 2020, was indeed in a state of uncertainty, and President Marshall’s emergence as its next president must be seen as a revelation of the Spirit. She has led United to a platform of stability from which it will move forward with confidence, heeding the Spirit toward an uncertain, as human endeavors are, but bright and sustainable future.” Dr. Kyle Roberts, Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs, shared the news of President Marshall’s retirement with students this morning. With profound gratitude for her enrichment of the seminary’s faculty and scholarship, he remarked, “President Marshall has been just the leader this seminary needed to reclaim its vision, its vibrancy, and its voice in theological education. She has led a process of internal healing and of increasing external influence. She has been a champion of rigorous but applied theological education for spiritual leadership, supporting and encouraging the faculty in their teaching and the staff in their work. United,” he affirmed, “will always be indebted to her years of service and to her passion and care in moving the seminary to its next stage. United is, once again, a leading voice in progressive seminary education in large part because of President Marshall.” Rev. Dr. Dianne Oliver, Chair of the Board of Trustees, celebrates President Marshall’s transformative tenure and looks toward a bright future ahead. She affirms, “President Marshall’s impact on United is really extraordinary, and she will leave a profound legacy at the institution. Clearly, she has been successful in the ways often highlighted for an outstanding President—record enrollment, expanded academic programs, and financial stability, building a strong foundation for the next steps on United’s journey. Add to these leadership successes Molly’s theological acumen and prophetic voice in challenging times, and it is easy to see the scope of her leadership. Just as importantly, though, Molly has helped create a deep sense of community among the faculty, staff, students, trustees, and the broader community who support the work of United. Her leadership and accomplishments ensure United will keep living into the fullness of its mission and vision as the context for theological education continues to evolve.” Reflecting on her service to the seminary, President Marshall writes, “Serving as United’s President has been a joyful pursuit over these past several years as I have lived into the storied history of this good seminary. I have been invited into a theologically expansive landscape where courageous learning and creative ministries have renewed my own vocation in theological education.” She continues, “Faculty, staff, students, board members, donors, and friends have welcomed me to help craft this chapter of our shared mission. I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to serve as United’s tenth president. (Don’t say goodbye to me yet; there’s still work to be done!)” A Presidential Search Committee, comprised of trustees and representatives from the student body, alums, faculty, and staff, has been engaged in faithful preparation ahead of the public search for President Marshall’s successor. The seminary will share details about this process in the days ahead. Friends and colleagues from throughout President Marshall’s career were invited to submit reflections in her honor. These have been published on our announcement page. United eagerly anticipates celebrating President Marshall and her myriad contributions to the life of the seminary community during special events in spring 2027. Details will be made available in the months ahead. Strengthened and invigorated by President Marshall’s faithful leadership over these six years, United enters its 65th year of progressive theological education, steadfast in its mission: preparing innovative and compassionate leaders for the equipping of churches, other faith communities, and society toward justice and peace. Honoring President Marshall In celebration of President Marshall's tenure, a webpage featuring images, reflections by friends and colleagues, and opportunities to honor her achievements is now available. Visit the link below to learn more. Learn More About United Founded by the United Church of Christ (UCC) as a welcoming, ecumenical school that embraces all denominations and faith traditions, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities has been on the creative edge of progressive theological thought and leadership since it was established in 1962. Today, United continues to educate leaders who, through the eyes of faith, engage in the dismantling of systems of oppression, exploring multi-faith spirituality, and pushing the boundaries of knowledge. Media Contact Nathanial Green (he/him) Director of Marketing and Communications press@unitedseminary.edu • 651.255.6138

St. Mark’s UCC Gifts an Endowed Scholarship to United

United graduates have an impact on United in countless ways. President Molly T. Marshall notes that they are, in fact, our letters of recommendation. They embody the educational experience they had at United in the work they pursue, in how they live out their faith traditions, and in the impact they have in the world. We see this in myriad ways. There is the alum who is a recurring donor and the alum who creates a legacy gift to support future students. There is the alum who introduces President Marshall to a new donor. And there is the alum who sees another person’s interest in theological education and encourages them to pursue a degree at United. Recently, we have seen up close the impact of the work of Rev. Jennifer Jaimez (’98). Jennifer’s first call was to St. Mark’s UCC in Bloomington, Minnesota, which was founded in 1954. Jennifer served at St. Mark’s for 28 years and, like other pastors, she had a significant influence on members and the broader community. St. Mark’s also had an impact on United. During Jennifer’s ministry, eight students from United completed nine-month internships at St. Mark’s. As interns, these students were part of a learning community that helped them hone skills in teaching, preaching, counseling, and administration. The congregation, along with Jennifer, mentored and encouraged them. They have all gone on to do a multitude of things: serving in nonprofits, rural churches, city churches, and more. St. Mark’s investment in United students had a significant impact. As for many congregations, the pandemic was difficult for St. Mark’s. Three years ago, they made the painful decision to complete their ministry and intentionally repurpose their assets while it was still their choice. In addition to supporting the Minnesota Conference UCC and the Bloomington Housing and Redevelopment Authority, they made a significant gift to United. A relationship that began with mentoring interns grew into a newly endowed UCC scholarship. The St. Mark’s endowed scholarship will provide financial support for UCC students who wish to attend seminary. This gift creates an enduring legacy for St. Mark’s and will provide support for future students. As the gift was announced, their moderator, Cindy Russell, said, “This gift will defray the cost of seminary education. Support for future leaders of the church remains important as the church continues to evolve into new ways of being the church.” This spring, we have been blessed to establish several new endowed scholarships in addition to the one from St. Mark’s. Estate gifts from Joanne* (’82) and Thomas* Rohrict, and Elden* (Yankon, ’55) and Norma* Zuern have created a lasting legacy and investment in United. A recent gift from George (Mission House, ’55) and Joyce Schowalter will allow them to see, while they are living, the impact of scholarship support. Currently, 57 percent of scholarships are covered by generous gifts and endowed scholarships. The other 43 percent is paid out of United’s annual budget. Each scholarship gift, each new endowed scholarship, or gift to an already endowed scholarship, helps us expand offerings to our students. We don’t want financial limitations to become a barrier for students who feel called to attend United. Your scholarship gifts supported Jennifer while she was a student. Her experience at United, along with the skills she has learned along the way, helped her shepherd St. Mark’s for more than two decades and through the difficult decision to complete their ministry. Your gifts to United continue to make this happen. We give thanks for the lasting legacies created by these and many other faithful donors. __________________________ * Deceased

Alum Rev. Todd Lippert (’03): Living a Public Ministry

As Rev. Todd Lippert was growing up, his life was dominated by two constants: music and church. Both of his parents were music teachers. His dad was the high school choir director, and his mom was the elementary school music teacher. Though his family had been Baptist for generations, they ended up attending a United Church of Christ (UCC) church where his mom was hired to play the organ. It was also much closer to home than the nearest Baptist church. “I always took Christian faith very seriously,” Todd asserts. “The church was a sacred and holy place to me.” In seventh grade, Todd remembers talking to his father. “I was at the bottom of the stairs talking to my dad at the top of the stairs. And that was when I said for the first time, ‘I wonder if I might want to be a pastor someday.’” But, Todd adds, “the idea was really terrifying to me,” so he put it out of his mind. At the University of Iowa, he pursued a music degree. During a philosophy class toward the end of college, a professed atheist professor began asking some of the same questions about faith that Todd was confronting. “I was wrestling with whether I was a Christian or not.” Deciding on Seminary The turning point came one Sunday morning after graduation when Todd and his wife were at church. At the time, he was selling Yellow Pages ads and contemplating an MBA. “I hated it,” Todd confesses. “I was miserable.” Watching the preacher at First United Methodist Church in Iowa City, he thought, “Maybe I could do that, and maybe I need to pay attention to this call to ministry that keeps bubbling up.” United was the first UCC seminary that came up on the computer, and when Todd visited, “it felt like home for me as soon as I arrived.” Since his wife was doing graduate work at the University of Minnesota, they moved to the Twin Cities. “At United,” Todd recalls, “I had the space to figure out how Christianity was meaningful and how this faith fit together for me.” Professors who welcomed and encouraged his questions were key to his faith formation, and the “liberation theology that moved through the curriculum, with its focus on justice, was extremely appealing to me.” Todd was also inspired by his classmates. “I saw the student body deeply engaged in the political and social questions of the day.” At United from 2000 to 2003, Todd experienced the Bush v. Gore lawsuit, 9/11 terror attacks, Minnesota senator Paul Wellstone’s tragic death, and the Iraq war launch as he was earning his MDiv. Public Theology Justice-seeking activism, Todd asserts, “really cemented my understanding that the body of Christ is about bringing the realm of God into being wherever it is. And that was something that would have to make my life better and make my community better.” Since graduating, Todd has worked as a UCC pastor, a Minnesota state legislator (2018–2022), a community organizer with ISAIAH, and a community minister with Creekside Church. The clergy organizing work during Operation Metro Surge was especially impactful and reconnected him with United. Todd went through “nonviolent direct action training with Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock, one of the authors I read.” He also worked with Rev. Dr. Carolyn Pressler, his former Hebrew scripture professor. United, notes Todd, equipped him “to be able to understand what is going on in our world, and in our communities, and I had the tools to get better and better at that, reading the present through a biblical and theological lens.” He is extraordinarily proud of the way the church showed up in Minnesota and grateful for United. “I really want,” Todd concludes, “the love-your-neighbor values of the church to be a force in our public life, not an afterthought. I want it to be a force in our political life.”