Academics

June 14, 2024
Academics Announcements

Meet the Sims Scholars’ Advisory Committee

Announced in mid-February, the Sims Scholars Initiative—through which up to eight theology students in the Twin Cities can earn a tuition-free Master of Arts in Leadership degree at United—has been put into motion.  At an advisory committee meeting in May, members expressed their excitement about progress made in the intervening months. Comprised of United alums, trustees, faculty, and friends who wear myriad professional hats, the committee members are committed to seeking qualified candidates and providing mentorship and advising services while the cohort attends seminary.  Rev. Stacey Smith (’16), Presiding Elder for the Fourth District of the AME Church’s Chicago Annual Conference as well as a board member for United and the Minnesota Council of Churches, asserted that the initiative provides “an amazing opportunity for students to come [to United], have immediate community, [and] experience the seminary in a way that will help them blossom and gain additional skills.” Rev. Dr. DeWayne Davis, lead minister at Plymouth Congregational Church—as well as a member of United’s board and adjunct faculty—is inspired by the widening breadth of theology being explored through the program, including Black spirituality and womanist theology. His greatest hope is that the Sims Scholars will have more expansive theological conversations and make strides in “confronting the fears we hide behind boundaries that we’ve accepted from tradition.” The “Sims Scholars” Initiative is designed to address racial inequities in society and to educate and prepare leaders who desire to constructively engage issues confronting Black spiritual communities. Through this initiative, students will form an intentional cohort for mutual support, special studies, and mentoring. “Representation matters!” emphasized Dr. William Hart, professor of religious studies at Macalester College and United’s board secretary. Dr. Hart reflected on his experience with a Black cohort during his PhD experience at Princeton University, and noted that “having a critical mass [of similarly situated colleagues] can be incredibly powerful for students who come into a predominantly white institution.” “Who better than me to join this committee?” replied Rev. Dr. Darrell Gillespie (’23) when asked why he joined the advisory committee. Rev. Dr. Gillespie is the pastor/founder of Proverbs Christian Fellowship and a dean at Hope Academy. As someone who recently earned his DMin from United, he stated that United’s curriculum will enable students who study Black spirituality to “do church holistically well,” without the “financial burden” of earning a degree. Rev. Dr. Alika Galloway, the final member of the advisory committee, is co-pastor of Liberty Community Church, and co-founder of the Northside Healing Space and 21st Century Academy within the church. Rev. Dr. Galloway headlined at United in 2015 as that year’s 24th annual Susan Draper White lecturer, and co-taught courses with Professor Emerita of Biblical Interpretation, Rev. Dr. Carolyn Pressler. New cohort members may include persons already engaged in a profession who simply desire to learn more about the richness of Black spirituality. There will also be special learning opportunities for students that speak to Black experiences in church and society and extend beyond the core curriculum. Rev. Dr. Gary F. Green, II (associate professor of pastoral theology and social transformation), who chaired the advisory committee meeting, also came through a cohort program at Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas when United President Molly T. Marshall was its president. From his perspective, a supportive cohort “makes a day-to-day difference in the reality of matriculating through a [seminary] program…at a predominately white institution [where students may be] confronted with ideas…some of which are not very comfortable initially.” This program falls under the growing umbrella of United’s systemic anti-racism work, which Rev. Dr. Green leads. A retired Cargill corporate vice president and former United trustee, Frank Sims, and his wife Robyn, are the generous donors behind the Sims Scholars initiative. “I am truly impressed and inspired,” he shared after listening to committee members’ statements. Like Rev. Dr. Green and Dr. Hart, he acknowledged that a supportive cohort of peers is key in education and needed in corporate America too. We cannot overstate, President Marshall concluded, the “magnitude of inaugurating this program and the horizons that it promises.” Learn more about the Sims Scholars’ program.

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January 25, 2024
Academics Announcements

United is One of Only 18 ATS-Accredited Seminaries with Five Consecutive Years of Growth

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA, UNITED STATES, January 25, 2024. In its 2023 Holiday Colloquy Online issue, ATS (The Association of Theological Schools) noted that just 18, or 6.5 percent, of 279 ATS-accredited seminaries demonstrated steady year-over-year growth during the past five years. United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities—one of those 18—realized an 82 percent five-year growth rate, and is one of the only theologically progressive seminaries on the list. United’s growth is a remarkable achievement, especially in a timeframe when more than half of seminaries have been seeing stable or declining enrollment. As Chris Meinzer, senior director and COO at ATS, wrote, “In 2007, a shift occurred and fewer than 50 percent of ATS schools grew year-over-year;… this trend has essentially continued through fall 2023, when it is projected that 45 percent of ATS schools will have grown and 55 percent will have declined.” Reflecting on United’s appearance on the shortlist of growing seminaries, President Molly T. Marshall shares:  “When looking at the ‘ecclesial family’ of schools, it is interesting to note that only Roman Catholic and Orthodox schools are showing a slight increase. Evangelical schools are down by .9 percent, and mainline schools are down by 3.6 percent. This makes United’s growth all the more significant as the trend for mainline schools is negative.” Why is United growing? President Marshall reflects: United has a desirable curriculum that emphasizes social transformation, theology and the arts, interreligious engagement, and public theology. United has gifted, student-focused faculty members who excel in their disciplines as well as their teaching.  United welcomes students with myriad religious, spiritual, and theological leanings. This is reflected in the unique interreligious nature of the chaplaincy program. United has expanded online offerings to include Flex courses in both the DMin and master’s degrees to meet students’ need for scheduling flexibility. United is as interested in the questions as the answers. United envisions a future filled with hope, creativity, and sustainability. The seminary looks ahead with eager anticipation to continue realizing its mission: preparing innovative and compassionate leaders for the equipping of churches, other faith communities, and society toward justice and peace. Media Contact Nathanial Green, Director of Marketing & Communications ngreen@unitedseminary.edu About United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities Founded as a welcoming, ecumenical school that embraces all denominations and faith traditions, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities has been on the cutting edge of progressive theological thought leadership since it was established in 1962. Today, United continues to train leaders who dismantle systems of oppression, explore multi-faith spirituality, and push the boundaries of knowledge.

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November 10, 2023
Academics interfaith Interreligious

“Celebrating a Nearly Six-Decade Connection: United and Collegeville Institute”

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA, UNITED STATES, November 10, 2023 — Founded in the 1960s, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities and Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research have been knitted together throughout their histories. At a meeting in November, the two ecumenical faith organizations will celebrate their close and enduring connection. When United President Molly T. Marshall joined the Collegeville Institute board in 2023, she joined the august company of many United administrators, faculty, and alums who have also served on the board and in other capacities over the years. These connections, spanning decades of cumulative involvement, illustrate values rooted in accordant religious objectives. President Marshall, who has more than one touchpoint with Collegeville, first became aware of the Institute in the late 1990s. In the fall of 2000, she was selected as a resident scholar, and planned to consult with the eminent pneumatology scholar, Father Kilian McDonnell, OSB, about her book—Joining the Dance: A Theology of the Spirit (2003)—and “enjoy the liturgical rhythms of the Benedictine community there.” The History This intertwining of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities (founded in 1962) and Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research (chartered in 1967 as the Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research) has understandably deep roots. Both organizations were founded with ecumenical intent, and both prize research and scholarship. Collegeville Institute, however, originated from the tranquil, bucolic settings of the community in which it was first imagined by a Benedictine monk from Saint John’s Abbey, Father Kilian McDonnell. Father McDonnell, now 102, was the Institute’s first president, a title he holds to this day. Collegeville Institute is irrevocably tied to its location. It anchors its ecumenical core in a setting that cannot help but evoke visceral rapture at the soothing call of nature. It was constructed with walls of windows on the shores of Stumpf Lake by the Hungarian modernist architect Marcel Breuer, who had designed Saint John’s Abbey a few years before. As the Institute’s written history attests, “The cry of loons was considered a fitting, even necessary, backdrop to the work to be done.” United, born out of the United Church of Christ (UCC) and grounded in the urgent needs of an ever-changing world, continues to confront forces that would reject Christ’s call for justice, peace, and belonging for all of creation. Our setting, inside an old industrial building at the heart of the urban Twin Cities, and scattered world wide through distance learning, relies on relationships, scholarship, art, expression, and hope. The Crossover In a eulogy penned November 2, 1989, by H.C. Piper, Jr.—chair of Collegeville Institute’s board of directors and a United alum (’74) and supporter—the Institute mourned “the death on the Eve of All Saints of Louis Gunnemann, a charter member of the Institute’s Board of Directors.” Dr. Gunnemann, who served as dean at Mission House and at United, also supported the founding of Collegeville Institute. “Louis understood from the beginning,” Piper wrote, “how the Institute’s special genius depends on its being independent while at the same time drawing sustenance from the work and worship of the Benedictine community.” Rev. Dr. Clyde Steckel, who joined United’s faculty in 1970, knew about Collegeville Institute while in ministry at the University of Minnesota. In 1983, he became a resident scholar at the Institute while on sabbatical from United. In 1993, he joined the Institute’s board. Steckel suggests that it was easy to serve United and the Institute because there was no conflict of interest. “Both organizations,” Steckel explains, “had a similar mission and purpose: nontraditional, theological education.” Besides, he adds, “We all like to get out in the woods and by the lakes.” Dr. Mary Farrell Bednarowski, who covered Steckel’s sabbatical at United, was enticed to attend a luncheon for the Institute by acting United president Rev. Dr. Molly McMillan, one of the Institute’s founding board members. She’s been a supporter ever since. In 1990, Bednarowski was invited to be part of a three-year summer consultation. In 1996, when McMillan asked if she would join the board, Bednarowski remembers, “It took me about 30 seconds to say yes.” She adds, “I think of the Institute itself as a magical place, and that is also how I feel about United. The ‘magic,’ as I have experienced it in both places, is a gift freely offered to all who enter.” McMillan also invited Rev. Dr. Gary Reierson (a 1978 and 1986 United alum and current United trustee), to join the Institute’s board in 2000, when he was president and CEO of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches. He says he was inspired to join because the Institute “has an international reputation as a leading ecumenical think tank.” Reierson also notes that there is a similarity of mission between United and the Collegeville Institute, where he now serves—as do Steckel and Bednarowski—as an honorary life member of the board.  Rev. Kathi Austin Mahle (also a 1978 alum) has served on United’s board and on the Collegeville Institute board. “United,” she explains, “has this focus on ecumenical education, which then also reflects the ecumenical nature of Collegeville Institute. We’re all working toward a changed world and greater understanding that comes through education and providing scholars with the opportunity to explore their work in an ecumenical environment.” Looking to the Future As President Marshall reflects, “I chose to join the board of Collegeville Institute because of my appreciation for the time I spent there researching and writing. At the midpoint of my academic career, the time as a resident scholar opened new vistas of learning, especially in a community of scholars where we assessed one another's work. It was a transformative sabbatical for me.” While neither United nor Collegeville Institute could have foreseen the seismic changes in the world over the past six decades, both have nonetheless weathered the storms of change. Both have evolved and adapted, and remain true to their founding ideals.  Media Contact Nathanial Green, Director of Marketing & Communications ngreen@unitedseminary.edu About United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities Founded as a welcoming, ecumenical school that embraces all denominations and faith traditions, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities has been on the cutting edge of progressive theological thought leadership since it was established in 1962. Today, United continues to train leaders who dismantle systems of oppression, explore multi-faith spirituality, and push the boundaries of knowledge.

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June 9, 2023
Academics Activism students

Bridgette Weber Finds the through Lines—Food and Transformation—at United

At United, a supportive community of beloved students and faculty, is an integral part of the educational journey for future faith and justice leaders. Since coming to seminary and charting a path toward chaplaincy, dual degree student Bridgette Weber (bottom right) has not only been elected to the Student Leadership Collective twice, they have also worked with another student to support and sustain United students with Sunday evening United Family Dinners. United has also helped them uncover their purpose-filled throughlines from food to social transformation to justice through food sovereignty.  The connection between food and church is not anything new. Church potlucks, coffee and sweets between services, and pizza nights for youth groups are a familiar part of the landscape. As a seminary student, Bridgette is digging deeper to explore the broad historical import of food in culture, and how that connects to theological study. They are also developing a fundamental awareness of how issues of environment and justice and religion all intersect with the natural resources that sustain or degrade all life. Working toward United & Social Justice Ministry Bridgette’s connection to food started early. Their first job, at age 14, was at Taco Bell. Next, at Chilton, Wisconsin’s 7 Angels Restaurant, Bridgette worked with their mom and sisters and had their first experience working in the back of the house. After growing up in a small Wisconsin town and attending rural Catholic churches, Bridgette was eager to see what their future might hold. They started college at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, continued working in restaurants, dropped out of college, returned, and ultimately earned a bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies. During college, Bridgette also found their “passion for building vibrant communities with food at the center.” While studying biology and ecology, Bridgette worked in the community. They were a farmer and chef, managed Trust Local Foods (as the only employee), joined the Sustainable Living Roadshow as a green market manager, and founded the Oshkosh Food Cooperative which finally opened in July 2020. After college, they were a pastry chef at L’etoile Restaurant—a James Beard award winning farm-to-table establishment in Madison—and worked at Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, a grassroots social transformation effort based in Sri Lanka. Bridgette was also a volunteer coordinator for a free clothing center and worked in “crisis management for houseless people.” All the while, between rejecting the toxic aspects of the restaurant industry, starting their own personal chef business, and searching for purpose, the idea of a vital ministry around food and sustainability as represented by the image of a “food church” kept arising in their mind. “Those two words,” Bridgette explains, “are an anchor to my spiritual calling.” Why? “Not only do I see food as a sacred intersection between our relationship to the land, water, and each other, but I see how this message of reality was subverted through colonization…and ways the Christian church codified slavery and industrial agriculture. I am drawn to work that moves us toward a dominant culture more in line with the Indigenous worldview of how to grow and manage food.” When they found United online and discovered the seminary offered programming in Social Transformation, “there was no doubt” they state, “that it was a huge, cosmic, universal, divine YES happening inside of me.” And it was not just the possibility of ministering through food, but a distinctive call to social justice. Finding Purpose at United & The Path Forward United, as Bridgette explains, “is a place where I can explore the multitude of who I am.” The seminary enables them to “examine and explore the roots of where I came from—the complex and dynamic and beautiful and traumatizing space that is—while supporting me in an inclusive, welcoming, and affirming place.” “Those accepting and nurturing aspects of United felt like a gift,” they add. The weekly United Family dinners provide an intentional and safe space for students and their families—and even regular guest President Molly T. Marshall (in a gray tee shirt on the right)—to share in good food and to nurture relationships. The meals are also a centering time to reflect on the values many students hold dear: creation care and sustainability for the planet. “Right now,” they say, “it’s a sacred place for us to experiment with how food brings us into conversation with the land and our history.” What has been developing from the food church idea, they say, is a “food sovereignty ethic for the beloved community.” This ethic “is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems.”1 The concept of the food sovereignty ethic, Bridgette suggests, could be a “powerful ethical antidote” for the practice of Christianity long shaped by “dominion theology.” In simpler terms, Brigette adds, “I think food sovereignty has the power to heal many of our divides if we can invest our time, energy, and money into making it happen. I hope to see the church become a critical player in that transformation. As Dr. Norman Wirzba says, ‘Food is God’s love made nutritious and delicious.’ I think social transformation can be nutritious, delicious, and exciting!” United’s focus on art and theology has also allowed Bridgette to express other facets of their artistic side. First introduced to community earth mandalas during her time with Sustainable Living Roadshow, Bridgette created a mandala for the 2021 Symposium Week. They have also used their drawing skills in class assignments, including an art observation of the St. Paul Farmers Market, and an examination of the trinity using artistically rendered sourdough starter, dough, and bread. Through art, justice, and theology classes, Bridgette has also discovered how gender and sexuality are deeply connected to food. The 2022 summer term, they add, “brought together the articulation and minds of amazing writers and activists and humans who have been forging this path” of actively promoting justice. “That’s the kind of person I want to be.” The painstaking process of “getting to know deeply who I am,” though challenging, has also enabled Bridgette to lay bare their roots and start to reconcile the past with their goals for the future. The through lines of food and justice make possible the plan to bring the leadership and ministry skills they have gained at United back to the rural areas they left years ago. “I want unity and connection, and know that building these types of relationships will take care and time and attention. Joy and creative potential are just waiting for us,” Bridgette declares. 1. This is the definition of food sovereignty coined by La Via Campesina in 1996.

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November 18, 2020
Academics Arts Deconstruction Events justice lgbtq Queer seminary theology and the arts

“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.  (more…)

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May 29, 2020
Academics Anti-racism Civil Rights ministry minnesota news students Voice

Students Respond to the Killing of George Floyd

In response to the violent killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, MN, students in Professor Eleazar Fernandez's Public Theology for Social Transformation class worked together to write this statement. We share it as a reminder that the work of theology is always grounded in lived human experience and that calls for justice remain fundamental for people of all faiths. (more…)

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March 20, 2019
Academics theology and the arts united faculty

The Arts are in United’s DNA: An Interview with Jennifer Awes Freeman

Photo of Jennifer Awes Freeman by Angela Jimenez Photography Last summer this blog introduced you to Jennifer Awes Freeman, the new assistant professor of Theology and the Arts at United. More recently I sat down with Jennifer to talk about her role in United's theology and the arts programs. Here are some excerpts from our conversation. Tell me a little about your role as a professor of Theology and the Arts. (more…)

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