leadership

April 15, 2026
Activism leadership Legacy VOICES

A Legacy of Generosity: President Marshall on Patricia Shield Ayres

A friend of mine for more than 40 years, Patricia Shield Ayres, is known for her integrity, kindness, leadership, and generosity. Born as an only child into a Texas family with interests in oil and cattle, she prevailed upon her father to allow her to attend Wellesley College in Boston. He wanted her to go to the University of Texas, but she promised she would study economics if he allowed her to go to her preferred school. Remarkably, she has maintained friendships with six of her classmates (now all in their 90s). They called themselves the “sizzling six.” Reflecting on that title, Pat said: “We didn’t sizzle then and certainly not now.”  Though she decries the “sizzle” moniker, Pat has made an indelible impact in her community. She has been a leading voice in Texas for the support of children, a demonstration of her progressive Christian values. The Shield-Ayres Foundation, founded in 1977, is based on a 6,600-acre ranch, 5,300 acres of which her parents purchased in 1938, that lies just 22 miles from the heart of Austin.  Through the foundation, now co-run by Pat’s children, Bob and Vera, the ranch hosts El Ranchito summer camp for urban children and youth. It is an opportunity for them to learn about the many forms of conservation the foundation practices, see what it’s like to be immersed in radically different environs, and experience the unique spiritual joy of what Pat calls the “tapestry of nature.” It is a generous way to use the family’s land.  I came to know Pat when the two of us were involved in voicing our opposition to the hostile takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention by fundamentalist forces. Her strong convictions about religious freedom and liberty of conscience led her to support movements that resisted the eroding of Baptist identity. Her unwavering support for the leadership of women in the Baptist ecology naturally drew us together.  Pat has become a generous donor to United. A member of the Joshua Society—a group of friends and alums who have given cumulative gifts of $50,000 or more—she has invested in our mission with interest and joy. When I delivered the Joshua statuette to her a couple of years ago, she absolutely loved the celebratory image of the raised shofar and anticipated the walls that are tumbling down at United.  This spring, we will welcome Pat into our Esther Society for donors who have given cumulative gifts of $100,000 or more. Her commitments to justice align with United’s clear call to construct a beloved community here and beyond the seminary.  I am delighted at the depth and similitude of our beliefs, and having Pat’s stalwart support of this good seminary. For her abiding dedication to eco-justice and conservation, her philanthropic generosity, and her unequivocal support for religious freedom and the rightful equality of women, I give heartfelt thanks.

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October 15, 2025
Alums Ecology Ethics leadership UUA

Rev. Stacy Craig (’20) Honored as United’s 2025 Spirit of United Alum

United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is delighted to announce that Rev. Stacy Craig (’20) has been selected as the 2025 recipient of our Spirit of United Award. Established in 2023, the Spirit of United award celebrates recent alums who have done “exceptional work that reflects the mission of United in the church, in faith communities, or in society.” Craig—an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister—has also lived into the vocation of an eco-chaplain, dedicating herself to remaining present within the interconnected web of life, as myriad lifeforms struggle to adapt to the changing climate. As nominator Rev. Dr. Kimi Floyd Reish (’19, ’24) explains,  In her congregational work in Wisconsin and California, [Craig] has guided communities to see climate change not only as a scientific or political crisis but as a moral and spiritual one. She preaches and teaches about repair, resistance, and resilience, inviting people into practices that restore relationships with one another and with the living world. Her ministry brings forward a theology that insists faith must be present in the public square and that spiritual care must include the ecosystems in which we live. Northland College (Ashland, Wisconsin)—where Craig graduated cum laude in 2004 with a BA in Religion and Philosophy/Outdoor Education—was where her focus on eco-theology took root. Following graduation, she became an environmental education program coordinator at the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute, an outreach arm of Northland College. For another 10 years, Craig worked at Northland College, helping students discern career choices, supporting events, and teaching courses in the Religious Studies Department as an adjunct instructor. When Northland faced impending closure in the early 2020s,  Floyd Reish notes, Craig “was a public voice of grief and resilience, reminding her community of the importance of institutions that have long carried the work of environmental education and justice on the shores of Lake Superior.” Through these actions, Floyd Reish adds, she “showed what it means to live out United’s mission of preparing leaders who change the world as faithful and ethical servants.” Rev. Greg Meland, United’s director of Spiritual and Vocational Formation from 2014 to 2019 and internship instructor of record, knew Craig from her time at Northland College and at United. When she was considering seminary, admissions asked Meland to talk to Craig. As he recalls, “She lived close to our lake place, and we had a long conversation sitting on our deck. When she left, I thought, ‘This is exactly the kind of person who should be in seminary preparing to pastor and lead.’” Clearly, he was right. As Floyd Reish concludes, “In less than five years since her graduation, [Craig’s] work has strengthened local congregations, deepened public conversations about environmental ethics, and provided a living example of what it means to be a United alum who leads with integrity and vision.” Join us in celebrating and congratulating Rev. Stacy Craig!

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February 18, 2025
Activism Black Liberation Theology Civil Rights justice leadership social justice

The Hawkinson Fund for Peace and Justice Finds a New Home at United’s Leadership Center for Social Justice

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA, UNITED STATES, February 18, 2025. Now in its third year of operation, the Leadership Center for Social Justice (the Center) at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities (United) is thrilled to announce that the Hawkinson Fund for Peace and Justice (Hawkinson Fund) is a new programmatic focus thanks to an agreement with Grace University Lutheran Church (Grace Church).  Moving forward, the Center will lead the Hawkinson Fund while furthering the Fund’s mission of supporting individuals who have demonstrated a deep commitment to advancing peace and social justice through justice-oriented projects, standing up for their convictions, or displaying ongoing leadership within a peace or justice organization. Rev. Dr. Ry Siggelkow, director of the Leadership Center for Social Justice, asserts, “The fruit of Rev. Hawkinson's prophetic ministry and vocal opposition to the Vietnam War, the Hawkinson Fund has recognized and funded social justice leadership for more than 35 years. In the current context of rising authoritarianism, border walls, militarism, and war, the mission of the Hawkinson Fund stands out as a beacon of hope that another way and another world is possible. We are thrilled by the opportunity to lead the Fund in its next chapter.” The Fund was created in 1988 in honor of long-time pastor and justice activist, Rev. Vincent L. Hawkinson. Hawkinson, who passed away in 2001, believed that religious leaders should speak up and act against injustices and violence in the world. He marched in the South during the Civil Rights movement and took a stand against the Vietnam War. In 1956, Rev. Hawkinson was called to Grace Church in Minneapolis, where he served until 1988. Stan Jacobson, Chair of the Hawkinson Fund for Peace and Justice at Grace University Lutheran Church, avers: “We are thrilled that United’s and LCSJ’s leaders have welcomed the Hawkinson Fund to its new home in light of the congruence of our respective missions to lift up and foster leaders pursuing social justice and peace in our communities and around the world. The transfer will allow for new opportunities to extend the Hawkinson Fund’s mission beyond Grace University Lutheran Church to like-minded people and congregations seeking to advance social justice.” The consonance of mission between the Hawkinson Fund and the Leadership Center for Social Justice should ensure a smooth transition. In keeping with the mission to inspire bold action for justice, the Hawkinson Fund at the Leadership Center for Social Justice is now seeking scholarship applications from undergraduate and graduate students in Minnesota, regardless of religious affiliation or citizenship. The Hawkinson Fund offers three to five $2,500–$5,000 scholarships each year to candidates who have served as role models in moving society toward a more just and peaceful future. Applications are due March 17. United President Molly T. Marshall adds, “United is grateful for the opportunity to extend the Hawkinson legacy of peace and justice as we steward these generous funds. This seminary’s mission is very much aligned with the emphasis on empowering students for social justice.” United and the Leadership Center for Social Justice are excited to expand the Center’s reach and support promising social change agents in college or graduate school. Communities desperately need youth and adults who will fight for justice and stand up for the common good. Financial support of any kind is one of the more significant ways you can partner in this necessary work. If you would like to make a gift to United’s Leadership Center for Social Justice, or directly to the Hawkinson Fund, click here and be sure to select “Leadership Center for Social Justice” or “Hawkinson Fund” from the drop-down menu. About The Leadership Center for Social Justice United’s Leadership Center for Social Justice seeks to equip, inspire, and empower leaders to faithfully and reflectively engage in concrete, contextual ministry for social justice. In the spirit of faith, hope, and love, the Center supports leaders in developing skills in contextually sensitive, creative, and effective leadership and social praxis. About United Founded by the nascent United Church of Christ 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 14, 2019
Beliefs Chaplaincy Deconstruction Formation leadership ministry Voice

“How Deconstructing My Beliefs Has Made Me a Better Faith Leader:” An Interview with Sarah Berge

Sarah Berge '19 is a recent graduate of United hoping to work in chaplaincy. Her background is in systems and family counseling, with a focus on incarcerated populations and restorative justice. Sarah is also a passionate theologian, and integrates her chaplaincy work into theology and arts projects. Deconstructing beliefs is key to her ministry. (more…)

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September 27, 2018
guest posts justice leadership ministry news practice resistance seminary social justice theological education

Will We Make a Difference or Stop at Outrage?

It has been more the rule than the exception through the last six months or so that our world, national and local news has focused on one unbelievable human atrocity after another; with a seemingly endless ability to trump the previous week’s painful emotional impact.  The capstone of this last week was the criminal case of the Philando Castile murder ending in an acquittal of the police officer who shot him. (more…)

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