A look back at 2016 in pictures

As we finish the year, we take a look back at some of our favorite UPSem photos and memories.

January

Worship and MLK Sermon: In advance of MLK Day, we were inspired and empowered by Adjunct Assistant Professor Paula Parker’s sermon “Shattered Dreams” in Watts Chapel.

Seminary snowstorm: Student Daniel Burch took advantage of a snow day to make a snow angel on the quad following Winter Storm Jonas in Richmond.

February

Daughters of Eve: This powerful collection of monologues was written by alums Rachel Shepherd and Miriam Foltz, and written in a way that reclaims the stories of our mothers and sisters in faith. The all-women cast was made of up of UPSem faculty, staff and students. Proceeds from the event went to Safe Harbor Shelter.

Richmond Hall Renovation: Renovations began for this beloved 107-year-old dorm and community building, which will reopen in January 2017. It will also house the new Syngman Rhee Global Mission Center for Christian Education in late 2017.

UPSem at NEXTChurch2016: Students and alumni attended this national gathering of leaders across the PC(USA) who believe the church of the future will be more relational, diverse, collaborative, hopeful and agile.

March

Seminary Spring: Our cherry blossom trees signaled the season’s arrival with a brilliant display.

April

Easter Egg Hunt: The UPSem community gathered to participate in our annual Richmond campus hunt for chocolate-filled eggs.

Ultimate Frisbee: The inter-seminary ultimate frisbee tournament is an annual tradition at UPSem. We were so happy to host so many amazing seminary students and fellowship together on a wet and muddy weekend.

Dogwoods in Bloom: Our mascot Elmo is spotted in his favorite habitat.

Service Day: We had so much fun visiting and pulling weeds for Shalom Farms, a 6-acre nonprofit community farm project in Goochland County with the overarching goal of increasing food security in the Richmond region, particularly in low-income urban neighborhoods. The event was organized by our Black Caucus, Service Committee, and Community Life Office.

Ghana Travel Seminar: We begin this trip with lots of questions: how do Ghanaian Christians think about and practice evangelism? How are they responding to the challenges of globalization? What social issues are they most concerned to address? Do they experience “worship wars”? What might they teach us about practicing our faith? We documented what we learned on our blog.

May

Middle East Travel Seminar: Students, faculty, alums, and friends of UPSem traveled to Egypt, Jordan, and Israel/Palestine. We visited museums, churches, mosques, synagogues, and important archeological sites belonging to the world of biblical and ecclesiastical antiquity. And we observed contemporary manifestations of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity in this part of the world and to converse with religious and other leaders. Learn more about what we saw on our blog.

Charlotte Hebrew Class: Dr. Carson Brisson shows his students how much fun you can have learning this ancient biblical language.

Charlotte Campus: Students enjoy fellowship after a day of classes.

Worship in Charlotte: Students and faculty gather after a service that focused on stress reduction through Frisbee and other activities.

Sprunt Lectures: Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Distinguished Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Baylor University and Helen H.P. Manson Professor of New Testament Literature and Exegesis Emerita at Princeton Theological Seminary, headlined our annual alumni homecoming lecture series.

William Smith Morton Library: A unique place for research and study.

For the spirit of the city: We joined Richmond Hill in prayer for the healing of metropolitan Richmond: for the sick and those in our hearts; for the welfare of all of our citizens; for the establishment of God’s order in our community; and for peace.

June

Richmond Commencement

Charlotte Commencement

Nature’s Fury: A severe thunderstorm inflicted heavy damage to our Richmond community. Damage to the seminary was light compared to our neighbors.

July

Communities of Learning: An innovative summer orientation program, unique to UPSem, that shows new students just how much we care about making their seminary experience a successful one.

Richmond Summer Hebrew Class

BBQ Church: The Joyful Feast’s experiment in doing church a little differently was a delicious success. We had slow-cooked BBQ from locally raised pigs and chickens, vegetables and sides prepared from local farmers’ market produce, great music, scripture, conversation, prayer, and communion.

September

Richmond Orientation Week: Orientation week included games and a picnic on our quad for students, faculty, and staff.

Fall Service Day: We returned to Shalom Farms to harvest many bushels of sweet potatoes for low-income Richmond communities. It was fun and the work was definitely not small potatoes.

Richmond Convocation

Charlotte Convocation

Union on the Move: This event is very similar to the “Caravan” we used to do, where some of our students, faculty, and staff head to a specific region to lead workshops at a Saturday gathering and then assist in worship leadership at several congregations on Sunday morning. Held every other year, this Union on the Move was a spectacular success with the folks of the Presbytery of Coastal Carolina.

Evangelism Conference: UPSem and the Presbytery of the James partnered in an exciting and timely initiative called “Cultivating a Culture of Evangelism.” The Presbytery of Charlotte and the Synod of the Mid-Atlantic helped expand this critical conversation about discovering the “why” of evangelism.

November

Current Events Luncheon: Jennifer McClellan, the Richmond campus’ representative in the Virginia House of Delegates, spoke to students, faculty, staff and Board of Trustees members. She spoke on politics, faith, and the presidential election.

Board of Trustees Elects New Leadership: Left, The Reverend Alex Evans (M.Div.’87), pastor for Second Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Virginia, was named chairman of the seminary’s board of trustees. Right, Edward L. Roberson, III, the president of Fountain Roberson Anderson Insurance Agency in Tarboro, North Carolina, was named vice chairman.

Capital Campaign Gala and Cookout: UPSem celebrated the initial successes of its $53 million capital campaign to fund nine new programs for a changing society and a changing church. The public phase of the campaign was launched with a gala and cookout.

Sung Morning Prayer: A prayer service in an unusual setting — the William Smith Morton Library.

December

Calvin Ball

Community Break Visitors

Advent Worship: We were delighted to welcome Dr. David Renwick (Ph.D. ’88) to lead worship along with the UPSem (Richmond) Choir. Dr. Renwick intertwined his sermon with Vivaldi’s “Gloria.”