Written by: Cindi Beth Johnson and Nathanial Green March 6, 2025

Donors Establish the Wilson Yates Chair of Theology and the Arts

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA, UNITED STATES, March 6, 2025. United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is thrilled to announce the establishment of the Wilson Yates Chair of Theology and the Arts. This tenure-track, endowed faculty position will be made possible by gifts from a cadre of United friends, alums, and former faculty.

The chair’s beloved namesake, Wilson Yates, President Emeritus and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Religion, Society, and the Arts, has had a storied career and made significant contributions to United, perhaps none more so than in the development of United’s work in the field of theology and the arts. A graduate of Vanderbilt University Divinity School and Harvard University, where he did his PhD, he joined the United faculty in 1967, later becoming the Dean in 1988 and President in 1996 before retiring in 2005.

Wilson’s visionary leadership expanded and deepened the connection between imagination, creativity, and theology as expressed through the arts that has been core to United’s academic ethos for decades, evidenced by the art from students and alums lining the walls of United’s campus, and anchoring its publications, programs, and digital media. As a professor, Wilson had a transformative impact on his students’ understanding of their art as theology and their theology as art, empowering them to find their creative voices. As Dean, he invited the faculty to explore and expand their understanding of the arts and the critical role that they could play in teaching. As President, he was active in the larger national and international conversations taking place regarding theology and the arts.

In addition to teaching, Wilson has been a prolific speaker, author, and contributor to publications. In 1987, he wrote The Arts in Theological Education: New Possibilities for Integration in which he designed and evaluated a comprehensive study of where and to what extent the arts were integrated in theological studies in 134 seminaries of the ATS (Association of Theological Schools). His later writings included the book Art, Theology and the Church which he co-edited with Kimberly Vrudny (’95), exploring the factors that made possible the rise of interest in the arts in the church as well as in the early programs of theological schools.

Wilson, along with Jane Dillenberger, John Dillenberger, Doug Adams, Robin Jensen, Terrence Dempsey, Jim Waits, John Cook, Catherine Kapikian, and Kimberly Vrudny (’95)—as well as other important figures—were instrumental in creating and developing the first theology and arts programs in seminaries. In his writings, Wilson identified six key points of intersection between art and theology, including an understanding of the role of the arts in worship; art as a key to understanding Christian history; art as a means of experiencing the human condition; art as a means of encountering the prophetic; art as a form of the sacramental; and art as a source of Christian vision. In 1988, he founded and edited the journal ARTS: The Arts in Religious and Theological Studies, and in 1997, he co-edited and published The Grotesque in Art and Literature: Theological Reflections with James Luther Adams, his advisor at Harvard. In 2002, Wilson was a leader in the creation of SARTS, the Society for the Arts in Religious and Theological Studies.

Published in 2009, the book Visual Theology: Forming and Transforming the Community through the Arts—edited by Robin Jensen and Kimberly Vrudny (’95)—was dedicated to Wilson and his legacy: a desire to see the arts as a necessary part of theological education. In his work after retirement, Wilson has continued to teach and write, focusing on artists who have been lifelong theological companions, including the historical artists Andrej Rublev, Giotto, and Rembrandt, and artists from the twentieth century such as Käthe Kollwitz, Picasso, Marc Chagall, Rouault, Barbara Hepworth, and Jacob Lawrence.

Dr. Kyle Roberts, Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs, celebrates his predecessor’s impact on United’s faculty and academic offerings, saying, “One can hardly think of United without also thinking of Theology and the Arts, and vice versa. And one can hardly think of both without also thinking of Wilson Yates. Wilson’s academic work and creativity in Theology and the Arts birthed that spirit and focus at United, establishing a unique identity among seminaries. This endowed chair in his name and honor secures that historic identity and legacy for decades to come.”

Dr. James L. Waits, Dean Emeritus of Candler School of Theology at Emory University, has known and worked with Wilson for decades. Reflecting on his friend and colleague, Dr. Waits asserts, “I have known Wilson Yates for over fifty years, and have admired his substantive contributions both to the church and to theological education. His love for and advocacy for the arts has been a unique and special gift to colleagues and institutions alike.”

With gratitude for Wilson’s living legacy and the generosity of these committed supporters, President Molly T. Marshall reflects, “What a joyful project it has been to gather friends of United, Wilson’s many friends, to provide funding for this chair. This endowed chair rightly honors his legacy, and this good school continues his groundbreaking work in theology and the arts, extending it in ever-new directions. We have learned from him that a longing for beauty is akin to a longing for God.”

A natural progression of Wilson’s vision and leadership, this chair supports, in perpetuity, the centrality of the arts at United as a core pillar of the seminary’s educational experience. The United community will celebrate the installation of a faculty member into this new Chair soon. United is excited to name this faculty member and share more about this event in the months to come.

United offers its deepest gratitude to those many whose gifts will establish the Wilson Yates Chair of Theology and the Arts:

A Grateful Student
Jo & Daniel O. Aleshire
David & Jeanne Anderson
David A. (’84) & Julie B. Bard
Mary Farrell Bednarowski & Keith Bednarowski
Ted Bowman
Julie R. Brown & Jones Adkins (in memory of Harriet Spencer)
Pat Browne (’23)
Lucy & Robert Brusic
Ann & David^† Buran
Larry & Andy Dunbar
Sue Ebbers (’78) & Carolyn Pressler
Estate of Priscilla (’83, “Cil”) & Jack Braun
Amy & Jack Fistler
Terry & David Gilberstadt
Ruth & John Huss
Marva Jean Hutchens (’80)
Cindi Beth Johnson & Thor Mickelson
Barbara Anne Keely
Stuart Knappmiller (’97)
Elizabeth Macaulay (’99) & Cooper Wiggen
Linda & Warren Mack
Kathi Austin Mahle (’78) & Steve Mahle
Julie Mall (’85)
Molly T. Marshall
Robert^† & Polly McCrea
Fergus & Ann (Schilling) McKiernan
Kita McVay (’96, ’09) & James Wm Johnson
Jonathan (’00) & Martha Morgan
Mary Ann Murray (’76)
Christie Cozad Neuger (’80) & Win Neuger
Vonda Pearson (’98)
Jim Peck (’99)
Ruth Phelps (’85)
Mary Pickard
Martha Postlethwaite
Bill & Susan Sands
Belle & Robert^† H. Scott
Joan Soranno & John Cook
Terhuly Foundation
Bundy Trinz (’10)
Lynn & Carol Truesdell
Michelle & Chris Turnau
Ron & Carol Vantine
Fentress^† & James Waits
Wilson Yates

There’s still time to join these many donors by making a gift to the Yates Chair! Please contact Rev. Dr. Cindi Beth Johnson, Vice President for Advancement, at cbjohnson@unitedseminary.edu to make your contribution and be part of this extraordinary moment.

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 train leaders who, through the eyes of faith, engage in the dismantling systems of oppression, exploring multi-faith spirituality, and pushing the boundaries of knowledge.

Media Contact

Nathanial Green (he/him), Director of Marketing and Communications
United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
press@unitedseminary.edu • 651-255-6138

The photo of Wilson teaching is by James Butler. Used with permission from Hennepin Avenue UMC.
† Deceased

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June 24, 2026

Rev. Dr. Andrew Packman Promoted to Associate Professor of Christian Ethics, supported by the McVay Endowment

Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, June 24, 2026 —United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is delighted to announce that, effective July 1, 2026, Rev. Dr. Andrew Packman will become the Associate Professor of Christian Ethics, supported by the McVay Endowment, and Director for Formation. This promotion to an endowed chair follows Rev. Dr. Justin Sabis-Tanis’ appointment as the inaugural Wilson Yates Chair in Theology and the Arts. Announced during Commencement in April, the McVay chairship reflects the esteem with which United’s board and faculty members regard Professor Packman. In February, Dean Kyle Roberts proudly reported that Dr. Packman was being promoted from assistant to associate professor and transitioning from a three-year contract into a tenure-track position. Dr. Packman joined United in July 2021 as a Louisville Institute Postdoctoral Fellow and Visiting Assistant Professor of Theological Ethics and Practical Theology. At the Spring 2022 Convocation to welcome and bless our new faculty member, Dr. Packman—who holds an MDiv and PhD from the University of Chicago—presented on “The Atmospherics of Theological Education.” By December 2022, Dr. Packman’s “teaching, mentoring, and other stellar capabilities” prompted United to offer him a contract to continue teaching past the terms of his Louisville Fellowship. Since then, he has co-authored an article in The Oxford Handbook of Friedrich Schleiermacher, had a paper (“The Consolation of Studying Theology”) published in the Christian Century, and presented at the September 2025 Schleiermacher Kongress in Kiel, Germany. Spiritual and personal formation is a vital component of Packman’s work with students, and he will continue in his role as the director for Formation. In May of 2025, he began a new initiative, the Formation Pilot Program, to gauge the foundational axis points of students’ formation at United. “This is a remarkable moment in theological education,” Dr. Packman explained this spring, “where what it means to be a theological learning community is being reimagined in real time. This pilot program is designed to interrogate this question from across the life of the seminary, and to build up our community in the process.” “Dr. Packman’s doctoral studies,” observed Dean Roberts in his April announcement, “focused on Christian theology and ethics, and his current research explores questions about racism, intransigent evil, and Friedrich Schleiermacher’s philosophical and theological ethics. Combined with his MDiv studies in pastoral formation, these make Dr. Packman well-suited to occupy this chair while he continues…serving as the Director for Formation.” President Molly T. Marshall reflects, “Dr. Packman brings academic excellence and pastoral sensitivity to his teaching, collegial relationships, and community involvement. His theological depth suffuses his courses in ethics and formation, seeking to form good human beings as transformative agents for a world in travail. I am delighted by this appointment.” As Dr. Packman shared when he was offered a chance to continue teaching at United past his Louisville Fellowship, “It’s such an immense gift to get to do this work, and it’s an honor to get to do it with folks like you. I’m so eager to see what we build together!” Now, as a new chapter begins with his elevation to the McVay Chair, we are overjoyed that such a prodigiously talented scholar and teacher can continue to journey with our dedicated and curious students. 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. Contact Nathanial Green (he/him) Director of Marketing and Communications press@unitedseminary.edu • 651.255.6138 Admissions and Enrollment admissions@unitedseminary.edu

Rev. Dr. Tim McGregor (’26) Finds Hope for Healing in Exploratory Theology

Rev. Dr. Tim McGregor (’26) has been a chaplain, pastor, and church planter for years. How did he find this well-trodden path? Tim says his mother introduced him to Christ. “She was very devout,” he explains. Unfortunately, she was also very sick, so Tim spent more time in hospitals than in church as a child. Still, he recalls one incident during communion when he was 11. Tim shares that he “had a very out-of-body experience with the divine while I was in church, and it touched my soul.” Tim grew up and pursued a BA at Tuskegee University. While there, he experienced another out-of-body experience when he was robbed at gunpoint and stabbed. “At that point,” he reflects, “I decided to rethink some of my living and some of my decisions. It reignited my spiritual walk.” As he changed the way he lived, Tim felt a spiritual nudge. Others observed that they “saw the calling” on his life. And dreams about preaching began to recur. “Before I ever preached a sermon, I dreamed I was preaching…in the same church where I ended up preaching later on.” Christian Theological Seminary Though Tim identified as National Baptist, he decided to attend Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) in Indiana—a progressive school aligned with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). It helped that Dr. Edward Wheeler, an ordained Baptist minister whom Tim knew when Wheeler worked at Tuskegee, was CTS’s president. During a United chapel service this March, Tim described his experience at CTS as “quite grueling,” but also that he “learned a lot.” As he clarified more recently, he had to “let go of a very fundamentalist perspective,” and that sort of deconstruction was difficult. “It was a crucible situation,” Tim asserts. Chaplaining and Church Planting After earning his MDiv in 2003, Tim spent years in Mississippi and Texas planting churches and working as a hospital chaplain. Since returning to Minnesota, he’s been a chaplain at Regions Hospital, Abbott Northwestern, and the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, and pastored at Family Bible Church. He suspects that the time he spent with his mother in hospitals likely inclined him toward hospital chaplaincy. When he decided to pursue a DMin, Tim reviewed his options. Only United, he found, had the interreligious chaplaincy program and liberal ethos that made his MDiv work transformational. Plus, he could attend onsite or online as his schedule allowed. “It was a great benefit,” Tim attests, “to do both.” United and Nat Turner Tim credits Dr. Jessica Chapman Lape, former director of the Interreligious Chaplaincy program, with positively shaping his education. Her theological knowledge and emphasis on her African American heritage impressed him. Dr. Munjed Murad’s Comparative Theology course elevated Tim’s intercultural acuity. Munjed is an assistant professor of World Religions and Intercultural Studies, supported by the Johnson-Fry Endowment. Tim describes his dissertation, “The Exploratory Theology of Nat Turner and Its Effects on African and African American PTSD,” as “a labor of love.” Why Nat Turner? “I appreciate his passion and his desire to live and fight for the rights of his people,” Tim explains, “and his willingness to do so in the name of his religious beliefs.” In addition, “I’m always interested in people that…have been misunderstood or written off as villains.” Shepherded with vital support from Rev. Dr. Andrew Packman (assistant professor of Theological Ethics and Formation), Tim’s dissertation studies Nat Turner, his traumatic experiences as a slave, and his burgeoning theology. It also traces links to the moral injury, trauma, and PTSD endemic to military service, especially for African American veterans. Tim wants to “understand more about…how to be an asset to my community.” He feels that “United was a really good place for that” and is a rich resource for “clergy…and spiritual caregivers” who are going to help us “keep pressing toward better understandings.” Tim is grateful for United’s role in honing his academic and spiritual voice.

Rev. Dr. Justin Sabia-Tanis to Be Appointed Inaugural Occupant of the Wilson Yates Chair in Theology and the Arts

Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, June 5, 2026 — United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is elated to announce that Rev. Dr. Justin Sabia-Tanis will be appointed as the first-ever occupant of the Wilson Yates Chair in Theology and the Arts. Until now, he has served faithfully as the McVay Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Social Transformation, as well as Director of the Social Transformation Program. Before joining United, Rev. Dr. Sabia-Tanis served as a congregational minister in Boston, Honolulu, and San Francisco, and was Director of Leadership Development for Metropolitan Community Churches, after which he joined the United Church of Christ (UCC). Rev. Dr. Sabia-Tanis’ ministry includes community organizing and advocacy. He has served as managing director at the Center for LGBTQ and Gender Studies in Religion (CLGS) as well as communications director for the Hawai’i Equal Rights Marriage Project, the National Center for Transgender Equality, and Out & Equal Workplace Advocates. He received his PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies from Graduate Theological Union in 2017, his DMin from San Francisco Theological Seminary in 2003, and his MDiv from Harvard Divinity School in 1990. His teaching experience spans courses at the University of Arizona, Pima Community College, Iliff School of Theology, and Pacific School of Religion. As an eminent academic and theologian, Dr. Sabia-Tanis’ scholarship has deepened the study of the intersection of art and LGBTQ+ religious identity. He recently completed writing Queer Spirituality, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity in Contemporary Visual Art, to be released later this year by Bloomsbury Academic. Dr. Sabia-Tanis also wrote the groundbreaking book Transgendered Ministry, Theology and Communities of Faith (Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 2003; Wipf & Stock, 2018) and authored a chapter in Transbiblical: New Approaches to Interpretation and Embodiment in Scripture (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2025). In 2024, he gave a lecture in the art gallery of Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis, MN, on the life and art of Keith Haring. Dr. Sabia-Tanis is himself an artist, and he hones and cultivates the creative expression of the artist-theologians enrolled in his courses. In his announcement of the news to United students, Dr. Kyle Roberts—Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs—connected Rev. Dr. Sabia-Tanis’ education and qualifications to the field of theology and the arts. “Dr. Sabia-Tanis appreciates and champions the legacy of Dr. Yates and the leadership of United in the area of arts and theology,” Dr. Roberts asserted. “He also advocates for the intersection of the arts with movements for social justice and will bring to his teaching and leadership a synergy of theology and arts, along with his contributions to the education of social transformation at United.” Rev. Dr. Molly T. Marshall, President, commended the news for this esteemed member of the faculty. “The wide-ranging scholarship of Dr. Justin Sabia-Tanis will elevate this position as the arts serve as a medium for social transformation.” Established in 2025 by generous gifts from friends, alums, and former United faculty, the Wilson Yates Chair in Theology and the Arts is an endowed faculty position named after Rev. Dr. Wilson Yates, President Emeritus and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Religion, Society, and the Arts. Yates joined United’s faculty in 1967, became Dean in 1988, and was made President in 1996. He retired from the seminary in 2005, having led and innovated in theology and the arts, deepened scholarship, and integrated the subject as a pillar of United’s academic programs. Rev. Dr. Yates celebrated the news and is eager to see Rev. Dr. Sabia-Tanis installed into the chair. He reflects, “I am very excited about Justin’s selection for this role. His studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley will provide an important background to this work. Justin brings a solid understanding of the relationship to the arts in theology, the church, and everyday life. It is not incidental that he is also a practicing artist.” On his appointment to the chair, Rev. Dr. Sabia-Tanis shares, “United has valued and integrated the arts since our founding. They are critical to how our students are formed, and in the ministries and projects they will lead when they graduate. I am so honored to move into this important role at United and continue the incredible legacy of Wilson Yates. And I'm looking forward to the ways this program will evolve and grow in the coming years.” The installation of Dr. Sabia-Tanis into the Wilson Yates Chair in Theology and the Arts will be formally celebrated at Fall Convocation on Thursday, September 24, 2026. Details will be announced in the coming months. 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. Contact Nathanial Green (he/him) Director of Marketing and Communications press@unitedseminary.edu • 651.255.6138 Admissions and Enrollment admissions@unitedseminary.edu