Tag: Anti-Racist Initiatives

Featured Post

September 30, 2026

United Celebrates Largest New Class and Highest Enrollment in Its 65-Year History

Enrollment Has More than Tripled in Ten Years For the second consecutive year, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities (United) is thrilled to welcome its largest-ever incoming class of degree-seeking students. With 85 new degree-seeking students, the seminary is celebrating a total fall term enrollment of 288 degree-seeking students and 7 certificate students, representing the largest total enrollment in United’s history. The seminary’s 65th academic year features: 25% year-over-year enrollment growth and a staggering 239% increase over fall 2016; 163 Master of Divinity (MDiv) students, an increase of 42% year-over-year; 63 Master of Arts (MA), Master of Arts in Leadership (MAL), and Master of Arts in Ministry (MAM) students; 62 Doctor of Ministry (DMin) students. Public theology, social transformation, interreligious engagement, and theology and the arts comprise the four foundational pillars of United’s curricula. They are unique among seminaries and divinity schools rooted in Christian traditions, cultivating an educational environment that practices ecumenism, religious pluralism, and social justice. The MDiv in Interreligious Chaplaincy is United’s largest degree program, with 73 students enrolled for the fall term. The concentration’s interfaith emphasis sets the school apart among its peers, drawing students from diverse backgrounds and faiths. Reflecting the program’s flagship status, the seminary marked a new milestone on July 1 when it welcomed Dr. Ginger Morgan as associate professor for Pastoral and Spiritual Care and program director for Interreligious Chaplaincy. United’s considerable ten-year growth can be credited to its leading-edge academic offerings, widely accessible distance education, and accomplished faculty. The seminary is a bold witness for the common good, preparing innovative leaders for myriad vocational and professional outcomes. From rural congregations to the city hospital’s ICU, United students and alums equip their communities for justice and peace. Mason Mennenga (’22), director of Admissions, leads a passionate and creative staff, all of whom are current students or alums. He reflects, “United’s growth in enrollment over the last number of years and our record for this year is truly a remarkable achievement in theological education. We’re showing what’s possible for progressive theological institutions!” Dr. Hillary Vamstad, director of Student Services, adds, “We’ve created an environment where students feel more than just a number, and I think students see that through the admissions and onboarding process. Feeling seen, heard, and supported while pursuing a seminary education is an important component to United’s growth.” Growth in student enrollment underscores the need to increase the number of core faculty members to continue to provide the quality of education for which United is well-known. Dr. Kyle Roberts, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean, shares, “We are undertaking two faculty searches this year, which include an additional faculty role focused on Ministry Practices. This is a specialty we have been needing for some time on our core faculty to ground students in the practical elements of ministry leadership, such as preaching and liturgy, religious education, institutional leadership and administration.” Rev. Dr. Molly T. Marshall, who is beginning her final year as United’s beloved president, asserts, “I believe United’s remarkable growth is due to our progressive and relevant curriculum, our theological hospitality, and our accessible educational delivery.” She continues, “We delight in creating space (perichoresis) for everyone who desires formative theological education, a distinctive pursuit among seminaries.” United looks ahead to a historic 65th year of progressive theological education, and we give thanks for the students whose vocations, traditions, and unique perspectives enrich the life of our seminary. 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. Media Contact Nathanial Green (he/him) Director of Marketing and Communications press@unitedseminary.edu • 651.255.6138 Admissions and Enrollment admissions@unitedseminary.edu

Read More >

February 8, 2024

The Ministry Lab: Envisioning Ecumenical Possibilities for Anti-Racism

Clergy, faith formation ministers, other congregational leaders, and the whole United community, are invited to a panel discussion including anti-racism and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion leaders from the ELCA, PC(USA), and UCC of Minnesota. Explore approaches to anti-racism work appropriate for diverse settings and leave inspired, with applicable resources for your congregation—no matter where you are in your anti-racism work. This is offered as a collaboration between United’s Anti-Racist Initiatives and The Ministry Lab. Panel Rev. Dr. Gary F. Green, Moderator Rev. Dr. Gary F. Green II is assistant professor of pastoral theology and social transformation and director of anti-racist initiatives at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. He earned his PhD from Brite Divinity School, where he focused on issues related to young African American men through the lens of public pastoral theology. His dissertation, “Playing the Game: Unmarking ‘Beast’ from the Bodies of Young Black Men,” is a project that seeks to humanize young black men by allowing their voices to challenge stereotypical scripts that cast them as “beasts” for public consumption. Rev. Anna Kendig Flores, Panelist Anti-Racism Coordinator for the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area, Presbyterian Church (USA) Anna Kendig Flores is an educator, writer, and certified interfaith/secular spiritual advisor. Currently working in the realm of systemic ethics and anti-racism, she brings her experience with mental health and evidence-based addiction recovery programming to the context of her various roles. Manny Lewis, Panelist Congregational Organizer for Racial Justice for the Minneapolis Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Manny Lewis joined the Minneapolis Area Synod as the Congregational Organizer for Racial Justice in March 2023. A North Minneapolis resident for more than 16 years, Manny has seen a lot of things change. He has also benefited from the opportunity of mentorship, which has motivated his mission is to enrich the lives of brown and black communities and bring communities of all kinds together in the hopes of healing racial injustice, and giving people the opportunity for better lives. Prior to coming to the Minneapolis Area Synod, Manny worked with youth and community outreach at the Center for Leadership and Neighborhood Engagement (CLNE) in North Minneapolis. Rev. Kelly Gallagher, Panelist Associate Conference Dean of the Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ In January 2024, Rev. Kelly Gallagher began as settled Associate Conference Minister, bringing deep experience in supporting congregations and their leadership and a demonstrated commitment to the work of racial equity. She received her Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. Since 1996 she has served in a variety of roles in local United Church of Christ congregations in Massachusetts, and from 2013–2021 served as Associate Conference Minister with the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ, where her experience included ministering to more than 100 local congregations, staffing Committees on Ministry, and overseeing the justice ministries of the Massachusetts Conference. Note: Please park in the non-gated lot that is on the south side of the Case Building.   

Read More >

September 20, 2023

Reorienting Ourselves to the Reality of Not Yet | 2023 Symposium Week

As part of Symposium Week (October 23–25), United is hosting a public-facing event on Monday, October 23. This panel, titled "Reorienting Ourselves to the Reality of Not Yet," will be facilitated by Rev. Dr. Gary F. Green II, United’s director of anti-racist initiatives and assistant professor of pastoral theology and social transformation. “Reorienting Ourselves to the Reality of Not Yet” is a public event that officially launches the second wave of United’s Anti-Racist initiatives, which includes a focus on student formation and public engagement. This evening features a curated panel conversation that highlights the unique contributions of two scholars-activists who are engaging in the work of anti-racism through comedy and the Arts, and who will engage each other in a way that offers a unique angle of vision into the nurture of white supremacy and the possibilities for life in its wake. The panel and public conversation will be preceded by an original production that presents United’s vision for this work, explains the unique approach we are taking, and features the voices of faculty speaking to their commitment and creative engagements with anti-racism in their teaching and scholarship. This public panel conversation officially launches United’s second wave of Anti-Racist Initiatives, kicking off a programmatic reorientation focused on student formation and a series of public panel conversations that creatively disrupt white supremacy and collectively envision life in its wake. Keep reading to learn more about our panelists! Panelists Dr. Danielle Fuentes Morgan Dr. Danielle Fuentes Morgan is an associate professor at Santa Clara University. She specializes in African American literature and culture in the 20th and 21st centuries and is interested in the ways that literature, mass media, popular culture, and humor shape identity formation. In particular, her research and teaching reflect her interests in African American satire and comedy, the arts as activism, and the continuing influence of history on contemporary articulations of Black selfhood. As a professor at Santa Clara University, she teaches courses in the Department of English and the Department of Ethnic Studies. Danielle has written a variety of both scholarly and popular articles and has been interviewed on topics as varied as Black Lives Matter, race and The Twilight Zone, Black sisterhood in sitcoms, the satiric reappropriation of negative tropes, laughter as revolution, race and sexuality on the Broadway stage, and Beyoncé. Her book, Laughing to Keep from Dying: African American Satire in the Twenty-First Century (published Fall 2020 by University of Illinois Press as a part of the New Black Studies Series), addresses the contemporary role of African American satire as a critical realm for social justice. She is currently co-editing The Oxford Handbook of African American Humor Studies (Oxford University Press) with Dr. Brittney Michelle Edmonds in addition to working on her second monograph. Dr. Green writes, "Danielle’s engagement with comedy and satire as a form of social justice makes her the perfect conversation partner for this event, particularly because comedy is a centerpiece to the design of Anti-Racist Initiatives at United. Her book Laughing to Keep from Dying: African American Satire in the Twenty-First Century has received public acclaim and will also be an important part of our conversation." Click here to learn more about Dr. Morgan's work. > Terresa Moses Terresa Moses is a proud Black queer woman dedicated to the liberation of Black and brown communities through art and design. As a designer and illustrator, her work focuses primarily on race, identity, and social justice. She advocates for positive change in her community using creativity as tools of community activism and organizing like her solo intersectional exhibition, Umbra, and her community distro project, Stop Killing Black People. Terresa is the Creative Director at Blackbird Revolt, a social justice-based design studio. She is also an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design and the Director of Design Justice at the University of Minnesota’s College of Design. As a community engaged scholar, her design research interests include; Project Naptural, which creates spaces to educate, connect, and empower Black women about their natural hair and self-identity, and Racism Untaught, a curriculum model that reveals ‘racialized’ design and helps students, educators, and organizations create anti-racist concepts through the design research process. She has multiple publications including two books set to publish in October 2023 through MIT Press, Racism Untaught and An Anthology of Blackness. Dr. Green writes, "Terresa’s focus on embodying anti-racism through art is brilliant and will be featured, but it is her attention to design—how white supremacy lives in the details and/of design—that I want to invite her to unpack for the public to hear and engage. She also has a forthcoming book entitled, Racism Untaught: Revealing and Unlearning Racialized Design, is set to release October 3rd and will be a focus of the conversation." Click here to learn more about Terresa's work. > Dr. Gary F. Green II Rev. Dr. Gary F. Green II is United's assistant professor of pastoral theology and social transformation and director of anti-racist initiatives at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. He earned his PhD from Brite Divinity School, where he focused on issues related to young African American men through the lens of public pastoral theology. His dissertation, “Playing the Game: Unmarking ‘Beast’ from the Bodies of Young Black Men,” is a project that seeks to humanize young black men by allowing their voices to challenge stereotypical scripts that cast them as “beasts” for public consumption. His broader research interests involve raising consciousness to issues of race, masculinity, and power, particularly when these issues are uniquely disclosed in spaces that are often overlooked by the Church and the Academy. Gary is committed to highlighting neglected sources in his research as a way to prioritize the revolutionary potential of voices that have gone unheard. His ultimate goal is to contribute to theological perspectives that can more adequately undergird sociopolitical redress for oppression in marginalized populations in the United States. Click here to learn more about Dr. Green. >

Read More >

©Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved