United Insights
And News

Featured Post

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

United Statement on Chauvin Trial Verdict

United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is relieved by the murder conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin. It is important that he is held accountable for his callous actions in killing George Floyd and for his failure to allow life-saving medical assistance. We pray that this conviction offers a measure of comfort to George Floyd’s grieving family and community and that it is a step in a more just direction of social and political changes that are long overdue.We are clear, however, that this conviction is not an invitation to rest or become complacent. Rather, it is one necessary step in the creation of a world where all people are safe and able to survive and thrive in our communities. As we continue to mourn the losses of such sacred lives as George Floyd, Daunte Wright, Philando Castile, Breonna Taylor, and countless others, we are also reminded of the ongoing grief and trauma that Black people and communities more broadly continue to face.It is imperative that we collectively address that trauma by ending state sanctioned violence against Black humanity and creating meaningful opportunities for healing amid the historic and ongoing injustices occasioned by white supremacy. We commit ourselves to this work and strive in solidarity to bring about the day when all will proclaim in word and deed that Black Lives Matter.

United Students Speak Out for the Environment

On Friday April 16, United students and professor Dr. Justin Sabia-Tanis attended a virtual call with a staff member from Rep. Betty McCullom's office, coordinated by Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light. The meeting included more than 60 faith leaders from St. Paul calling for strong federal action on the environment and climate justice.  Student Stephani Pescitelli read a statement that the students wrote. Video below: (more…)

Resources and Actions Amidst the Chauvin Trial and the Death of Daunte Wright.

As a seminary located in the Twin Cities, our communities have been anticipating the verdict in the Derek Chauvin Trial. Meanwhile, we are also mourning and responding to the killing of Daunte Wright at the hands of Brooklyn Center police. Amidst these tumultuous times, we are publishing the following list of resources and actions for our community to heal, to advocate, and to fight for justice. (more…)

Statement on Daunte Wright

The community of United Seminary of the Twin Cities mourns the death of Daunte Wright, yet another Black man shot and killed in the long trajectory of deaths at the hands of law enforcement in this country. We join in the outpouring of anguish and grief over the loss of another precious life and we recognize that this killing comes amid the ongoing trauma experienced by people of color, particularly at this very painful time as the community is forced to revisit the horrors of George Floyd’s death during the murder trial of Derek Chauvin.  (more…)

Stations of the Cross 2021: Online Exhibit

The Stations of the Cross is a Catholic devotion that commemorates fourteen images or stations from the last day of Jesus’ life. Participants meditate on each station and may recite specific prayers. As a processional liturgy—whether contained within a church or displayed in yards in a neighborhood—the Stations of the Cross is a kind of miniature pilgrimage in which the faithful engage in embodied meditation on the Passion of Jesus. (more…)

United Theological Seminary’s Response to the Atlanta Shootings

The United community is heartbroken and outraged by the recent killings in Atlanta. These hate crimes expose the systemic violence against Asian-Americans, which has continued to grow in the shadow of COVID-19, and against Asian-American women specifically. Additionally, the shootings in Atlanta are a result of a particular prejudice at the intersection of race and gender. The shooter targeted his victims for “providing an outlet for his addiction to sex,” thereby linking Asian/Pacific Islander women with sex and seduction and blaming his victims for his own violent actions. Blaming women for violence directed at them by the hands of men is an age-old manifestation of patriarchal violence. However, the particular association of Asian women with sex work and with Asian-owned spas as sites for sexual ensnarement is deeply tied to Orientalist myths that saturate U.S. media and culture. These gendered and racial tropes fuel the illusory divide between a static (and subordinate) “East” and a static (and dominant) “West,” justifying the exploitation of the former at the hands of the latter. Women are not “asking for it.” The so-called-East is not the spoils of the West.   (more…)

United Forward on Climate Action

Where do climate change and justice issues intersect with the beliefs, practices, and teachings of your faith or spiritual tradition? United students are finding their way and having an impact. Over the past several months, a core group of committed students has collaborated with staff from Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light (MNIPL) to prepare a statement encouraging state representatives to take a bold stance on climate action. In this emerging reality of climate change, healing the separation between each other, the land and water, our histories, and likewise between environmental, social and economic justice represent the most important existential and ethical challenges to the material and spiritual security and wellbeing of all beings. Specifically, campaigns to stop construction of the Tar Sands Line 3 Pipeline are at the forefront of local activism. Advocacy for creative solutions includes support for the Rondo Land Bridge project that impacts environmental restoration while also advancing racial reparations and economic vitality to the historically African American district of The Twin Cities. (more…)

VIDEO: Seeking Justice, Caring for Community: Preparing for the Days Ahead

On March 2, 2021, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, in partnership with the Minnesota Council of Churches and the Minnesota Conference of the UCC, held a public conversation in preparation for the trials of the former police officers accused in George Floyd’s death. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD4w7Z5EvP4[/embed] The conversation features Rev. Traci Blackmon and Rev. Steven Belton, moderated by Rev. Dr. Gary Green of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. Rev. Blackmon, Associate General Minister of Justice & Local Church Ministries for the United Church of Christ, brings expertise as a national voice on racial politics in America with her on-the-ground experience as pastor and MSNBC contributor responding to the killings of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and George Floyd. Rev. Belton, President and CEO of the Urban League (Twin Cities), brings experience as a pastor, lawyer, and a leader in high-level state government positions in Minnesota. He has been a strong public voice in response to both the killings of Jamar Clark and George Floyd in Minneapolis. The opening reading features Rev. Karen Hutt of United Theological Seminary.  In continuation of the work featured in this discussion, United is also co-hosting the Day of Prayers for Justice for George Floyd and Black Liberation on March 8, 2021. For more information about the upcoming Day of Prayers, visit the event page here.