Tag: Admissions

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January 22, 2026

Statement by President Molly T. Marshall on Community Response Efforts

These are fraught days for us. Those who call the Twin Cities home persist under the pall of a federal occupation, bracing each day for word of a new atrocity. In the weeks since an ICE agent killed Renee Good, we have seen the good people of Minneapolis and St. Paul show up for one another as armed federal agents patrol our communities, violating due process and cruelly abducting thousands of people.  I think often of our friends and neighbors—including some members of the United community—as they live under the acute terror ICE has wrought on their neighborhoods. Many rely on the aid of a trusted few to meet their basic needs. Facing an oppressive force, our communities have turned outward with resilience, toward one another, embodying anew the command to “love your neighbor as yourself.” I have been deeply moved by the courage of my neighbors and, in particular, United’s students, alums, trustees, and faculty and staff. They model solidarity despite extreme cold, attending vigils, leading music, creating art, and keeping watch with whistles over their neighborhoods while ICE patrols their streets. Chaplains involved in interfaith organizations are supporting local demonstrations and assisting in de-escalation efforts. Lay leaders, prompted to care for their vulnerable neighbors, are picking up groceries, taking kids to school, and meeting material needs in a vast network of mutual aid. Indeed, this is servant leadership. This week, clergy and faith leaders of myriad traditions are answering MARCH’s call to resist this importunate occupation and bear witness to its harm. With members of our United community engaged in rapid response efforts, the seminary will be closed on Friday, January 23. And, in solidarity with fellow clergy and elected officials, I reaffirm my call that ICE must immediately end its terrorizing of the Twin Cities, leave Minnesota altogether, and bring to justice the agent who killed Ms. Good. Social transformation is one of United’s longstanding pillars, and we are seeing the real-world witness of faith and community leaders equipped for the work of justice and peace. In the words of Rev. Dr. Justin Sabia-Tanis, director of our Social Transformation Program, “Faith leaders are shaping Minnesota’s response to be highly ethical and effective.” The common good, though under grave threat, is in the committed stewardship of our very best. In the days ahead, may we be courageous in our convictions for the love and dignity of our neighbors. Rev. Molly T. Marshall, Phd President About United Founded by the United Church of Christ (UCC) as a welcoming, ecumenical school that embraces all denominations and faith traditions, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities has been on the creative edge of progressive theological thought and leadership since it was established in 1962. Today, United continues to train leaders who, through the eyes of faith, engage in the dismantling systems of oppression, exploring multi-faith spirituality, and pushing the boundaries of knowledge. Media Contact Nathanial Green (he/him), Director of Marketing and Communications United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities press@unitedseminary.edu • 651-255-6138

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October 2, 2023

Chaplaincy & Reproductive Justice: A Conversation on Intersections

Practitioners and pastors who are engaged in chaplaincy and spiritual care are invited, now more than ever, to consider how their role as spiritual care providers can support social justice efforts within their institutions and communities. “Chaplaincy & Reproductive Justice: A Conversation on Intersections,” led by Rev. Dr. Jessica Chapman Lape, creates space for spiritual care providers, chaplains, and chaplaincy students to explore the intersections of spiritual care and a critical and timely topic in social justice: reproductive justice. The reproductive justice framework advocates for a person’s right to have a child, the right to not have a child, and the right to raise children in safe and healthy environments. In this presentation, we will explore how the reproductive justice framework informs the spiritual care practices of professional spiritual care providers in healthcare and community-based settings. Register below. Panelists Rev. Jess L. Chancey • MDiv, BCC Rev. Jess L. Chancey (they/them) originally hails from Atlanta, GA, where they earned their Master of Divinity at Columbia Theological Seminary. They completed their chaplain training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and they now serve as staff chaplain at Regions Hospital in Saint Paul while also completing their Doctor of Ministry work at United. Jess developed a passion for advocacy through their own experiences of struggling for acceptance and inclusion as a queer minister with a disability, leading them to serve as Co-Chair of UCC Disabilities Ministries and on the planning team for the LGBTQ+ peer network at Regions. When Jess isn't working, you'll likely find them watching Star Trek, writing their dissertation, or doing an Out of the Darkness walk with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, accompanied by their trust pup Macy. jessica young chang • MFA, MDiv jessica young chang (she/her) is excited about growth and transformation in individuals and communities through creative, embodied, mystical, and collective spiritual practices. Originally from Ohio, jessica has a background in Performance Studies (Northwestern University) and Creative Writing (MFA, Columbia College Chicago). jess started practicing yoga to help her deal with the trials and stresses of college. Her teaching is informed by vinyasa and Tantric traditions, and she has taught in community, for-profit, and private contexts for years. Before entering spiritual study, jess served as a collective member and board member at Chicago Women’s Health Center. Having cultivated a career in performance, writing, yoga and reproductive justice, a calling toward the intersection of embodiment and spiritual practice led jess to earn a Masters of Divinity at Harvard Divinity School. jess is pursuing ordination in the United Church of Christ, and is currently serving as a staff chaplain at Massachusetts General Hospital. Rev. Latishia James • MDiv Rev. Latishia James (she/they) affectionately known as Rev. Pleasure is a Black queer femme, womanist culture change agent, facilitator of healing spaces for QTBIPOC women + femmes and writer. A Master of Divinity and Certificate of Sexuality+ Religion graduate from Pacific School of Religion they currently serve as Co-Director for Organizational Development at Spiritual Alliance of Communities for Reproductive Dignity (SACReD) where she works to make Reproductive Justice a lived reality through liberating religious education and organizing people of faith. Latishia is ordained in The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries and is a certified healing-centered coach. Like the true womanist she is, she “loves music. Loves dance. Loves the moon. Loves the Spirit. Loves love and food and roundness. Loves struggle. Loves the Folk. Loves herself. Regardless.” Rev. Jude Johnson • MDiv, BCC Jude (he/they) joined All-Options in June 2023. He is a Board Certified Chaplain and Minister in the United Church of Christ (UCC). Jude received their Master of Divinity degree from Pacific School of Religion (Berkeley, CA), with a focus on the intersections of sexuality and religion. Jude completed their internship, residency, and fellowship for chaplaincy in VA hospitals – specializing in spiritual trauma, LGBTQ+ spiritual care, transgender-competent provider education, and holistic mental health. Other work from Jude includes writing camp programming for children and adults at Pilgrim Pines Camp (Yucaipa, CA), and educational workshops on sexuality, gender identity, and queer theology. Rev. Dr. Jessica Chapman Lape • PhD, MDiv Rev. Dr. Jessica Chapman Lape (she/her) is assistant professor and program director for interreligious chaplaincy. Jessica received her PhD in Practical Theology from Claremont School of Theology where she earned the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence and the Jack Coogan Award for the Creative Use of the Arts in the Life of the CST Community. Jessica’s research inhabits the intersection of spiritual care, healthcare, and reproductive justice. Her dissertation, missTreated: A Womanist Clinical Pastoral Theology on the Mistreatment of African American Women in U.S. Healthcare, explores Black women’s perception of cultural violence in U.S. healthcare systems and the subsequent role of spiritual care in interrupting such violence. Jessica’s current research is working to expand paradigms of clinical spiritual care to include contextualized spiritual care practices such as Black indigenous birthwork. As a trained community birth doula, Jessica works to integrate traditional African American birthwork and midwifery practices into her clinical chaplaincy. She has been a chaplain for faith-based nonprofit organizations, and a healthcare chaplain specializing in areas such as palliative care, women’s health, community health, and perinatal care. Jessica is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, a staff chaplain at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, MN, and a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She lives and plays with her spouse, J.D., their little one, Johnathan, and their rambunctious yet curmudgeonly senior dog, Andie.

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