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April 16, 2026

Dr. Ginger Morgan Announced as New Associate Professor and Program Director for Interreligious Chaplaincy

Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, April 16, 2026 — United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is thrilled to announce that Dr. Ginger Morgan will join its faculty as the new Associate Professor for Pastoral and Spiritual Care and Program Director for Interreligious Chaplaincy. Dr. Morgan will come to United from Madison, WI, where she is concluding her role at the Presbyterian Student Center Foundation as director of Candid and Community Initiatives. She is a highly qualified program director and chaplain with experience in healthcare, campus ministry, and higher education. With a PhD in Religion and Psychological Studies from Iliff School of Theology at the University of Denver, as well as a Master of Theological Studies (MTS) from Vanderbilt Divinity School, Dr. Morgan draws from her theological and multidisciplinary education in her work. Interreligious studies is one of United’s four pillars, and the Interreligious Chaplaincy (IRC) program—unique among peer institutions—constitutes the largest and fastest-growing of the seminary’s programs over the past five years. In alignment with United’s ethos, Dr. Morgan is a gifted scholar of religious pluralism, highly educated in progressive theological education, and foregrounds justice in chaplaincy and pastoral care. These values are evident in a chapter titled “Many Doors: Expanding Thresholds for Grace,” written by Dr. Morgan for the upcoming book Dispatches from Campus (Augsburg Fortress Press). Dr. Morgan’s career also reflects her personal experiences and identity. Writing to the search committee, she shared, “My formation includes reconciling my lesbian identity with my faith and living as a religious minority in India during high school, both of which shaped my intercultural perspective and vocational commitments.” She continued, “Throughout my career, I have sought to create inclusive spaces of belonging, whether supporting LGBTQIA+ students, young adults in recovery from addiction, or building programs attentive to justice and equity." Rev. Dr. Molly T. Marshall, President, reflects, “United welcomes Dr. Ginger Morgan with confidence and great enthusiasm. Her varied leadership roles, especially in chaplaincy, equip her uniquely to lead our robust IRC program and to teach pastoral and spiritual care.” In his announcement to the student body, Dr. Kyle Roberts—Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs—noted that Dr. Morgan’s “career in chaplaincy spans hospital, hospice, and higher education contexts, and extensive program leadership experience.” He added, “I want to thank Dr. Demian Wheeler for leading this search process, especially during its formative stages during my sabbatical.” After participating in a months-long faculty search and on-site candidate lecture, being recommended by a unanimous faculty vote, and gaining approval from the Board of Trustees’ Academic Committee, Dr. Morgan will officially begin on July 1. Students, faculty, and staff are eager to welcome her to United for this exciting new chapter. For more information about United’s Interreligious Chaplaincy program, click here. 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

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February 8, 2023

From Protests to Podcasts: Public Theology at United

For the past 60 years, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities has consistently engaged in public theology.  It has tethered its theology to current events and ongoing crises in the world, and engaged in protests, marches, plays and other artistic expressions, publications, politics, podcasts, and more. Public theology is embedded in United’s foundational makeup, and will continue to shape its students and leaders for generations to come. The Justice Shack, created by Hortense MacLeod (’15) and Colleen Cook (’15), is a visceral example. And, as President Molly Marshall states, “More than ever before, the world needs a seminary like United because we focus on today’s most important questions and urgent needs.” United’s History of Public Theology When introducing his public theology course at United, Professor Demian Wheeler offers a variety of ways to define public theology. No matter what expression it takes, public theology passes the litmus test when it is: 1) public, 2) incarnational, 3) interdisciplinary, 4) dialogical, 5) global, and 6) justice seeking.  In sum, Wheeler asserts, “Public theology is the tenacious refusal of parochialism in theology; public theologians refuse to theologize in isolation from the wider publics in which they are situated.” Put another way, public theology is “worldly theology, interpreting important social questions from a distinctly theological point of view and attending to issues that are pertinent to political life, economic life, cultural life, and other sectors of public life… Most importantly, public theology is theology that serves and supports the common good.”  Throughout its history, United—as represented by its faculty, students, and alums—has consistently engaged in public theology. Professors James Nelson and Wilson Yates were early public crusaders. In 1966, Nelson took students to Mississippi to support voter registration in underprivileged areas, and in 1972 he was among the first religious professionals to engage in the University of Minnesota’s Human Sexuality program. His ground-breaking 1978 book, Embodiment, boldly explored sexuality within the context of theology and cogently argued to end societal and religious discrimination against those in the LGBT community. Above is a photo from Nelson’s Human Sexuality course. Yates, for his part, was the first white student jailed in the Nashville sit-ins in 1960 (he is pictured on the left here)1. By 1971, he had introduced a White Racism workshop into the Christianity and Culture course. In late 1974, Yates, then Professor of Church and Community, secured funding from the Archie D. and Bertha H. Walker Foundation to develop resources for a Church and Race program.  Early on, students at United also practiced public theology. In 1967, 20 students demonstrated for civil rights and housing legislation in Milwaukee. A year later students and faculty demonstrated at the Minnesota Capitol on behalf of a fellow student who refused induction into the armed forces. Protests against the Vietnam War and attendance at memorial services were also common. The first few women enrolled at United staged their own protest against discrimination. Though the seminary instituted a policy of non-discrimination in February 1971, faculty members were (according to Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Rev. Dr. Arthur Merrill2) “both astounded and confounded when [just months later]…three women…confronted them with three demands which specifically affected women students.” In the intervening years, among other things, United has witnessed and advocated for the common good of ordaining all fit ministers irrespective of sexual orientation or gender identity or culture, safeguarding the future of undocumented minors, granting all loving couples the right to legally marry, working against violence and injustice, and preserving the earth for generations to come. In all cases, social justice work has found expression through art. Public Theology in Action Minister/Activist/Legislator Rev. Todd Lippert, a 2003 United graduate and the school’s 2020 Distinguished Alum, has consistently worked toward the common good as a United Church of Christ (UCC) pastor, an active member of ISAIAH (a statewide, nonpartisan coalition of faith communities and other community organizations fighting for racial and economic justice) and, from 2018–2022, a Minnesota state legislator. With ISAIAH, Lippert focuses on helping immigrants by building coalitions and advancing policy proposals. Speaking about his foray into politics, Lippert says, “I got involved in politics because I believe in the Common Good. Good for a few isn’t good enough.” These days, he is also a Community Minister at Creekside Church, a UCC-affiliated church in Minneapolis. The role, Lippert explains, “involves taking the ministry of Mayflower Church into the world in specific ways.…[T]o address our biggest challenges—halting climate change, realizing racial and gender equality, and dismantling poverty—we must be able to see God’s presence in our neighbors, no matter the color of their skin, their gender identity, or where they live. As we do, we can build more powerful coalitions that will allow us to take on corporate greed more effectively.” The United alum and trustee who nominated Todd for the 2020 Distinguished Alum award is Rev. Dr. Karen Smith Sellers (’76, ’13). In sharing why she nominated Todd, Sellers states, “Todd models brilliantly the ways in which a graduate theological education at United Theological Seminary prepares one for effective leadership in diverse sectors.” Teacher/Activist/Online Church Founder Rev. Dr. Bryan Demeritte, a 2005 alum and adjunct professor at United, recognized a deep need for access to a certain kind of spiritual home and sought to minister to an international audience. The idea for Wild Goose International, as it came to be known, took flight in 2018. As he explains it, Wild Goose was launched at the “intersection of three main public needs with respect to the Progressive Christian movement.” First, there is a paucity of progressive Christian communities in many countries “and even on entire continents.” As a public figure, Demeritte received numerous requests to create an international “progressive Christian worship and a pastoral/community of faith presence on social media.” Second, a significant number of places in North America are bereft of progressive spiritual church homes, and some people are unable or disinclined to venture into public for myriad reasons. Third, with the advent of online-only ministries over the last decade or more, many would-be parishioners have grown comfortable with that format.  Wild Goose—so named, notes Demeritte, “because of the indigenous traditions around the world that see the image of the goose as one of the Holy Spirit, instead of the traditional dove”—continued to minister to an international LGBTQIA+ faith community until the second year of the pandemic when churches had become more adept at their new model of online programming—one that coincidentally allowed more people to access services. Of his former role with Wild Goose, Bryan asserts, “United’s unique focus on pastoral education, assisted in deep self-reflection, so that those formative processes could reveal summative growth as an ordained leader in congregational ministry.” Minister/Organizer/Activist In 2011, when Rev. Terri Burnor (’15) began her journey at United, she explained that her life to that point was “pretty ordinary, in the most mainstream definition of ordinary.” Once she witnessed faculty and alums “living out their values in profound ways,” Burnor charted her own path of public theology through acting in solidarity with frontline communities. As a participant, intern, minister, and organizer, Burnor has worked with several social justice groups. She was involved with the Poor People’s Campaign, a national movement that unites people to “challenge the evils of systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, ecological devastation, and the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism.” Other involvements include the Minnesota Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, the Worthy Now Prison Ministry Network, and Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light, where Burnor currently serves as senior movement builder. Burnor has also answered the call to show up on the streets and at the State Capitol. Movements she has stood up (or sat down) for include climate justice and Indigenous rights,  supporting protection for undocumented immigrants, securing rights for individuals to make their own reproductive choices, and providing people in prison with religious freedom and the message that they are worthy of love and justice. In 2012, when Minnesotans were asked to vote on a marriage amendment that would ban same-sex marriage, Burnor turned her car into a roving billboard for the “VOTE NO” movement. “We’re a small institution,” Burnor declares, “and yet, when you’re out on the street and in relationship with grassroots organizers, we’re the ones that show up. We’re the ones that you’ll see there. That to me is a testament to who we are as a school.” Counselor/Theologian/Podcaster On his podcast website, A People’s Theology, Rev. Mason Mennenga (’22) describes himself as “an aspiring theologian, podcaster, YouTuber, and the internet’s youth pastor.” Mennenga actually runs two podcasts, posts short-form content on YouTube, and shares some of his past writing. He is also a Colorado-based admissions counselor for United. By its very nature, podcasting is a public performance, and Mason uses this public space to explore intersections between scripture and lived experience. As he explains it, “I wanted to have conversations about theology with people who are doing inspiring and liberating work in the world, and I wanted people, regardless of their theological backgrounds, to be able to join the conversations.” His October 12, 2022 podcast, for example, features Karen González, author of the newly published book Beyond Welcome: Centering Immigrants in Our Christian Response to Immigration. González, who emigrated from Guatemala with her family when she was a child,  is a speaker, writer, and immigrant advocate who attended Fuller Theological Seminary and is currently working on her PhD in Christian Ethics. In the episode, González discusses the way in which her emigration to the U.S. as a child has made her feel as though she does not fully belong in her native Guatemala, or in the U.S. The liminal space she inhabits helps her to write compellingly about the immigrant experience, and she cites texts and stories that show how deeply important the care and succor of immigrants was in the Bible. Yet, she asserts, churches largely ignore this foundational directive for mercy and kindness. Drawing on works from indigenous theologians, González also argues that the western view of property rights is antithetical to God’s vision for the responsible interdependent relationship that should exist between nature and humans. “It is biblical,” she says, “to view the land as not belonging to us.” In another podcast, Mason discusses ways to further social justice with Jamie McGhee and Adam Hollowell, authors of You Mean It or You Don’t: James Baldwin’s Radical Challenge. Episodes also cover topics including homelessness, the role of protest in advancing justice, disability justice, racial justice and more.  A wide range of theologians have appeared on the podcast, including Dr. Diana Butler Bass, Dr. Monica Coleman, Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney, Rev. Dr. Yolanda Pierce, and Dr. Robyn Henderson-Espinoza. Over time, A People’s Theology has risen to rank among the top one percent of all podcasts.  So You Want to Be a Public Theologian? The need for informed discourse in the current morass of division and injustice, as in past eras, will not let leaders be still—leaders like you. United welcomes you to this fascinating and ever-growing field of study. To learn more, consider a degree program or get in touch with Dr. Wheeler. 1. Virgil Glenn, 19, right, carrying a pro-segregation sign, shouts angrily at Wilson Yates, a 23-year-old Vanderbilt University divinity student bearing an anti-segregation poster as both pro and anti-segregation pickets marched up and down the Memorial Square in downtown Nashville April 11, 1960. JACK CORN / THE TENNESSEAN 2.  Merrill, Arthur L. United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities: An Ecumenical Venture (New York: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1993), 189.]

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January 11, 2023

United’s Distance Learning Success Story

Do you feel called to faith or justice leadership, but want to stay rooted in your community? You need a seminary that fits your needs. At United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, our state-of-the-art technology allows students from around the world to study online while: Becoming an involved member of the United community and classroom Gaining a world-class progressive education Accessing support from peers, staff, and faculty Training to become an impactful leader Why United Has an Edge Innovation is part of United’s DNA. Forged during the volatile social climate of the 1960s, United was never envisioned as a monolithic organization. From its inception, the seminary has demonstrated an intentionality of advancing public theology to stay current with the times, moving toward a more diverse faculty and student body—by faith traditions, gender, orientation and expression, ethnic background, life phase, and geographic location. By extending United’s reach into a national and global sphere, we are leaning into our values of interreligious and intercultural engagement. At the same time, we are uniquely poised to equip our students to lead and minister toward justice and peace in a multi-faith world. We offer flexibility. In the fall of 2022, the average age of a United student was 43. Many of our students have life circumstances that make compulsory in-person attendance difficult, as they are rooted in their communities—homes where they want to stay and make an impact. Lisbeth Melendez Rivera—a 35+ year veteran of social justice work, and recent candidate for city council in Hyattville, Maryland—worked on a Master's degree while living on the East Coast. “I’ve conducted my entire learning experience on Zoom,” she shares, “and it has been a fantastic experience.” Being able to learn from a distance was essential for Rivera. “I was able to work and get assistance from my union to complete my studies,” she explains. If she were required to move, Rivera adds, “that would not have been possible.” Our leadership promotes transformation through distance learning. Our technological investment was a calculated plan, and not a sudden pandemic-inspired shift. United, when it moved in 2019 to its Saint Paul home in the CASE building, deliberately advanced its technological capabilities in the new space. The city-centered campus, with its modern and tech-friendly design, is near light rail and bus routes. As such, it is far more accessible for both commuters and distance learners. Pictured at left, Rev. Mason Mennenga—a United alum, employee, and podcast host of A People’s Theology—admits that the seminary has a “Zoom culture.” “It’s a great thing,” he adds. “Our distance students feel like there is a distinct community built among them. This is especially rare for seminaries and there is a reason why we often have students transfer from other distance programs to ours, because we offer a leading distance program. In fact, we have been doing Zoom courses for almost five years, well before the pandemic, so we have been able to develop a community of students over Zoom far longer than other seminaries.” The Nuts and Bolts Synchronous classes allow for discussions in real time. Each one of our classrooms has high-quality microphones, high-definition cameras, and flatscreen TVs so that the online/in-person interaction in the classrooms is as seamless as possible. As one recent distance learning graduate asserts, “distance learning worked for me because I always felt like I was a part of the United community.” Asynchronous pedagogy—a modality that allows students to access content and move at their own pace—is the most flexible option for our faculty and students. It also allows students and faculty to be a little more creative. For asynchronous classes, as Associate Professor of Theology and the Arts Dr. Jennifer Awes Freeman explains, she creates a personal introduction (sometimes on video) and invites her students to create and post their own introductions. These self-directed introductions allow students to discover commonalities as well as unique points of interest and start to form a community. Awes Freeman adds, “In my course design and interactions with students, I strive to create an accessible, transparent, and collaborative learning environment. Regular and open communication, coupled with responsive pedagogy (such as incorporating additional resources in response to student questions), helps to foster learning online.” Rivera (pictured at right) notes that she has been able to meaningfully connect with United’s faculty and fellow students online. She also “highly values” the opportunities she had to serve on the Student Leadership Council, take part in the Committee Advocating for Racial Justice (CARJ), and meet one-on-one with faculty. Rivera even organized an online “pancake breakfast” with her fellow students. “I asked, as part of my project, for my classmates to help me organize a common space where each student brought their favorite pancakes, or something that met their dietary requirements, with extra servings to share.” Students find ways to make community, both when they are online and on campus. Synchronous classes allow for discussions in real time. Each one of our classrooms has high-quality microphones, high-definition cameras, and flatscreen TVs so that the online/in person interaction in the classrooms is as seamless as possible. United also has a selection of library resources available online, including eBooks and journal articles. Dr. Tim Sena, director of the Spencer Library, notes that he is “working on increasing the number of these resources all the time.” The pandemic also created an impetus to make the online library even more accessible. Translating Online Learning to Ministry United is educating leaders to serve in many impactful ways—congregational ministry, chaplaincy, nonprofits, arts organizations, public policy roles, academia, social services, and more. Our unique curriculum, which incorporates social transformation, the arts, and interreligious dialogue, helps to better inform and ground advocates for justice, equity, inclusion, and love for all. As one alum has stated, “United understands that students are not solely called to preach and teach within the walls of an institution, but to take our witness into the public square.” On a more practical level, all students—whether distant or on campus—have chances to take leadership roles in student affinity groups, the student leadership council, United chapel services, and other events that United hosts live and via livestream. With help from our chaplain, students also have access to personal counseling and CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education), an interfaith hands-on learning practicum. What’s more, all that technology is increasingly part and parcel of ministries, nonprofits, and many other businesses today. Notes one 2022 graduate, “Technology is a huge part of ministry, and United prepared me to hit the ground running in my new church home.” Those who founded United Theological Seminary were uniquely prescient in their vision for aligning the new seminary with the newly formed United Church of Christ. Steeped in the turmoil of the 1960s, the founders recognized the importance of an ecumenical seminary, foresaw “professional preparation of men and women (emphasis added),” and dedicated themselves to providing “the most adequate program of theological education possible.”¹ Sixty years later, as our nation calls for racial justice and slowly recovers from the unprecedented pain of a worldwide multi-year pandemic, United’s students, alums, and faculty have been creative, ethical, and compassionate leaders. Girded with our foundational values and modern technology, we have learned to lead worship in new ways, coordinate public forums, work to transform society, minister to hurt communities, and keep providing quality theological education in person and through distance learning. 1.  Merrill, Arthur L. United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities: An Ecumenical Venture (New York: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1993), 287–288.]

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November 23, 2022

Art as a Companion on the Spiritual Journey

In these remarks, I am concerned with spirituality and the character of the spiritual journey with a recognition of the arts and their importance as companions on this journey—as companions on our religious pilgrimage. Some of you now reading this brief writing were my students and, perhaps, remember the tenor of these remarks. An earlier version was part of an essay I wrote for ARTS, 24:1, 2012–13. Our spiritual pilgrimage or journey is a deep and profound undertaking, for it has to do with the religious questions we seek answers to as we live within the arc of religious faith with its stories, beliefs, images, and community. It has to do with our search for the ultimate meaning of our lives and with the moral life that our spirituality embodies and gives shape to. And, perhaps most significantly, it has to do with the acceptance or denial of a relationship to God or of another primal source of life. What emerges from such engagement is a spirituality that gives definition to who we finally are as religious individuals, as religious people. This journey, as a journey of a spiritual pilgrim, is a serious undertaking and precisely because of that it is much more than the journey of spiritual tourists who dip into the religious scene when such dips are in season or who go to mountain tops to gain a better view of God. Rather it is an ongoing pilgrimage marked by continuity and commitment, struggle and insight—with insight that can offer a new way of seeing. It is the greatest journey of our lives, for it is concerned with matters of the ultimate meaning and destiny of our lives. But it is also a journey that needs understanding and discipline else it loses itself in the briar patch of spiritual gurus or secular solutions sold in pious wrap. The spiritual pilgrimage is fraught with difficult questions. It is a journey concerned with the purpose of our being on this earth, with the struggle to define ourselves amidst the brokenness and alienation we experience; it is concerned with our efforts to live a morally responsible life even as the ambiguity of moral action mires us into inaction; and it is a journey where we seek to understand and be present to Whoever God is whether a God removed beyond all of history, all of our comprehension, or a God present within us stirring us as with eagle wings that we might awaken to the possibility of new life. Or a God who is both.  The spiritual journey is not an easy one for those of us who live everyday lives in a secular world, for it calls us to go beyond or, if you will, to go beneath the surface of everydayness. It calls us to commune not with the lightness of being but with the Depths of Being, not with the piety of being but with the threat of non-being, not with the domestication of being but with the startling glimpse of the Ground of Being—of the Spirit of God. A glimpse that comes in our moments of seeing—seeing the petal of the first crocus through the light of the winter’s snow; seeing in a Rembrandt painting the power of Christ’s face to engage us; seeing in our anguish the fall of a black boy’s body from a police bullet’s pierce; seeing in the face of a Ukrainian mother’s tears that which shakes us and bruises our soul. We are given a glimpse of the God who will be there in our facing and living with the mystery of life itself, who will be there in the dark morning light of sleeplessness—a glimpse of the God who will be there in our reaching out to the other in a gesture of kindness, of help, of reassurance. The spiritual experience: it is there in the deep red bloom born on the crooked branches of the blooming Weigela that speak of the crucifixion. But, you see, it is there too, as you listen to the laughter of a child.  How to describe our venture? It is a pilgrimage, a journey of experiences in which we encounter both the frightening fall into the abyss of uncertainty and destructiveness, as well as the joyous moments of the Spirit touching our hearts. And within this paradox we find our spiritual home. Our spiritual journey. If we choose to undertake it with seriousness then it will move us into the interior spaces of our life as well as that world that seems beyond our grasp; into the dark night of the soul and into the peace that passeth all understanding. It invites us to know that with love comes kindness and mercy, comes our seeking justice in the world—justice that is the social face of love. And our journey invites us to hone that love in the virtues of kindness and courage, forgiveness, and sometimes, before reconciliation and forgiveness are even possible, anger at what innocent people of the world are asked to endure in the face of the evil marshaled against them.  And what of the arts?    A simple assertion: the arts are good and important companions on our spiritual journey. Few would disagree. But I would press the matter further by saying that the arts are not only important companions but are crucial companions upon which we are dependent. For through them—through the sound of notes from the violin and voice; through the images cast in glass and paint, stone and fabric, wood and metal; through the movement of the body in gesture and dance; through the metaphor of poetry, the narrative of story, and the dramatic moment of the play;  through the form and shape given in architecture; through the very art that is the liturgy itself—if we engage them fully in a communion of dialogue, they will enable us to understand the contours of our religious faith; to see judgment proclaimed against idolatry and injustice; they will invite us to experience the Divine and create space for the Spirit to move in our soul; and they will help us envision a world made whole. And that after all, lies at the heart of our pilgrimage. The arts become crucial companions when we realize that works of art—mundane, profane human creations—can become burning bushes that tell us to remove our sandals for we are standing on holy ground, tell us that the One that is “I Am,” the Holy Living God, will speak to us through image and sound, gesture and story, form and space. To make the point even more pointed, I wish to take worship and its dependence on the arts. We have alluded to the relationship. A continuing albeit brief visit is in order.    Leading to the place of worship, we encounter the architecture of the building whether a rising neo-gothic tower or a storefront church with a cross above the door and, upon entering, worship within the aesthetic design of liturgical space whether simple or elaborate, whether a high altar or a bold central communion table, whether pews seated in rows or chairs in a moon-crest of a circle. We see the minister with a robe and stole and see the paraments on the communion table and pulpit—all forms of fabric art. We know the rudiments of dance in our acts of standing, sitting, folding of hands, bowing of heads, kneeling in prayer—all performed in unison, a choreography of body movement.  We participate in music as we listen to instruments and the choir and as we join in the singing of hymns; we experience the literary arts in the hearing of stories from the Hebrew scriptures and the Christian gospels, from worldly stories and poetry from the Psalms; we see the craft arts in carved wood and pottery, in the shape of the communion cup; we see the visual arts in stained glass and paintings, in sculptures and wood carvings, in the shape of furniture and the color of banners. We engage in a drama in which we are the actors, for worship, Kierkegaard insisted, is a religious drama performed in the presence of God. All worship of whatever religious tradition is a reenactment of the tradition’s religious story that draws on the arts for its expression. It is not difficult to see how they are crucial to the worship of a people and become necessary forms in the person’s spiritual experience and formation, whether we are speaking of the simplicity of a Quaker Meeting or the elaborateness of an Eastern Orthodox Mass. They may lead us to revolutionary commitment, or they may engage us in reaffirming the traditions of our faith—or perhaps, by necessity, both. Either way, the arts, as earthen vessels, will shape, in the worship life of a people, the relationship we will have with ourselves, with nature, with the world, with God. The arts can offer hallowing moments, can become burning bushes in our pilgrimage. They can call us into quietness and call us to act in the face of inequities and injustice. You will find the arts, therefore, to be good, indeed, necessary companions on your spiritual pilgrimage.

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September 1, 2022

John Aeschbury: United’s 2022 Distinguished Alum

United celebrates 2022 Distinguished Alum John Aeschbury! Since his graduation in 1985, John has lived deeply into United’s missional values. He started out as Pastor and Teacher of Hale United Church of Christ in inner-city Dayton, Ohio. In the late 1980s, moved to more fully live out the call to do justice, John gathered clergy and lay leaders to talk about building a congregation-based community organization in Dayton. Soon he was the first head organizer of Leaders for Equality and Action in Dayton (LEAD) in 1990. In 1996, John founded and became the lead organizer of a group in Columbus, Ohio called B.R.E.A.D (Building Responsibility, Equality and Dignity.) In 2008, B.R.E.A.D.—as part of a statewide coalition—kicked off a campaign that resulted in capping the soaring interest rates on payday loans at 28 percent. In this campaign and dozens of others, thousands of congregational members gathered and challenged public officials to take specific, concrete action. Both LEAD and B.R.E.A.D were part of the DART (Direct Action and Research Training) network. DART’s mission is to engage congregations in doing justice. DART is rooted in diverse faith traditions and creates a space where members can find common ground in values of justice and fairness. DART trains community leaders and professional organizers to build power and take direct action on problems facing their communities, so that all people are treated with the respect and dignity that various faith traditions tell us they deserve. Congregations learn to advocate for justice and policy changes on the local and statewide level. Recognizing John’s success and justice for passion, DART’s Board of Directors asked John to use his skills as the executive director when the founding executive retired. Today the DART network includes 31 grassroots organizations that bring people together across racial, religious, and socioeconomic lines to pursue justice. Reflecting on the work of DART in Florida, alums Revs. Judy ('86) and Brian ('96) Bagley-Bonner write, “DART is doing an inspiring and powerfully effective job of 'doing justice.' " Judy and Brian’s church, Faith UCC in Bradenton, was a founding member of the DART affiliate in Manatee County, Florida. They write, “We watched DART stretch the perspectives of our congregants, light them with the flame of justice, and change unjust policies in Manatee County.” Ultimately, what is most important to John and his colleagues in DART are the people they engage. Of his work John writes, “I started as a full-time community organizer in Dayton, Ohio in 1990. Since that time, I have worked with grassroots leaders and organizers on any number of winning campaigns that addressed serious community problems related to housing, education, crime, healthcare, and payday lending, among others." He continues, "The issue victories are tremendous. What is just as important are the relationships with grassroots people in Dayton, Columbus, and now all of the cities of the DART network. There are a lot of reasons these days to be discouraged about progress towards justice. The relationships are deeply encouraging. I am so happy to be in the fight for justice with all of these people.” Through the work of DART, hundreds of clergy and thousands of lay people have gotten involved in justice ministry in the last decade. They have learned to build relationships, to read scripture from a collective justice perspective, to negotiate with public officials, and to build and use power. Since 2013, under John’s executive leadership, DART has grown from 20 affiliates in six states to 30 affiliates in ten states including Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Currently more than 600 congregations are part of DART and the network continues to grow so that the work of justice might continue to flourish. In a letter of support for John’s nomination, Dr. Walter Brueggemann, Professor Emeritus at Columbia Theological Seminary, writes, ”John Aseschbury is a community organizer of the first rank. He has found effective ways to translate our common passion for social justice into concrete community-based transformative action. Not only is he wise about such work, but in his quiet way he is effective in mobilizing, equipping, and supporting others to do the work as well. He is deeply church based, but manages to open his work to move beyond the church for the sake of the community." He is, Dr. Brueggemann adds, "of course, a person of high integrity, deep faith, and honest conviction, all marks that make him a winsome candidate for the award. In honoring John, the seminary will surely bring honor to itself. I commend him for this award with immense enthusiasm.” In nominating John for the Distinguished Alum award, Judy (‘86) and Brian (‘96) Bagley-Bonner reflected on the Biblical mandate “to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.” They note that the church has excelled at the latter two, but has often failed to live up to God’s call to bring justice to a world awash in its painful absence. Thankfully, there are those, like John, who dedicate their entire ministry to equipping the church to fulfill this call and inspire others to claim this view. Join us in celebrating and congratulating John as this year’s Distinguished Alum!

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August 11, 2022

Making the Most of Community: Damen Jensen-Heitmann Balances Brewing and Ministry

To hear him talk, Damen Jensen-Heitmann has had pastoral aspirations since he was confirmed in the Trinity United Church of Christ in rural Marengo, Iowa in seventh grade. He grew up in a small town nearby (Victor, population about 950), and remembers that his church family helped him to feel cared for and supported. Now, decades later, Damen is the one offering care—both as a pastor and the co-owner of Steeple Brewing Co. in Hastings, Nebraska.  Just how did Damen become a pastor and brew master in Nebraska? Slowly and serendipitously. The key was community.  A Long and Winding Road After high school, Damen attended Wartburg College, a private Lutheran liberal arts college in Waverly, Iowa. He started out in television production, and then switched to elementary education with a science emphasis. After he realized he loved kids but did not want to have them under his charge every day, he switched his major a third time—to religion—so he could graduate on time. As Damen admits, it was “part homecoming and part happy accident.”  So, was seminary next? Not yet. Damen decided to do a year of service after college, so he joined AmeriCorps and became a VISTA worker at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Fortunately, it was during this volunteer year that fortuitous forces began to turn the trajectory of Damen’s life toward greater service and abundant community. “I realized,” Damen explains, “that I did not think I would ever know what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I knew what I wanted the world to be. I wanted the world to be all the things that the Christian faith espouses—a place of hospitality, a place of love and welcome, and a place of peace, kindness, and justice.” Choosing United Since he had grown up in and been confirmed in a UCC church, Damen knew about United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. The UCC connection was important, and since he was already in Minnesota, United was the obvious choice. At United, Damen found the community that would shape him as a pastor and lead to his career in brewing. A classmate, Lindsey Kluver (MA '09), and her husband Thomas—a couple from Nebraska—became close friends. Thomas, it turns out, was a dedicated home brewer. As he was going through seminary, Damen learned about brewing beer from Thomas, and discerned his call to ministry through United. He graduated with a Master of Divinity in 2009.  Moving to Nebraska Lindsey (pictured at left with Damen) and Thomas moved back to Nebraska after she graduated, and Damen accepted his first call as a pastor at First United Church in Little Falls, Minnesota—a small town in central Minnesota where famed aviator Charles Lindbergh grew up. He served in Little Falls from 2010 to 2014, a time in Minnesota when the number of craft breweries was starting to surge. At that point, Lindsey emailed Damen from Nebraska about a job opening. Hastings College, the school that both she and Thomas attended before coming to Minnesota, was looking for a chaplain to serve its students. Ready for his next call and eager to reconnect with his friends, Damen applied for and secured the chaplain position.  Next, Damen shares, “I got to Hastings…and thought this town needs a bicycle shop, better donuts, and better beer. So I started working on the one I could actually work on; I could start a brewery.” To do that, he enlisted help from his friend Thomas, and Thomas’ friend, Anthony May, a 2006 Hastings College graduate and co-owner of a local marketing firm.  By the end of 2017, Steeple Brewing Co. had become a reality and Damen had started part-time as an associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church where he worked with senior high youth, preached once a month, and promoted mission activities. He was also still working as Hastings College's chaplain. Steeple Brewing Co.  An Omaha World-Herald story dated October 2, 2017, profiled the recently launched Steeple Brewing Co. Titled “Beer and Faith Go Hand in Hand at Steeple Brewing in Hastings, Where Head Brewer is a Minister,” it opens as follows: “When you think about it, the minister said, church and beer have a few things in common. “Brewing does, after all, require certain virtues: patience (for the weeks required for the beer to ferment) and faith (that a host of unknowns won’t spoil a batch). “But most importantly, beer brings people together much the way that church does. It’s a reason for people to meet, to talk, to support each other.” The brewery (pictured at right) is located in a former gun shop in downtown Hastings and has a deliberate, church-like feel. Under a wood-beamed ceiling (very reminiscent of a chapel), patrons sit in pews, and a long wooden Communion rail divides the taproom.  The beers themselves are characters drawn from Damen’s time growing up and pastoring in small-town churches. For example, Lighten Up, Earl – A Mellow Pale Ale, has this back story: “There is a fine line between ornery and grouch, persistent and obstinate, stalwart and stubborn old stick in the mud. Earl crossed them all and didn’t care. Perhaps this smooth pale ale would help Earl lighten up. It’s just cookies after church. It’s not the end of the world.”  The popular Kitchen Kerfuffle – An Easy Drinkin’ Cream Ale hearkens back to the calculated chaos of conscientious church committee members who superintend special occasions such as church potlucks and post-funeral receptions. The description for this ale suggests, “This easy-to-drink cream ale is something everyone can agree on. Just be sure to put everything back exactly where you found it!” Other options include Bats in the Belfry – A Nutty Brown Ale; Divine Lite – A Tried & True American Lager; Wayne Fell Asleep (Again) – A Deep, Restful Porter; and Skip the Last Verse – A Hurry-up Hefeweizen. A Church Life Balance Since Steeple Brewing Co. opened its doors in 2017, a lot has changed. Damen married his long-time girlfriend, Hannah Jensen, in 2020, and the COVID-19 pandemic radically altered life in 2020, 2021, and into 2022. Fortunately, Damen is now a full-time associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Hastings, and Steeple Brewing Co. is still in business. There are similarities to the challenges the pandemic posed for both the church and the brewery. There was the issue of how to “get the product to the people,” as Damen puts it. Happily, he adds, the “church and brewery were beneficiaries of strong community spirit and abundant energy around problem-solving.” Creativity, applied intentionally, gave rise to new methods of serving congregants and patrons.  Of course, there were church services on Zoom, but the church organized outdoor worship services too and found other ways—including regular podcasts—to reach out. The brewery switched to carry-out sales of crowlers and growlers for its local customers. They also organized delivery nights in surrounding towns where patrons could come to a set location and pick up their beer orders.  Steeple Brewing also gives Damen a chance to practice self-care. On a brewing day, he typically goes into the pub at 5:00 a.m. by himself and enjoys the quiet and productive solitude of brewing until noon or 1:00 p.m. It’s a set time when he can engage in what he describes as a “more tactile and tangible form of creativity” than his usual work.  Ministry, by contrast, is more of an ongoing “faith life journey.” And while each sermon and lesson for the youth of the church may be finely tuned to current life realities, they are all still part of an inclusive rubric of faith and pastoring. When brewing, as Damen puts it, “You make a beer and it’s done.” How has United helped prepare him for the rewarding adventure of ministry—serving Presbyterian parishioners and brew pub patrons? “One of the biggest ways United prepared me for ministry,” Damen states, “was by instilling in me a deeply held conviction to hold the perspectives of others and experiences of others in high regard.” What has he learned since living and working in Hastings? “In both realms,” he asserts, “it’s nice to have partners I can rely on and trust.” He continues, “It has a lot to do with building community. To survive as humans, we must learn how to relate to one another, perceive one another, and help one another. That is a big part of pastoring a congregation. How do we facilitate a healthy, loving, peaceful community within the church? And then, how do we carry that outside the church walls? How do our members embrace others in the community and foster kind and loving relationships outside of church?” The opening lines of the Steeple Brewing Philosophy statement suggest this idea of community most succinctly: “What is a beer? A beer is an invitation. It’s a call to community. It is an opportunity to share just a few moments of life with one another…. A beer is a reminder that life is to be shared; that we are asked to care for one another.”

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July 15, 2022

United Faculty Recommended Books for Incoming Seminarians (Summer 22)

As incoming students get ready to embark on their seminary journey this fall, faculty members took a moment to consider books they read at the beginning of their journey, or books they wish they’d read at the beginning. While you will soon have plenty of reading once the semester starts, here are a few books to whet your appetite between now and September! If you are searching for spiritual and vocational direction...  Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker J. Palmer Recommended by President Molly T. Marshall, “I have been recommending this book for beginning students since 1999, the year it was published. It is primarily about discernment and how we move toward living the life that is ours to live, not what we think others expect of us. It is a call to authenticity as we learn to listen to and value our true selves.”   Experiences in Theology: Ways and Forms of Christian Theology by Jurgen Moltmann Moltmann integrates his own biography with his theological questions. Memorable is the line: "the road emerged as I walked on it" as he recounts his journey.   If you are trying to figure out what on earth it is we're actually doing at a seminary, Rev. Dr. Andrew Packman suggests the following excellent reads: Vulnerability and Glory: A Theological Account by Kristine A. Culp Feminist theological Kristine Culp shows us what theology can do when it poses old questions in a fresh way. She finds that Christian theology has much more to say about the possibilities for resistance and delight in light of our vulnerability to forces that alternatively threaten and transform us.    Sacred Attunement: A Jewish Theology by Michael Fishbane This book is what happens when a world-renowned scholar of the Hebrew Bible and rabbinic literature distills his immense knowledge into a short, provocative account of spiritual life.   My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer  by Christian Wiman Wiman probes the theological depths of his experience with cancer. Death and suffering haunt this beautifully written book and it is in his honest and unflinching confrontation with his own mortality that Wilman discovers a religious faith worth clinging to. If you can’t wait to dive into religious history:    Reformations: The Early Modern World, 1450-1650 by Carlos Eire Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean Dr. Kyle Roberts says, “Let me recommend a very well-written book on the history of the Protestant and Catholic reformations. It's a very enjoyable and thorough narrative of the transformation in religion and society prompted by sweeping changes in theological perspectives, interpretation of religious texts, and the intertwining of politics and religious beliefs and practices.”   If you’re interested in Queer and Trans theology:   Queer Religiosities: An Introduction to Queer and Transgender Studies in Religion by Melissa M. Wilcox Recommended by Rev. Dr. Justin Sabia-Tanis, an introduction to Queer and Trans topics in religion and religious history.   If you’re ready to make an impact through social transformation:   Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God by Kelly Brown Douglas Recommended by Rev. Dr. Gary F. Green, this book materializes white supremacy in helpful but troubling ways.   Another Way: Living and Leading Change on Purpose by Lewis, Williams, and Baker Recommended by Rev. Dr. Justin Sabia-Tanis for those planning to enter the Social Transformation program. If you're pursuing chaplaincy, Rev. Dr. Jessica Chapman Lape recommends:   Paging God: Religion in the Halls of Medicine by Wendy Cage   A Handbook of Chaplaincy Studies edited by Swift, Cobb, and Todd   How to Get the Most Out of Clinical Pastoral Education: A CPE Primer by Gardon Hilsman   If you are passionate about theology and the arts:   Visual Theology: Forming and Transforming the Community through the Arts edited by Robin M. Jensen and Kimberly Vrudny Dr. Jennifer Awes Freeman recommends this book in part because it is dedicated to Wilson Yates, emeritus professor at United and one of the foundational thinkers in the study of theology and the arts.   For those specifically interested in theopoetics, Dr. Awes-Freeman also recommends... A Beautiful Bricolage: Theopoetics as God-Talk for our Time by Silas C. Krabbe   Way to Water: A Theopoetics Primer by L. Callid Keefe-Perry.     If you’re interested in congregational ministry and preaching, Rev. Dr. Gary Green recommends:   The Homiletical Plot: The Sermon as Narrative Art Form by Eugene L. Lowry

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July 12, 2022
Arts

Queer Theofuturism: A Community Coloring Book, vol. 2

In October 2021 (which was LGBTQ history month), the Theology and the Arts Program solicited art from the community to create the second volume of The Queer Theofuturism Coloring Book. We're sharing the PDF for free download in honor of Pride month now. The history of the surviving and thriving of LGBTQ people in the US has been shaped by folks who imagined new ways of seeing, loving, being, and connecting with the holy. In the United tradition of play and creativity, we invited all students, staff, faculty, and alums to submit line drawings that reimagine myths, sacred stories, or any spiritual or religious images in ways that challenge and play with assumptions about gender, bodies, love, and spirituality. We encouraged folks to reimagine old stories and see what might be possible for a future that is more just, more colorful, and includes all of us.  (Due to the openness in submissions and our value for freedom of expression, some of the artwork in the coloring book may not be safe for work or appropriate for all ages, as some of the images include nudity or sexual themes.)

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June 6, 2022

Indonesian Minister Interweaves Lessons from Home and United

Ordained as Reverend of Indonesia’s East Java Christian Church (Greja Kristen Jawi Wetan) in 2005, doctoral student Hardiyan “Adi” Triasmoroadi leads through three interwoven fundamental ecclesiological principles. He calls them the “3M theses.” They are: Mengatur (regulating), Membebaskan (liberating), and Merengkuh (embracing).  He came to United to examine, test, and further develop the "3M theses" through a new lens and perspective. In his many leadership roles at the church and synod, Adi keeps these principles in mind. He is secretary of the church order revision team, convenes the synod’s organizational and managerial team, and facilitates a new retreat house (Kori Menga—Javanese for open door), all while attending United via distance learning. Adi was first drawn to United in 2017 when he met beloved United professor Dr. Eleazar Fernandez at the Global Institute of Theology sponsored by the World Communion of Reformed Churches in Wuppertal, Germany. In 2021, when Adi’s synod gave him a chance to expand his education, he immediately chose United. Still, the path he’s chosen has distinct challenges. So how does Adi manage to bridge the cultural, time zone, language, and myriad other differences between his church life in Indonesia and seminary work at United? “It was not easy,” he admits, “but I’m grateful for this opportunity.” “I feel like this is me being forged. The distance learning United offered has not been making me live out of my context. I’m able to inhale local concerns and breathe in my church’s challenges. At the same time, I’m able to inhale the insight I’ve gotten from classes and exhale solutions that contribute to my synod and my ministerial setting. “I am grounded in local action and church context while at the same time I have a chance to drink from the cup of wealth offered by United’s professors’ and classmates’ wisdom. This hybrid process and multidirectional perspectives I have gotten has inextricably enriched my pilgrimage and my spiritual foundation as Reverend of the East Java Christian Church.” United’s focus on art and creativity is another touchstone for Adi. A drummer and percussionist, he is also interested in music and theatrical performance art for liturgical purposes. “I love to sketch,” Adi adds, “since my last fall course encouraged me to retrieve my doodling spirit.” In addition to being a student and church reverend, Adi is a devoted husband and the father of two children, 12-year-old Adhya and his eight-year-old sister, Lulu. He describes his mother as a “warrior princess” for working to make sure he received a quality education. “Her persistence,” Adi asserts, “inspired me to courageously face every obstacle in life.” Adi faces the logistical trials of juggling family, work, and school. Recent global and national challenges have included the pandemic and sectarian violence in his country. These devastating environmental factors have brought Adi’s church, he reports, to a liminal or transitional space. “Liminality,” Adi observes, “is an opportunity from which I can learn to pause, embrace the Unknown, celebrate the Mystery, and enter discernment space through United Seminary.” “I hope,” he adds, “United empowers and navigates me to walk the unknown path through its intertwined perspectives on arts, theology, and social transformation. With the help of United’s progressive and constructive character, hopefully, I can listen mindfully to my church problems, map our past glorious and bad time stories, embrace trauma and uncertainty, clearly see the reality, and reveal the soul of my own church organization.” Taking lessons from Mary Magdalene—the apotola apostolorum, or apostle to the apostles—Adi concludes that “being a vulnerable pastor and leader is a must.…In such a crisis that brings humankind to the depth of trauma and misery, a vulnerable leader who compassionately and passionately ministers from the margin, rooted in the awareness of Jesus’ path, is urgently needed. With the help of United Seminary, hopefully, I can fulfill that expectation and diligently work on it!”

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May 5, 2022

The JoJos: Building a Life of Faith and Connection

The JoJos from left to right: Karen Larson (’12), LuAnn Sulimann (’11), Zoe Kuester (’11),  Ruth C. MacKenzie (’11) and Jackie Falk (’12) How does the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities foster community? The JoJos—five women who attended the seminary more than a decade ago—are a perfect example. Each came to the seminary heeding a call to service that could not be denied. At United they found their purpose and each other. LuAnn Sulimann (’11, MDiv) grew up in Iowa within a Roman Catholic family. After getting married, moving to Minnesota, and raising her children in a Lutheran church, LuAnn began to question her beliefs. A pastor suggested she attend United to investigate her faith more fully. Originally a singer and songwriter, Ruth C. MacKenzie (’11, MDiv) was drawn to United’s focus on theology and the arts. She didn’t intend to become ordained, but as she says, “the more I studied and the more I was part of classwork, the more it began to shape me and I decided to pursue my master of divinity.” Jackie Falk (’12, MDiv) graduated from college in 1970. After raising a family and working as a paralegal in Duluth, she “hit that midlife bump” and began to question what was next. She decided to attend seminary and since she had been a longstanding member of a UCC church, Jackie explains, “United was our best bet.” It also didn’t hurt that United’s professor emerita, Rev. Dr. Carolyn Pressler, told Jackie that she was “a natural theologian” during a Bible study session.  Like Ruth, Zoe Kuester (’11, MDiv) is very creative. She was a performer and director in professional theater until she realized she wanted to serve a greater purpose. After taking family social science courses at the University of Minnesota, Zoe came to United to explore the tie between spirituality and psychology. Karen Larson (’12, MDiv) grew up on a dairy farm in southern Minnesota, earned a bachelor of science in agricultural journalism at the University of Minnesota, and worked for more than two decades as an advertising copywriter. When her father was dying, Karen took Fridays off to learn more about his life. Their conversations inspired Karen to think more deeply about her own future. Her pastor suggested she attended United to explore theology. The Origin of the JoJos In one of her classes, Ruth remembers, a teacher emphasized how important it was to leave seminary with trusted colleagues. With that thought in mind, she decided to ask a few fellow students to meet outside of class. Initially, the idea was to study the book of John (thus the JoJos), but as the women kept meeting, it was clear the focus was growing much broader and deeper. As Ruth explains, “Pretty quickly we realized we were more than a study group. We wanted to be a group for support, accountability, and helping one another be better ministers.” And they needed each other’s support. LuAnn relates that she found herself overwhelmed at being back in school, sitting in the hall crying and wondering what she had gotten herself into after her first class. Karen had questions about her call to ministry. “The JoJos,” Karen shares, “were key to helping me understand my call and they continued to help me through crises, big moves, and life transitions.” Jackie and Zoe enjoyed the deep discussions and freedom, as Zoe puts it, “to be true to yourself and your whole honest authentic self.” It helped that all five women came to the seminary well into adulthood, at a turning point in their lives. Jackie relates a story about Ruth and her conversation with a Unitarian Universalist elder: Ruth had mentioned that she was going to be a pastor, and he replied, “Well, you better get moving because you are no spring chicken!” Chickens became the group's personal symbol after that. Jackie admits that they even have chicken dish towels and tiny plastic chickens. A more enduring item they share is a special necklace—a rich cream-colored round into which is laid a spiral design. Ruth gave the necklace to all of the women and they began to wear them every time the JoJos got together. Wearing the necklace, notes Jackie, helps them “remember the JoJo mojo; when we take a risk and do hard things, we are not going alone.” Ongoing Support When they started the JoJos at United, the women met every month. Since leaving and going their separate ways, the women have kept up that monthly meeting schedule. During COVID, the meetings became even more frequent and important. What kept the group going? “Truly being friends to one another,” answers Ruth.  Jackie puts it this way, “I think it is the soul comfort we find. We don’t judge one another and give feedback. Most of all we speak the truth and love one another.” “Funny thing to say,” adds Zoe, “but it is so therapeutic and refreshing to be able to talk at length about something you are concerned about and to have wise and attentive friends.…It is like a clearing circle.” Life after United For Zoe, “Seminary was a giant exploration of spirit, ideas, and the nature of God.” Once she became a pastor, Zoe discovered that “there is not a lot of opportunity to fully explore some of the challenges that come up.” She served at several UCC churches in Minnesota and Wisconsin and is now pastor of Spirit of Peace, an interdenominational church in Minnetonka. Zoe relies on the JoJos to keep her centered. “Meeting with the JoJos,” she asserts, “is like therapy.” Though she never intended to become ordained when she started seminary, Ruth became the full-time minister at First Universalist Church of Minneapolis upon leaving. Now Minister Emerita of First Universalist, she recently signed on to become a part-time pastor in residence in Dallas, Texas. After graduating from seminary in 2012, Jackie served as the faith formation pastor at Peace United Church of Christ in Duluth. Then, in 2018, her ministry went in a different direction. She became the part-time spiritual resource and Christian chaplain at the St. Louis County Jail in Duluth. Many prisoners have experienced trauma and abuse. Jackie offered individual pastoral care, and since retiring, has been working to promote ways to help heal adults who have a history of trauma. With the exception of Jackie, the JoJos were based in the Twin Cities right after seminary. Karen started as an interim associate pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis, but then served a two-point parish in rural north central Nebraska for a few years. In 2017, she was called to Zwingli UCC in Berne (south of the Twin Cities) where she is pastor.  Karen also serves on United’s Alum Council.  LuAnn, who attended seminary to learn more about scripture and theology, and to see if she could be a successful student, never felt the call to be a pastor. Instead, she has used the skills and knowledge gained at United to offer premarital counseling, officiate weddings, and help others walk through life. “I don’t know what I’d be like if I never discovered anything about progressive religion,” she confesses. “I have profound gratitude for the person I am today that I owe to United and the JoJos.” Giving Back As alums, the JoJos continue to support United as well. Recently they all contributed to the new Carolyn Pressler Scholarship for Women. Created in honor of the beloved Rev. Dr. Carolyn Pressler, professor emerita of biblical interpretation, the scholarship will support United students starting Fall 2022. Why did they all support the Pressler Scholarship? LuAnn explains: “All of us feel a particular bond with Carolyn Pressler. She taught my very first class at United when I was still questioning my decision to enroll. If not for that first positive experience with Carolyn and the Old Testament, I may not have continued my seminary education.” Several other JoJos, who served as teaching assistants for Rev. Dr. Pressler, found in her a friend and mentor. In turn, Carolyn’s love of teaching, the Hebrew Bible, and her students helped the JoJos become transformational leaders who are serving, changing, and healing the world today.

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