2026 Fall Convocation: The Installation of Rev. Dr. Justin Sabia-Tanis into the Wilson Yates Chair in Theology and the Arts
Each fall, the United community welcomes the beginning of a new academic year and, with it, celebrates new faculty and institutional milestones. This year, we will gather to formally celebrate the installation of Rev. Dr. Justin Sabia-Tanis as the first-ever occupant of the Wilson Yates Chair in Theology and the Arts.
Prior to joining United’s faculty, Dr. Sabia-Tanis served as congregational minister, community organizer, advocate, and teacher. He his exceedingly well educated and experienced in his field, having received his PhD from Graduate Theological Union, his DMin from San Francisco Theological Seminary, and his MDiv from Harvard Divinity School. As a theologian and scholar, he has focused much of his work on the intersection of art and LGBTQ+ religious identity, with multiple publications to his name. Until his appointment to this chair, he served faithfully as the McVay Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Social Transformation as well as Program Director for Social Transformation.
The Wilson Yates Chair in Theology and the Arts was established by generous gifts from friends, alums, and former United faculty members. The endowed chair’s namesake, Rev. Dr. Wilson Yates, is United’s celebrated President Emeritus and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Religion, Society, and the Arts. News of Dr. Sabia-Tanis’s appointment was announced this summer and widely celebrated by his colleagues as well as current and former students.
This free event will take place on Thursday, September 26, at 12:15 PM CT. Happening onsite and online, Fall Convocation is always free and open to the public. Direct any questions to Jen Bingen Buck at jbuck@unitedseminary.edu or 651-255-6162. Please park on the south side of the CASE building (767 Eustis St., St. Paul, MN 55114). Need directions? Click here >
Register
Deadline: Please register by Tuesday, September 21, 2026. Registration form forthcoming.