Tag: activism

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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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March 19, 2026

Social Transformation Lunch—Easter as Uprising

"There has been a tendency to spiritualize resurrection, softening how radical and disruptive an act of resistance and justice it is. Some of our ancient spiritual forebears bore witness to the empty tomb as an uprising, an ongoing, embodied witness of getting up again and again in resistance to all that opposes abundant life." Rev. Dr. DeWayne Davis. Join us after Chapel on Thursday, April 9, for a lunchtime conversation with Rev. Dr. DeWayne Davis between 12:45 and 1:30 PM. Rev. Dr. Davis will lead a conversation reflecting on “Easter as Uprising.” Bring your own lunch and join the discussion in the Intersection on campus or on Zoom. This event is hosted by United’s Social Transformation Program and its Leadership Center for Social Justice. Rev. Dr. DeWayne Davis is ordained by the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches and has served as the lead minister at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis, with expertise in social justice analysis, advocacy, and organizing. As an adjunct professor at United, he teaches “Preaching and Your Public Voice” and “The Formed and Transformed Leader.” Rev. Dr. Davis is also a member of United’s Board of Trustees. Join us online at 12:45 PM CDT on April 9 at this Zoom link. >

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January 7, 2026

Theology and the Arts Lunch with Dale Dobias (’89)

Join us for the first Theology and the Arts Lunch of 2026 featuring Dale Dobias (’89), an alum and former staff member. Dale, the artist and curator of the on-campus exhibit titled "Re: assembled — An Offering," will be joining us to talk about his art practice in mini collage and guide attendees in creating their own. Join us onsite in The Intersection or click here to join via Zoom. > Questions? Contact Sheryl Schwyhart.

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June 9, 2025

2025 Hawkinson Award Ceremony and Gala

The Leadership Center for Social Justice at United is delighted to invite you to the 2025 Hawkinson Award Ceremony and Gala! The event takes place at United on Friday, October 10, 2025, starting at 6:00 PM CT. There is also an option to participate online. Join us for an evening of festivities to celebrate our 2025 Hawkinson Scholars and recipients of the Hawkinson Honorary Award. Together, we will honor Rev. Vince Hawkinson’s peace and justice legacy and the Hawkinson Fund for Peace and Justice’s powerful impact over 36 years.  During the event, we are delighted to be welcoming Kavyesh Kaviraj, an acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, and arranger from Oman. Since moving to Minneapolis in 2016, Kaviraj has been enjoying opportunities to perform for his growing fan base. He is also an adjunct faculty member at St. Thomas University, where he teaches jazz piano. Before the program starts, we will host a reception. Arrive early to enjoy light appetizers and beverages, music, artwork, and a silent auction. If you have any questions, please contact Grace Pennings Guenthner at hawkinson@unitedseminary.edu.  Meet Our 2025 Honorary Awardees Lyn and John Pegg Ever since Lyn and John Pegg met in New York City in 1963, their shared dedication to peace and justice has sustained their work and life. John was in the Marine Corp at the time and growing disillusioned with the inhumanity of war, and Lyn had her college degree and was working in a lab. Their life took a turn in the 1970s when John attended Hartford Seminary (now Hartford International University for Religion and Peace) and accepted a call to a UCC church in upstate New York. Lyn began organizing to promote women’s rights. In the mid-1980s, the Peggs moved from the East Coast to accept a call at Peace UCC in Duluth, Minnesota—a church that prioritizes peace and justice work. While there, Lyn worked as a manager of a social service agency and created an interfaith anti-racism organization. In addition to pastoring, John became a leader of the local Veterans for Peace chapter. The couple has also led dozens of delegations to Latin American countries to draw attention to how U.S. foreign policy and corporate practices have adversely affected their lives.“Collective activism for justice,” the Peggs note, “is both effective and sustainable—and gives us hope.” Thom and Diane Haines Thom and Diane Haines were deeply affected by the horrors of the Vietnam War. They both protested and advocated for peace during this time, and it shaped their collective commitment to justice. Diane describes taking to the street in protest as “a vital piece of the biblical mandate to welcome the stranger.” Like John, Thom served as a parish pastor for an ELCA church. For most of his career, however, he was an assistant county attorney in Carver County, Minnesota. Diane has been a social worker for decades, most recently as a mental health case manager in Scott County, Minnesota. In the late 1980s and into the 1990s, Thom and Diane traveled to Guatemala, where they learned about forces of oppression and the role that US policy has played. In 2013, they were executive producers of a powerful documentary— Gold Fever—that contrasts nature-reverent Indigenous spirituality with the predatory capitalism of gold mining companies. The Haines’ experiences in Guatemala, as well as Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Haiti, and the Philippines, also heightened their passion for helping marginalized communities and working to ameliorate the plight of migrants. Register Note: We are aware of and working quickly to resolve an intermittent issue with our form vendor. If you experience any difficulties registering, please wait a couple of minutes and refresh the page. If you still encounter a problem, contact Andrew Fox at afox@unitedseminary.edu, and he will ensure you are registered. We regret any inconvenience.

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March 10, 2025

2025 Cohort Graduation and Showcase | Leadership Center for Social Justice

The Leadership Center for Social Justice at United invites you to join us onsite or online from 6:00 to 8:00 PM CT on Thursday, May 22, to celebrate the graduation of the Center’s 2024–2025 Cohort and experience a showcase of members’ transformational projects. Throughout this nine-month program, each student has committed time to sensing and discerning what is happening in their community and congregation. From that perspective, they worked to build a social justice ministry project that is concrete and contextual to their community and its needs. This graduation and showcase is an opportunity to learn more about projects the students have worked on and to celebrate them for their intentional and important work. Registration is free! Direct any questions to Stella Pearce: spearce@unitedseminary.edu Register

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November 27, 2024

Social Transformation Lunch: “Post-Inauguration Conversation”

Are you feeling anxious, fearful, and hopeless since the election? Oppressive power seeks to render us powerless by creating confusion and isolating us from one another. Join us for a theological conversation about our current conjuncture and what might be on the horizon nationally and globally. How are you “discerning the spirits” and what does it look like for you to act faithfully with others today? Gather onsite and online with Rev. Dr. Ry Siggelkow, director of United’s Leadership Center for Social Justice, and Rev. Dr. Justin Sabia-Tanis, director of our Social Transformation program, for a conversation about this fraught moment in US history and how we can move through grief and anger to affirm the exigency of justice. Join Us Via Zoom >

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November 22, 2024

Social Transformation Lunch: “Pre-Inauguration Conversation”

Feeling anxious, fearful, and hopeless since the election? Oppressive power seeks to render us powerless by creating confusion and isolating us from one another. Join us for a theological conversation about our current conjuncture and what might be on the horizon nationally and globally. How are you “discerning the spirits” and what does it look like for you to act faithfully with others today? Gather onsite and online with Rev. Dr. Ry Siggelkow, director of United’s Leadership Center for Social Justice, and Rev. Dr. Justin Sabia-Tanis, director of our Social Transformation program, for a conversation about this fraught moment in US history and how we can move through grief and anger to affirm the exigency of justice. Join Us Via Zoom >

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November 8, 2024

Theology and the Arts Lunch: “Tradition and Juxtaposition in the Work of Mahmoud Saleh Mohammadi”

Mahmoud Saleh Mohammadi (b. 1979) is an Iranian artist from Tehran who studied as a painter at the Art University in Tehran and then continued his education at Brera Fine Arts Academy in Italy, graduating in Visual Arts. In his works, he combines the focus, uniformity, and tradition of the (Middle-)East with the Western ideals of creative expression. In many of his pieces, Saleh Mohammadi juxtaposes iconography from Persia to explore the histories of Iran, Italy, Japan, and other countries of his encounter. His vision continues to push the boundaries of his own art, urging spectators to look beneath the surface and uncover the essence of materials, colors, and cultural intersections. He is currently based both in Milan and Antwerp. Join Us Via Zoom > Questions? Contact Dr. Jennifer Awes Freeman.

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September 30, 2024

“Momentos of Failure” | Theology and the Arts Lunch

In anticipation of the November event for the “Mementos of Failure” exhibit at United, curator and current DMin student Tyrone Fowlkes and Dr. Jennifer Awes Freeman will discuss the concept behind the exhibit, the process of curation, and invite attendees to reflect on the complexity and benefits of “failure.” We will gather at 12:15 PM CT with a program beginning at 12:30 PM CT! Click here to join via Zoom. >

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April 18, 2024

“Art and Organizing: La Lucha Sigue” with Ricardo Pérez Gonzalez

Artist and activist Ricardo Pérez Gonzalez is United’s inaugural artist-organizer-in-residence, and has served both our Leadership Center for Social Justice and the Theology and Arts program since last fall. He has also been facilitating our monthly arts and social transformation lunches. Now we want to celebrate Ricardo with an exhibit of and talk about his work.  Born and raised in Mexico, Ricardo is a self-taught mixed media artist with more than 15 year of creative experience. Now a Twin Cities resident, Ricardo recently created murals to reflect a spirit of collaboration with marginalized communities and lift up those whose voices need to be heard. He is partial to watercolor and ink media. La lucha sigue means “The struggle continues.” Join us on Friday, May 31 at 7:00 PM to celebrate Ricardo’s art and activitism. Enjoy light refreshments before the event. Come to the chapel for an artist talk, and stay for questions and answers afterward. Hope to see you there!

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