Tag: Organizing

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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

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

“Mementos of Failure” Exhibition: Learning from Our Failures

As part of our exhibition Mementos of Failure, we welcome Tyrone Fowlkes, curator and current DMin student in Theology and the Arts, who will reflect on the concept behind the exhibition, as well as the place and meanings of failure in our lives. After a brief presentation, he will be joined by a few panelists to extend the conversation, which will be followed by Q&A and further reflection with the audience. This will be taking place onsite in the United Chapel or online via Zoom. Light refreshments will be served. Join Via Zoom >

Organizing in the Spirit of Accompaniment | 2023 Symposium Week

As part of Symposium Week (October 23–25), United is hosting a public-facing event on Tuesday, October 24. In this lecture and workshop, Dr. Ry Siggelkow, Director of the Leadership Center for Social Justice, and Ricardo Pérez, artist-organizer of the same, will explore what contemporary organizing lessons we can learn from prominent Black civil and human rights activist Ella Baker, the work of the 1960s’ Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and the Mexican Zapatistas (also known as the Zapatista Army of National Liberation). After introducing these figures and movements, they will lift up and elucidate some of the common principles and practices that might inform efforts related to “organizing in the spirit of accompaniment” today.   Facilitators Dr. Ry Siggelkow Ry O. Siggelkow, Ph.D., (he/him/his) is the director of the Leadership Center for Social Justice. He earned his PhD in Theology and Ethics from Princeton Theological Seminary and previously served as the director of Initiatives in Faith & Praxis at the University of St. Thomas where he taught courses at the intersection of race, class, and gender with a focus on migration, the abolition of borders, and theologies of liberation. An ordained Mennonite minister and former pastor of Faith Mennonite Church (Minneapolis), Ry has been actively involved in grassroots community organizing for several years alongside Spanish-speaking undocumented people. He is co-founder of Pueblos de Lucha y Esperanza (Peoples of Struggle and Hope), a faith-based, women-centered, and immigrant-led organization that seeks to build power in the community so that all people have a place to belong, a place to stay, and a place to grow. Ricardo Pérez Born and raised in Mexico, Ricardo (he/him/his) is a self-taught mixed media artist with more than 15 years of creative experience who now lives in the Twin Cities. Partial to watercolor and ink, Ricardo has recently created murals to reflect a spirit of collaboration with marginalized communities and lift up those whose voices need to be heard. In August of 2022, Ricardo was announced as The Leadership Center for Social Justice's new artist-organizer in residence.