Written by: United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities October 9, 2024

Remembering Rev. Dr. Dayton D. Hultgren, Former President of United

(SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA, UNITED STATES, October 7, 2024) — United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities has received news of the death of Rev. Dr. Dayton D. Hultgren, a former President and faculty member of the school. From 1971 to 1982, Dr. Hultgren led a period of growth and evolution in seminary education, overseeing milestones throughout his tenure that would have an impact for decades to come.

Inaugurated in 1971 at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, President Hultgren was United’s second president, succeeding founding President Emeritus Ruben H. Huenemann. There were exciting programmatic initiatives during President Hultgren’s tenure. United had its first woman graduate, and in the ensuing decade, the school became a leader in the education of women in the fields of theology, ministry, and religious studies. Remembering Rev. Dr. Dayton D. Hultgren, Former President of United

Under President Hultgren’s leadership, Professor Emeritus James B. Nelson and President Emeritus Wilson Yates—with the University of Minnesota Medical School’s program in sexuality—helped develop a joint course in human sexuality. Dr. Nelson’s writings on human sexuality and medical ethics earned national recognition.

Dr. Gayle Graham Yates laid the groundwork for teaching women in ministry and taught the first course in feminism and the Church as well as the first course in religious studies in the early 1970s. Rev. Dr. Patricia Wilson Kastner was appointed the first full-time woman professor in 1975, teaching historical and constructive theology. In 1976, Professor Emerita Mary Farrell Bednarowski was appointed to the faculty, becoming the first director of the Master of Arts in Religious Studies (MARS) program that same year. The Antoinette Brown Womenspace and Resource Center, proposed by United’s women’s caucus, was developed in 1977.

One of President Hultgren’s most significant early hires was Academic Vice President Thomas C. Campbell in 1974. Following Campbell’s death in 1979, Professor Emeritus Clyde J. Steckel was appointed Academic Vice President and Dean. In his “Recollections of the 1970s,” included in the 40th Anniversary Edition of VOICES, Dr. Steckel describes various steps taken by President Hultgren to revise aspects of United’s organizational structure, including an “opening [of] faculty meetings to the seminary community and appointing [of] students to the senate, board of trustees, and faculty committees.” He also played a significant role in forming the CUE Regional Seminary Support Program, a mechanism through which Chicago Theological Seminary, Eden Theological Seminary, and United received financial support from local congregations.

After 11 years in office, President Hultgren stepped down in 1982 and was succeeded by the appointment of Rev. Dr. Mary (Molly) B. McMillan (’78) as interim president. In addition to his tenure at United, President Hultgren served as President of San Francisco Theological Seminary as well as in various roles at Macalester College, the University of Minnesota, Iowa State University, and the University of St. Thomas. He would later establish a consulting firm, HBH Associates, and was recognized for his philanthropic work throughout the rest of his life.

Professor Emerita Barbara Anne Keely met President Hultgren in 1991 while serving alongside him on a Presbytery committee—which included Rev. Dr. Molly McMillan—focused on raising funds to benefit local congregations. “Dayton brought his sense of ministry and fundraising gifts to the Presbytery, churches, and other nonprofits.” She continues, “He loved the Church, and shared that love through United, the Presbytery, and church consulting.”

President Emeritus Wilson Yates, a faculty member during President Hultgren’s time in office, notes that Dayton Hultgren brought a new generation of thought about theological education and served as a catalyst for democratizing the institution’s governance structures. “This positioned the school to become a leader in the development of new forms of theological education.”

Reflecting on President Hultgren’s kindness at the onset of her term, United’s current President, Rev. Dr. Molly T. Marshall says, “Not too long after I arrived at United, former president Dayton Hultgren courteously took the time to come for a visit. I was struck by his kind nature and fond reflections on his time serving United. He knew well the complexity of seminary leadership and went out of his way to encourage me as I began my time of service.” She continues, “The Apocalypse writes of such servants: ‘they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them’ (14:13). Blessed be his memory among the forebears of this good seminary.”

For President Hultgren’s immense contributions to the life of United, his legacy of generosity, and his forward-looking leadership, we give thanks. Blessed be the memory of President Dayton D. Hultgren.

A public memorial service for President Hultgren has not yet been announced by his family. Until then, click here to read President Hultgren’s full obituary and honor his rich legacy.

About United
Founded by the nascent 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 cutting edge of progressive theological thought leadership since it was established in 1962. Today, United continues to train leaders who dismantle systems of oppression, explore multi-faith spirituality, and push the boundaries of knowledge.

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

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October 9, 2026

Alums Homecoming News Releases

Rev. Dr. A. Leon (Lee) Tredwell (’06) Honored As a 2026 Distinguished Alum

United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is excited to announce that Rev. A. Leon (Lee) Tredwell, PhD—who earned his MA in Theology and Biblical Interpretation from United in 2006—has been selected as a 2026 Distinguished Alum. An accomplished preacher, teacher, and published author, Dr. Tredwell has championed biblical narratives that affirm the divinity of all people, regardless of their race, creed, color, class, gender, or sexuality. Adopted at age four, Lee was raised in the Baptist faith and felt called to ministry as a child. Even so, after earning a degree in Political Science and Sociology at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, he spent the first ten years of his professional life as a grain trader for Cargill. After connecting with Drs. Ralph and Alika Galloway, Lee found United, and his call was reignited. He remembers Rev. Dr. Carolyn Pressler (Professor Emerita of Biblical Interpretation, 1990–2020) and Dean Richard Weis* with great affection. Both teachers, he observes, “taught us to wrestle with the biblical text until it opened up and spoke.” They also introduced Lee to Black and post-colonial hermeneutics, and Rev. Dr. Weis led him to passages in Jeremiah 38 (Hebrew Bible) that sparked his interest in learning more about a Black character named Ebed-Melech. Lee also cites the influence of Rev. Dr. Christine Smith’s (Professor Emerita of Preaching 1992–2013) preaching courses on his life. In Colorado, at the University of Denver and Iliff School of Theology, Lee completed a joint PhD program with a concentration in Religion and Social Change in 2017. Ronald Smith, a former United student who nominated Lee for this award, notes, “Dr. Tredwell has demonstrated that he is an innovator and compassionate leader who has served both inside the academy as a professor of African American Preaching at Iliff School of Theology, University of Colorado, Boulder, and in the larger community; he has served as [a] pastor, civil rights and human rights activist, and [a] chief executive officer in Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, and Texas.” Lee’s new book—Black, Queer and Blessed: My Story and the Biblical Story Churches Don’t Teach—was published in June 2025. As the description reads, “For all who believe God-Yahweh is angry, mad, disgusted, and against LGBTQIA+ folx, regrettably, you been had, misled, took, hood-winked and bamboozled! Black, Queer and Blessed, through lived experience and the excavation of the subjugated biblical narrative of Ebed-Melech, demolishes society’s antiquated mores.” The book is part memoir and part theological reflection on the Ebed-Melech revelation. In addition to his roles as teacher, preacher, and author, Lee has specifically worked to promote adoption of Black children from foster care and create affordable housing. These days, he serves as the pastor of Theology and Community Engagement at Allendale United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg, Florida. As Ronald Smith asserts, “Dr. Tredwell is the embodiment and an exemplar of United Theological Seminary’s mission, vision, and values.” * of blessed memory 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, explore multi-faith spirituality, and push the boundaries of knowledge.

Lena K. Gardner (’15) Honored As a 2026 Distinguished Alum

[caption id="attachment_11955" align="alignnone" width="1920"] photo by Bethany Birnie[/caption] United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is thrilled to announce that Lena K. Gardner—who graduated with an MA in Justice and Peace Studies in 2015—has been selected as one of our three 2026 Distinguished Alums. A highly respected social justice activist and community leader, Lena is the co-founder and executive director of Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU), a nonprofit founded in 2015 that creates life-giving and life-saving opportunities for spiritual community and Black-centered organizing. According to Rev. Dr. Rebecca Voelkel (’13), Lena has “been a force in the Twin Cities’ religiously rooted justice ecosystem for the last 15 years.” Dr. Voelkel, Lena’s nominator, traces Lena’s justice-organizing acumen back to 2011, when she served on the Faith Organizing Roundtable—a body that coordinated religious communities’ opposition to the anti-marriage amendment. Lena went on to champion marriage equality in the 2012–2013 legislative session. After a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, shot and killed Michael Brown, Jr., an unarmed 18-year-old Black teen, in 2014, Lena played a key role in transforming the Faith Organizing Roundtable into the Multifaith Anti-Racism, Change & Healing or MARCH. “In that same period,” Voelkel notes, “Lena was a core team organizer of Black Lives Matter Minneapolis and served on its steering committee.” Lena was deeply involved, quoted in many national and local articles, and interviewed on Minnesota Public Radio after former police officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd in 2020. In April 2021, after a Brooklyn Center police officer killed Daunte Wright during a traffic stop, Lena co-wrote an article in the Sahan Journal demanding that Attorney General Keith Ellison prosecute the case, and that the Hennepin County attorney be removed. More recently, Lena embarked on another ambitious project. In May 2024, through the BLUU Cooperative Housing Initiative, she co-hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for an affordable housing complex for single parents in North Minneapolis. In a MinnPost article about the groundbreaking, Lena explained, “It’s really about trying to give back to one of the communities that made me…. We really see providing stable housing in a cooperative framework as one of the many paths to collective liberation and Black liberation. Ultimately, it’s about self-determination.” When Operation Metro Surge arrived in the Twin Cities in late 2025, Lena took action again. As Voelkel observes, she “returned to the MARCH steering committee…. When MARCH organized a clergy call (in five days) to which 700 clergy came, the ability to create and host such an amazing event owes part of its success to Lena’s relationships with communications specialists, graphic designers, and organizers.” Lena was also a driving force behind Neighbors Helping Neighbors (NHN), a mutual aid group she and Anna Stamborski founded in late 2025 to connect vulnerable ICE-targeted families with congregational networks whose members could provide shopping and transportation services. Through all of Lena’s indefatigable contributions to working for justice, Voelkel asserts, she “has focused on Black excellence, Black power, Black spiritual wholeness, Black beauty, and how non-Black folks can act in solidarity and followership of Black folks, particularly Black queer women. She has done so skillfully through building relationships across differences in ways that facilitate and deepen genuine relationships.”

Cori Berg (’98) Honored As a 2026 Distinguished Alum

United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is elated to announce that Cori Berg (’98)—advocate, artist, and educator—is a 2026 Distinguished Alum. Cori earned her Master of Arts (MA) in Theology and the Arts in 1998, and for more than 27 years, she has integrated creativity, art, and spirituality into her field. Cori arrived at United in the 1990s, having majored in theater and minored in studio art during her undergraduate studies. “I knew I had an artistic voice,” she recalls, “but it didn’t make sense in any of the traditional contexts.” After seeing an advertisement for United’s Theology and the Arts program, Cori drove from Dallas to the Twin Cities to visit as a prospective student. A campus art exhibit by Merle Janis was all she needed to see—“this school had something I needed: strength, boldness, vulnerability.” For Cori, “life is liturgy.” She credits United with introducing her to “the freedom in a progressive faith.” At United, Cori learned to expand her creativity, which became a launching pad for a vibrant career. “United gave me a safe, nurturing space to explore, dream, and execute big things,” she writes. “I’ve continued that through the rest of my career as an artist, an educator, an administrator, and a speaker.” Art is central to Cori’s work and features prominently in her curriculum development for children. Her art was featured in the 2012 opening parade for the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in Dallas, TX, a project that involved “seniors, children, and adults in all aspects” from a local Methodist community program. Ministry with Children and Spirituality, courses taught by Rev. Dr. Barbara Anne Keely (Professor Emerita, 1991–2015), were particularly formative for Cori’s future in education. “I remember she taught us to get on the floor and view the church nursery from a baby’s point of view,” Cori reflects. “I use this today over and over as I teach early childhood educators…. She introduced the idea of seeing oneself not as a separate body, mind, or spirit, but when one part of my being is suffering, to use the other parts to help lift that part.” More recently, Cori has been an active community member at Dallas Meditation Center, where she is known for her moving dharma talks that weave Buddhist themes into contemporary storytelling. In public schools and congregational settings, Cori has applied what she learned as a United student to the field of early childhood education, for which—nominator Rev. Jim Peck (’99) points out—she has become “one of the nation’s leading advocates.” When facing challenges in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cori leveraged her ingenuity and creative vision to support educators with online training resources. As a teacher and an administrator in spaces where lack of institutional funding and support are commonplace, Jim observes, “she uses her [United] education to work for justice and equity,” to “nurture relationships in the early childhood settings where she has served, with an expertise in working in settings in crisis to encourage recovery, healing, and new paths for serving the future.” In May 2026, Cori completed her MEd in Curriculum and Instruction at American College of Education, where she immediately enrolled to begin her EdD in Early Childhood Education. She serves as an executive director at the University of Kansas (KU) and anticipates returning to Dallas to live near her family at the end of the year while awaiting her next opportunity. We are delighted to celebrate Cori and her decades of faithful, innovative leadership in the field of early childhood education and art. 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, explore multi-faith spirituality, and push the boundaries of knowledge.