United Days: Interpreting Texts for the Liberation and Flourishing of Our World

Join fellow United alums and students, faculty, and staff for United Days. This year’s two-day homecoming event is themed “Interpreting Texts for the Liberation and Flourishing of Our World.” Drawing on the Hebrew Bible, we will experience new ways to think about leadership in our current landscape. Together, we will engage questions such as:

What does it mean to be a neighbor?
How do biblical texts provide liberation stories?
How might liberation stories restore our souls?
What is the liberative power of art?

In our exploration of these questions, we will invite the texts to direct us as we work toward the transformation of our human and ecological world. Leaders of faith communities will be challenged to envision their call in new ways. We will also seek liberation and flourishing in musical texts, specifically in the lyrics of Prince, in our Friday morning plenary session.

This year’s United Days is being supported by the Gustafson Lectureship in New Testament Studies. Established in honor of Rev. Dr. Henry A. Gustafson, Professor Emeritus of the New Testament (1968–1989), Henry was a lifelong teacher and student of the New Testament. His excitement about the scriptures was infectious among his students and churchgoers who attended his Adult Education classes. His fine mind and gentle manner made him easily accessible to students and colleagues alike. Everyone who knew him had a “Henry Gustafson story.” Henry was a graduate of Yale Divinity School in New Haven and earned his PhD at the University of Chicago.

CEUs are available for all plenary sessions for interested attendees. Keep scrolling for more information on our speakers and registration.

Speakers

Dr. Jennifer Maidrand is United’s visiting assistant professor of Bible, Culture, and Interpretation, supported by the Louisville Institute. A scholar, educator, and activist, Maidrand holds a PhD in Bible and Cultures and an MA in Theological Studies with an emphasis on Religion and Ecology from Drew University. This summer, she spent several weeks in Palestine-Israel researching how biblical interpretation shapes contested landscapes. She has served with Global Ministries (UCC) in Palestine and has valuable experience providing education and advocacy related to the Middle East to diverse churches across the US. Maidrand is a member of the UCC and is committed to fostering interfaith and intercultural community education around sacred texts, the earth, and social justice.

Dr. Kenneth Ngwa, this year’s Gustafson lecturer, is the Donald J. Casper Professor of Hebrew Bible and African Biblical Hermeneutics and director of the Religion and Global Health Forum at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL. Dr. Ngwa holds a Master of Theology degree from the Protestant University of Central Africa in Cameroon, as well as a ThM and PhD from Princeton Theological Seminary. A native of Cameroon, his bilingual and multicultural upbringing colors his perspective on African identities in the world. “For me,” Ngwa observes, “multiplicity is the starting point for a shared life of faith, hope, justice-work, ecological sustainability, research, teaching, empathy, curiosity, dreaming, health/healing, worship, and all that makes life both tender and fragile, but also deeply cherished and durable.”

Dr. Pamela (Ayo) Yetunde, JD, MA, ThD, is a pastoral counselor in private practice, an author, and a speaker. She is the author of Dearly Beloved Prince, Spirituality and This Thing Called Life, a book inspired by the Theology of Prince Project she led while a professor at United. Ayo is also the co-director for the Black Buddhism Faculty Project at the Center for Culture, Society, and Religion at Princeton University.  

Schedule

Thursday, October 23, 2025

Friday, October 24, 2025

Registration Details

Note: Space is limited. If you intend to register for the banquet or lunch, we must receive your request by October 16. Onsite registrations (with no food) will close on October 21. We will not be able to accommodate late registrations. If you have food allergies, please contact Andrew Fox at afox@unitedseminary.edu. We also have limited scholarships available. If you are unable to cover your registration costs, please contact Rev. Dr. Cindi Beth Johnson at cbjohnson@unitedseminary.edu. 

Able to do more?

Consider adding a gift of $63 for the United Fund in honor of United’s 63rd year as a seminary. The United Fund provides the seminary with unrestricted operating funds. If you are interested in making a gift of a different size, click here for our Give page.