Started UPSem 2021: Matt Wiedle (pursuing MDiv and MACE)
The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students.
Senior Business Development Manager Wickfire, LLC Asheville, North Carolina
Born in Indiana but raised in Illinois, Matt Wiedle now calls Asheville, North Carolina, home with his wife and one “fur baby.” Receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Millikin University, he studied opera at Yale before enrolling at Union Presbyterian Seminary Charlotte. In between Yale and UPSem, Wiedle was a professional opera singer and now works in marketing.
After returning to an active church life several years ago, he felt a persistent call to consider seminary. “It started with a 10-month leadership development program at our previous church in Austin, Texas, and still hasn’t left me. I’m still waiting and praying for discernment around the calling after seminary, but for now, enjoying the journey of learning.” He chose UPSem Charlotte for a variety of reasons. First, the proximity of the campus to his home meant a reasonable commute without having to move or give up work. Also, the weekend class schedule meant he could continue in his job while attending seminary. But what confirmed his decision were the recommendations made by others. “I chose UPSem Charlotte because it was highly recommended by a friend at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church and then confirmed by a fellow congregant and now classmate already attending UPSem Charlotte.”
As a student who started recently, Wiedle is struck by the sense of community and support created on the campus that merges with a broad intellectual curiosity. “I appreciate the combination of the amazing staff and the support of my cohort,” he says. “When you couple that with deepening my knowledge around the faith, the history, and the lived-out practice, how can you go wrong?” He continues: “The journey will challenge you, but the amazing staff and the support of your cohort are instrumental in getting through it. It truly does feel like the right mix of challenge and support that leads to the best growth.”
Wiedle is still discerning where and to what this educational experience might lead. At this point, he is simply enjoying the journey and open to whatever destinations present themselves.
The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students.
Special Needs Teaching Assistant Harding High School Charlotte, North Carolina
Originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sedae Slaughter traded the city for brotherly love for the Queen City, moving to Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2008. Having graduated from Independence University, Slaughter works as a special needs teaching assistant and team ministry teacher at her church, the Family of Faith Christian Center, and as a mental and parenting coach.
Growing up in The African Methodist Episcopal Church, Slaughter now attends a nondenominational church where she is highly involved, an involvement that led her to consider more formal theological education. “I decided to start seminary to gain a better understanding of the Christian practices so that I can properly and effectively teach younger generations.” Slaughter, also, chose the Charlotte campus of Union Presbyterian Seminary because of its closeness to her home and because her husband, Mike, was already enrolled. “My husband found Union first,” she says. “I liked what I saw and heard from him. After meeting a few professors and staff members, I decided it was time.” Following several years of seminary, Slaughter has grown to appreciate the authentic passion that fills the seminary’s halls. She affirms, “The genuine love of Jesus is there. The emotions and lessons are real and truly from the heart.”
Slaughter finds having the seminary in Charlotte essential to the health of the community and church witness in the area. UPSem Charlotte, as she notes, provides a much-needed helpful gift. “There are so many uneducated people out here that spread false narratives of who Jesus is. The seminary allows the opportunity to correct and spread facts of our God.” Not only does the seminary provide an educational opportunity for those studying and the community where it serves, but the seminary provides a supportive extended family for its students. Slaughter explains, “We are really a family. Professors will invite you to their homes and take you out to eat. The spirit within the building feels freeing and uplifting.” After graduation, Slaughter hopes to use her degree to enhance and expand her work at her church, in the community, and with her nonprofit, Generation Genesis.
Slaughter lives in Charlotte with her husband and their three young children.
The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students.
Pursuing MDiv and MACE Ruling Elder Statesville Avenue Presbyterian Church Charlotte, North Carolina
Born in Shelby, North Carolina, and now living in Charlotte, Ryan Atkinson moved to Greensboro after high school to attend Guilford Technical Community College, studying aviation and liberal arts. Eventually transferring to The North Carolina A&T State University, he graduated with a degree in electronics and computer technology. It was after college that Atkinson moved to the Queen City, heading south to start work for Duke Energy.
Atkinson enrolled in UPSem Charlotte following the age-old advice that seminary is where you go when you have all the questions, not when you have all the answers. It was that deep questioning that brought him to Union Presbyterian Seminary. He specifically chose UPSem because of what he feels is the school’s honest self-reflection and authentic witness. “I choose UPSem based on it ‘practicing what it preaches’ in regards to acknowledging its yesterday, rectifying it today, and assuring a more equitable tomorrow.” The convenience of the Charlotte campus made selecting the seminary that much easier, and the seminary’s commitment to engaged learning has convinced him UPSem Charlotte is the right place. Atkinson affirms, “My reasoning for choosing UPSem has re-formed since I started. The opportunity for us to practice in the field early on what is learned in the classroom is both practical and important.” He continues, “We are blessed to have the opportunity to plant one foot into the academic world and the other foot into the practical world simultaneously early in our theological education. Practicing this not only gives us a front-row seat to the beautiful (and sometimes rather complicated) intertwining of the two, but it invites us onstage to take part.” And, for Atkinson, what makes UPSem Charlotte a special place in his estimation is the feeling of family the campus creates and the attitude of acceptance that pervades that family.
Following graduation, Atkinson senses a strong call to parish ministry and ER chaplaincy. However, he “remains open to the direction of the Holy Spirit.” Ryan and his wife live in Charlotte with their golden retriever and tabby cat.
The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students.
Pursuing MDiv Local Pastor Piney Grove UMC and Shady Grove UMC Staff Attorney Lexipol Clyde, North Carolina
Born and reared in the mountains and foothills of the Carolinas, Jason Smith now calls Clyde, North Carolina, home. Before landing in Clyde, Smith attended Clemson University and the University of Tennessee College of Law, working as both a criminal defense attorney and an Assistant District Attorney for the State of North Carolina. Eventually, Smith served as a prosecutor in the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in Tribal Court and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina. In more recent years, he has served with companies working with local law enforcement agencies. After nearly two decades practicing law, Smith added to his calling a second vocation and became licensed as a Local Pastor with The United Methodist Church.
Feeling a pull toward ordained ministry following participation in a Walk to Emmaus retreat, he was pleased by the call but not the educational path it implied. Smith remarks, “I immediately dismissed it because I’d had enough of school during my legal training. However, like my Emmaus encounter, the thought of entering seminary also proved unignorable. Once I acquiesced to the call to enter seminary, I experienced an indescribable peace.”
As a United Methodist, Smith found that not all seminaries are approved for those seeking ordination in The United Methodist Church. Union Presbyterian Seminary is. This made Smith’s decision easier. However, what truly sold him on enrolling in UPSem Charlotte was the design of the program. “I found UPSem’s Charlotte program to be unique. I was drawn to the opportunity for a traditional cohort experience, despite the nontraditional part-time schedule that I would require as a second-career aspiring pastor who could not neglect familial responsibilities for a full-time residential seminary experience.” The class schedule, warmth of the campus staff and faculty, and supportive cohort have only confirmed his choice. “UPSem is a family,” he concludes. “I think that is what I was most struck by when I visited and ultimately enrolled. Granted, we meet only once a week during our three semesters each year, but I feel confident that I could call on any member of the student body or faculty/staff in times of need. I would receive prayers, support, attention, and love. The compassion is genuine and abundant. For a non-residential campus comprised of part-time (mostly second-career) students, that is not something that you will find in many other seminaries. The nature of a part-time distance program defies the ability to easily create a community that feels like a family. However, UPSem has done that and has done it exceptionally well.”
Now bi-vocational, Smith serves two small churches in Haywood County where he lives with his wife, their two boys, a beagle, a turtle, and a fish.
The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students.
Clinical Pastoral Resident Novant Spiritual Care Services Charlotte, North Carolina
Growing up in England and the Caribbean, Marina Luckhoo now calls Charlotte, North Carolina, home with her husband and two children. Having felt called to ministry early in life, organized religion was less appealing than her more certain call to care for others. That desire to link faith with care drew Luckhoo to train as a nurse. Now a registered nurse, she has worked in cardiac care, oncology, and hospice. Later in life, she sensed the tug toward ministry renewed and sought ways to further connect her sense of calling with her passion for care. “The pull to engage in holistic care persisted. I explored chaplaincy through CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) and discovered that a master’s degree was necessary to continue in this vocation.”
When Luckhoo decided to explore seminary more deliberatively, she surprised herself. The way the Union Presbyterian Seminary offered its courses to make attending easier was of equal surprise. She remembers, “I was astonished to find myself at the door of UPSem Charlotte as a mature student. It was an impractical time for my family, as my eldest was starting university. I met with Dean Richard Boyce and found that my general concerns about the church as an institution and my hopes for interfaith engagement were met with compassion and reason. Importantly, the flexibility of classes allowed me to honor my home and work commitments.” Luckhoo values the open and welcoming atmosphere of the campus and the ecumenical environment, particularly the idea that regardless of denominational or cultural background all are encouraged to engage and explore. The seminary, while affiliated with the PC(USA), has nearly 180 students from more than a dozen denominations, all working together to offer a bold Christian witness in the world.
After graduation, Luckhoo plans on becoming a hospital chaplain.
The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students.
Pastor Shiloh and Mount Pleasant United Methodist Churches Personal Financial Representative AllState Kernersville, North Carolina
Born in Singapore to Malaysian parents, Rev. Eric Tang (MDiv 2021) spent most of his childhood in Kuala Lumpur, only returning to Singapore for high school. Tang came to the United States to attend college and graduated from Louisburg College, North Carolina State University, and Campbell University.
Already a Licensed Local Pastor in The United Methodist Church upon enrolling at Union Presbyterian Seminary Charlotte, Tang’s work in the church as a part-time pastor is what compelled him to seek a second master’s degree. “As a local pastor, I was able to offer encouraging messages and build enthusiasm in my congregations, but I discerned I needed a richer and firmer foundation. Without any formal theological education, I felt like I was just at the tip of the iceberg. Further studies would allow me to go deeper in my messages and thereby develop my mind in the resources of Scripture and get better equipped as a leader. This training is especially important considering today’s lightning-fast changing world. With a theological education, I hoped I would be able to ‘read’ the situations of today more clearly and faithfully.”
Tang’s choice to study to be a more effective pastor was not a difficult one to make. For Tang, the choice centered on what kind of studying he should do and where. Through encouragement by the seminary admissions office and that of another United Methodist pastor, he settled on UPSem Charlotte as the best fit for him, especially as a seminarian who needed to work while studying without having to relocate. “The program is set up extremely well to cater to bi-vocational pastors. Driving distance was reasonable, and the campus is beautiful.” Once enrolled, Tang discovered that not only was the campus beautiful but so was the experience. He recalls, “The cohort model for learning is ideal. We have built amazing friendships. The level of knowledge and expertise of the faculty is also fabulous. And the staff, wow, what a great team!”
After graduation, Tang has continued his bi-vocational work in insurance and financial services, living in Kernersville with his wife and their dog. Their three adult children live close by.
The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students.
Associate Pastor Caldwell Presbyterian Church Charlotte, North Carolina
From Brooklyn, New York, Rev. Gail Henderson-Belsito (MDiv 2020) has called North Carolina home for many years since her husband transferred to the city to continue his work in banking. While still “up North,” Henderson-Belsito had attended Williams College and, then, Wesleyan University. Following graduation from Williams, she took teaching and administrative positions at several schools before choosing to stay at home once her first child was born. The next two decades were spent as a homeschool teacher, mother, wife, and new Presbyterian.
Having grown up Baptist, Henderson-Belsito eventually joined First Presbyterian Church, Charlotte after arriving in the Queen City. While teaching Sunday school at her new church, members of her class regularly nudged her to consider seminary. Despite being encouraged by a friend to drive over to the Union Presbyterian Seminary Charlotte campus to speak with Richard Boyce, she kept putting it off. But one day during a training meeting for the Session, providence intervened. “During Session training, Dean Boyce came to First to teach us about polity. I approached him after the class and said, ‘Well, I never went to visit Union, so God sent Union here to me at Session training.’” Her choice of UPSem Charlotte was easy. It was in the city where she lived, and it was connected to her new denomination, the PC(USA).
Her time at UPSem Charlotte provided even more than she might have initially hoped. Seminary proved to be not just a place to learn but a place to change. “I appreciated and loved the conversations in class, over lunch, and in the library, even though we should have been quiet in the library. I learned so much during those conversations, wrestling with Scripture and theology and each other when we disagreed.”
While studying at UPSem Charlotte changed her thinking, it confirmed her vocation and verified her conviction that a seminary campus in Charlotte is vital. “A seminary in Charlotte matters because there are many people here who are wrestling with the call of God on their lives, while also wrangling families, careers, church involvement, and other activities. Charlotte needs a place for the study of the Word of God, church history, and the future of the church. And UPSem Charlotte provides a place for preparation for ministry and also for the deepening and strengthening of ministry that is already happening.”
The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students.
Chaplain Queens University of Charlotte Charlotte, North Carolina
Born and reared in Monroe County, West Virginia, Rev. Joey Haynes (MDiv 2019) now calls Charlotte home. Proudly Baptist by heritage and ordination, Haynes left the state in the mid-2000s to study at Queens University, majoring in international studies with minors in Spanish and world religions. That study led him overseas after college working as an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher in South Korea. Back in the U.S., he worked at several local organizations that serve individuals with exceptionalities before enrolling at Union Presbyterian Seminary Charlotte.
Enrolling in seminary was a natural transition for Haynes, as he was ministering at Park Road Baptist Church with their youth when he decided to matriculate at UPSem Charlotte. Choosing UPSem Charlotte was made easier because of its location and affordability, an affordability made possible by generations of faithful donors and a creative funding plan set up in Charlotte. That plan, called the Matching Grant Program, divides the expense of seminary between three partners to fund a student’s tuition costs. Through the plan, a student covers a third of the cost, their sponsoring congregation covers a third, and the seminary covers the final third. As Haynes explains it, “Choosing Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte gave me the chance to remain in Charlotte. It also allowed me an affordable Master of Divinity.”
Entering seminary, Haynes was looking for an education that provided an opportunity to challenge himself and what he presumed true. “I felt that seminary would offer me the chance to better understand others more deeply and learn how to bring people together to grow, be vulnerable, experience discomfort, build bridges, and have authentic and meaningful conversations.” At UPSem Charlotte, he found not only challenging engagements and deep conversation partners but also a new network of friends. “I appreciated being in a small cohort of students who were journeying with me each Saturday. Being together with them for five years, I built lasting relationships with many people who did not share my same experiences, traditions, or background. These relationships helped me think and nurture my own spiritual life more deeply, better understanding the social inequities and injustices including my own privileges as a white male.” As Haynes reflects on his time in seminary, he concludes that UPSem Charlotte changed him and gave him an opportunity that might not otherwise have been available. “Seminary was extremely important for my own faith journey. My time at UPSem challenged me, nurtured me, and gave me the chance to fully realize my potential, as a child of God, to love and care for others as well as our world.”
Having returned to Queens University to serve as their chaplain, Haynes strives to use his seminary training and faithful passions to build interfaith coalitions at the university and in the broader Charlotte community. Ordained in the Alliance of Baptists tradition, Haynes and his wife live in Charlotte with their two cats, Harry and Ron, unapologetically named after the Harry Potter characters.
The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students.
Director of High School and College Ministries Covenant Presbyterian Church Charlotte, North Carolina
Born and reared in the Palmetto State, Martin Pruitt (MDiv 2018 / MACE 2019) lived in Anderson, South Carolina, his whole life until traveling north up I-85 to Charlotte after college. Pruitt does not represent the standard demographic for most students enrolling on the Charlotte campus. Rather than coming as a second-career student, Pruitt arrived at 21. Despite his youth, Pruitt was already seasoned in church life. Before Union Presbyterian Seminary, he graduated from Presbyterian College, worked at his presbytery’s Camp Buc, and interned at two Presbyterian churches.
Pruitt felt called to ministry from a young age and clarified that call into ordained ministry as a young adult. For him, the notion to attend seminary was familiar and anticipated. The only question was which one? For Pruitt, that decision was made easier while in college. He confesses, “Honestly, I chose UPSem Charlotte because of the incredible admissions representative that always made a special effort to speak with me whenever she came to my college campus. The personal connection that we made and her dedication to getting me into the right place meant the world to me and made me pursue UPSem above any other seminary.” At UPSem Charlotte, he felt the structure of the educational program was ideal, as it allowed him to study and learn about ministry while working at a church. For him, that link between studying and working turned his seminary experience into a laboratory for learning. “Getting the opportunity to work full time in a church, immediately putting into practice the things I was learning in seminary, was a big selling point for me to enroll in Charlotte.”
This connection between the life in the classroom and that beyond it defines the ethos of seminary, especially the Charlotte campus, for Pruitt. As he sees it, UPSem Charlotte challenges convention. “The Charlotte Campus is so important because it is serving the church in the world in a way that no other seminary quite catches. Being able to live in Charlotte and the surrounding area, work full time, have a family, and pursue education seems impossible, but the campus in Charlotte helps to make that dream a reality.” These altered expectations are what Pruitt thinks would be the most surprising thing for others to learn about UPSem Charlotte. For him, seminary is not what others might presume it is. “I think a lot of folks imagine seminary as a dusty old building where people read theology texts from hundreds of years ago and talk about how important it is to never change. We aren’t studying to serve the church from yesterday. We study to be able to serve the church of today and to keep the church healthy and alive, working to grow and empower the church for the future, serving human need, fighting for justice, and spreading the Gospel.”
When not working at Covenant Presbyterian Church, Pruitt may be found in West Charlotte with his wife, their three cats, and their seven chickens.
The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students.
Pastor Riverside United Methodist Church New Bern, North Carolina
Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Rev. Dr. Doug Harr (MDiv 2018) was a Captain in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps, serving in Hawaii, Georgia, North Carolina, Missouri, Korea, and Japan. Prior to answering a call to ministry, he attended the University of Missouri for both undergraduate and graduate degrees while adding an additional graduate degree from Central Michigan University. Those early studies led Harr to a variety of careers. Working in fields from health care to higher education, Harr answered a call to ministry not as a second career but as a fourth or fifth.
Harr chose the Charlotte campus because it allowed him to continue serving a congregation near his home as a student pastor while enrolled. Also, Union Presbyterian Seminary is an approved seminary of the University Senate of The United Methodist Church. Not every seminary is approved by the UMC. This approved status allows United Methodists to attend the seminary and seek ordination. As Harr describes it, “The seminary’s approval by my denomination allowed me to continue to serve as pastor while attending seminary.” This approval by another denomination also ensured that his experience at UPSem Charlotte had some added diversity, a diversity he appreciated. “UPSem Charlotte also allowed me the opportunity to attend seminary with fellow seminarians from different denominations and backgrounds.”
The diversity of the student body and the campus environs in Charlotte are nurtured by intentional fellowship, a fellowship that, as Harr remembers, allows strong and enduring relationships to form. Also, Harr appreciates the convenience of the Charlotte campus and what that campus affords. “The Charlotte campus offers a beautiful environment and location that allows many an opportunity to attend seminary that they would not have if it did not exist.” Summarizing his experience on the Charlotte campus, he recalls, “UPSem is a challenging and wonderful opportunity to learn and grow in your faith, knowledge, and love for God and others.”
Regularly engaged in the community encircling his church in New Bern, Harr remains involved in many community services. Looking to expand his call into more work in clinical pastoral care, he currently serves a congregation and works as a clinical chaplain.
The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students.
Pastor Upper Long Cane Presbyterian Church Abbeville, South Carolina
A native South Carolinian, Vikki Brogdon grew up on a farm between Sumter and Manning, South Carolina. She still lives on that same farm. A fifth-generation farmer, Brogdon felt called to go to seminary after one of her sons came home to farm. More specifically, it was serving on Kairos Prison Ministry teams that prompted her call. As Brogdon remembers, “I began to feel God’s pull. Not understanding why, I began to realize it was a pull to attend seminary. It was quite a surprise several years later to realize that I was being called to the pulpit as a solo pastor.”
The structure of the program and the location of the campus were key to Brogdon choosing Union Presbyterian Seminary Charlotte. The campus was close to her home in South Carolina, and the weekend classes allowed her to keep working the farm while attending seminary. And yet, what she found at UPSem Charlotte was more than merely convenience. She found rigor and community. “UPSem prepared me scholastically. The rigors of studying and the invigorating debate among colleagues prepared me mentally. Bonding with my fellow students over chapel and meals provided inspiration and nurtured my prayer life. This was an education grounded in the basics of Biblical, theological, and language studies undertaken with devoted professors and a diverse student population who respected and encouraged one another. Christian community was formed within the walls of the seminary. UPSem Charlotte is truly a seedbed for theological development.”
In addition to intellectual development and a spirited community, Brogdon appreciates the opportunity that the Charlotte campus represents. Without the campus in Charlotte and the educational format, she wonders if as many people would be able to explore their calls to ministry. The campus grants opportunity. She asserts, “Whether early or late in life, I believe that none who hear God’s call to ministry should be left behind. The Charlotte campus of UPSem is a place to explore God’s call and to examine, with others, the way in which God is leading.” Framing her time in seminary out of her lived experience, Brogdon sees the Charlotte campus as a small rural church nestled in a bustling city. “The class sizes remain small, and the professors are laser-focused on the success of their students. It is a place of encouragement and inspiration, knowing that there is a prayer network and a caring ‘family’ church at work in that place.”
Now, back on her farm, she has added the titles of grandmother and ordained minister. Ordained in 2016, Brogdon is a Teaching Elder in the PC(USA), having served three congregations as a stated supply pastor since graduation.
The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students.
Stated Supply Pastor Laurens County Presbyterian Churches Clinton, South Carolina
A child of the South, Rev. Charmaine Smith (MDiv 2017) was born in Nashville, Tennessee, grew up in Mississippi and Florida, and now lives in Clinton, South Carolina. Growing up, her family was large and layered. In her words, “I am my father’s only child. I was raised primarily by my father and my stepmother. I have three step-siblings — who are not ‘step’ siblings to me. And, I have a half-brother — who is not at all a ‘half.’” As an adult, she has one son whom she describes as “the center of my world. He comes only a close second to God on my list of dearest loves.”
Consumed by words and stories, Smith’s first career was in journalism, a subject she studied at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
She was called to seminary while working as a Christian educator. The questions asked by her youth led her to want to know more about the stories of God and God’s people she was teaching on Sundays. In wanting to know those stories better, she found Union Presbyterian Seminary Charlotte to be a comfortable fit and a friendly companion in the next chapter of her life. She recalls, “I chose Union because of three things: 1) Former dean Tom Currie, and his ability to put me at ease immediately. 2) The ability to share the financial costs of attending seminary with the Presbytery, my home church, and the seminary was crucial. 3) The Saturday schedule made it possible. I was not in a place where I could afford to quit my full-time job and attend seminary full-time, and I needed more time to discern God’s will for my life before making such an important switch in vocation.”
That Saturday schedule helped build a community because most everyone was together each week for classes, chapel, and a common meal. As students in Charlotte enroll, they join a cohort with whom they study and share life during their seminary education. This cohort education model is vital to the success of UPSem Charlotte. Smith concludes, “I am still very connected to those in my cohort, those who pulled me through those dark valleys and celebrated with me on the mountain tops. This cohort model is essential, I think, to the strength of the community at the Charlotte campus.” Smith appreciates the necessity of the Charlotte campus well beyond her years of being a student. For her, the very existence of the Charlotte campus means people like her can pursue the call. “We need what Charlotte offers. I would not have been able to gain a seminary education if it were not for Union Presbyterian Seminary Charlotte.”
Following graduation from UPSem Charlotte, Smith was ordained in the PC(USA). After serving various churches in different roles, she is currently the Stated Supply Pastor for three churches in Laurens County, South Carolina.
The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students.
Campus Minister North Carolina Central University Durham, North Carolina
Rev. British Hyrams (MDiv/MACE 2016) had not initially considered a vocation in ministry.
A self-described Midwesterner and only child, Hyrams grew up in and around Chicago, Illinois. She married her college sweetheart in the late ’80s. Together, they and their three children found their way to the Charlotte area a little more than a decade ago. Prior to arriving in Charlotte, Hyrams earned a degree in industrial engineering from Purdue University and worked in a variety of fields from information technology to education. Before enrolling at UPSem Charlotte, Hyrams emerged from an eclectic religious background, landing in the PC(USA) where she would seek ordination as a Minister of Word and Sacrament.
“Much to my surprise, I was encouraged by my pastor to explore seminary as a ‘next step’ in discovering where the Lord might be leading me in life,” Hyrams said.
Once she began to explore the possibility of seminary, she researched theological institutions in the area and ultimately chose to attend Union Presbyterian Seminary in 2009. She chose UPSem Charlotte, Hyrams notes, for several reasons: 1) high recommendations by respected family and friends; 2) UPSem’s openness to a diversity of thought; and 3) its pursuit of variety in the make-up of the student, faculty, and staff populations. Charlotte’s campus profile, commitments, accessibility, and format made her exploration of a call to ministry move from an idea to a real possibility. Speculating on what makes UPSem Charlotte a special place, she concludes that it comes down to one word: Accessibility.
“The course delivery format gives working adults access to a quality graduate program,” she said. “The financial support and cost structure make paying for seminary reasonable. The supportive community makes completing the program possible. Together, these three give many answering a call to ministry access.”
Like others who have studied on the Charlotte campus, Hyrams values the connections made both inside and outside the classroom, connections that persist well beyond graduation. She reflects, “The individual connections and relationships I made with everyone on campus were priceless. These relationships still impact my personal and ministry life today. In addition, the pastoral and grace-filled approach employed by professors helped me make it through the rough times in my journey of faith and life.”
After graduation, Hyrams initially had no intention of becoming a pastor. But she did just that.
“Twice I served as an associate pastor before accepting my current call as the Presbyterian Campus Minister at North Carolina Central University,” she said. “This current call is the perfect one for me at this point in my life.”
The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students.
Pastor Hermon Presbyterian Church Rock Hill, South Carolina
A son, brother, husband, and father, Rev. Jonathan Davis (MDiv 2014) is originally from Shulerville, South Carolina. Davis finished high school in Andrews, South Carolina, before enrolling in college at the University of South Carolina. While at USC, Davis completed a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management, ultimately completing a master’s degree in management at Webster University. Settling into a career in business, Davis was working in management at Liberty Mutual when he decided to go to seminary.
An ordained Baptist minister, Davis was encouraged to enroll at Union Presbyterian Seminary Charlotte by another Charlotte alum serving at his then congregation. “A minister in my church, St. Luke Missionary Baptist, Dr. Ophelia Gorman-Brown, was at Union. She, along with my pastor, Reverend Clifford Matthews, highly recommended Union.” Choosing to attend seminary was a given, Davis adds, and attending UPSem Charlotte was a comfortable fit because the location and program structure made attending manageable for someone needing to work, not move, and still pursue a call to ministry, “Charlotte was where I lived and worked, and because I was still working, I loved the weekend program they had that made it conducive for me to attend.” Davis not only found the program in Charlotte convenient, but he also found it appropriately rigorous. “Seminary was very challenging, and I appreciated the challenge. The professors had a wealth of biblical, theological, church, pastoral, and practical knowledge. They brought that knowledge to the classroom, preparing us for ministry.” While deeming it convenient and rigorous, Davis found UPSem Charlotte to excel at one thing above all others: The campus, he says, excels at creating community. “Creating community was instilled in us from day one of seminary. Because we were successful in creating that community, there is a bond with Union seminarians and graduates that is everlasting.” After graduation, Davis did not go far from his UPSem community. He began serving as a Stated Supply Pastor at Hermon Presbyterian Church in Rock Hill, South Carolina, a position he still holds.
Given the size and steady growth of Charlotte and the surrounding metro area, Davis feels that UPSem Charlotte is not only well-positioned for those wanting to answer a call to ministry, but that size and growth create an increasing and enduring need for theological education in the region. As Davis observes, “Having a seminary in Charlotte is needed for all those that God is calling into ministry in the area. Due to the many churches in the city, someone should not have to go to another city to attend seminary. There is a need for the seminary in the city, a need UPSem Charlotte is ready to fulfill.”
The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students.
President and CEO LIFESPAN Pastor
Matters to Mission Mount Holly, North Carolina
Calling Asheboro, North Carolina, his hometown, Rev. Ken Fuquay (MACE 2011 / MDiv 2015) had many “hometowns” as a kid. His father was a Pentecostal Holiness minister, moving the family from place to place as he assumed different pastorates. Fuquay remembers, “We lived in Mount Pleasant, Asheboro, and Raleigh. My formative years were during Dad’s tenure as pastor in Asheboro.” Fuquay’s induction into church life and ministry came early and was pervasive. From Wednesday night Bible study to Sunday school to youth camps to church choirs, Fuquay found himself deeply immersed in ministry from a young age. Receiving degrees from Emmanuel College and the Carolina School of Broadcasting, prior to his pursuit of a seminary degree he worked in broadcasting and engaged with music, singing in southern gospel groups.
Having spent years away from church life, Fuquay found his way back one Sunday morning after hearing about a church on Seigle Avenue in Charlotte that welcomed everyone regardless of age, race, or sexuality. “To offer a short version of this story, being wounded by the church and being told that God did not and could not love me, I ran from anything that had anything to do with organized religion. On a divinely appointed Sunday morning after a long weekend of ‘partying,’ a voice stirred my spirit. I felt strongly that I had run long enough, and I found myself sitting in a multicultural Presbyterian church.” After he joined his new church home, one of Union Presbyterian Seminary’s faculty, Rodney Sadler, was invited to guest preach. For Fuquay, that sermon was igniting. “The context of Sadler’s message combined with his delivery style pierced through the garbage on to which I was holding, and the call to pastoral ministry was rekindled.”
To pursue his call, Fuquay enrolled at the seminary’s Charlotte campus, initially most appreciating its location and weekend format, and later valuing the enduring friendships he developed with the faculty, staff, and students. As he sees it, the work of the seminary in Charlotte is part of a long line of innovation and adaptation lodged firmly in the school’s and our faith’s past. “Throughout the Old Testament, whenever the wanderers would settle in a new geographic location, they would dig a well. The well was a source of life and became the center of the community. I am confident UPSem Charlotte is a well, dug sound and deep.” He continues, “Look at the graduates: where they’ve gone, what they’ve done, and what they’re doing. They are carrying water from the well to the dry and thirsty parched places in the world. Charlotte is the 24th largest market in the United States and is growing in diversity. Now more than ever, the city needs a well, a life-giving well.”
After his second graduation from UPSem Charlotte, Fuquay was ordained in the PC(USA), helping found a new congregation in Charlotte as part of the 1001 New Worshiping Communities initiative. In addition to his pastoral work, he serves as the CEO and President of one of the largest nonprofits in North Carolina, LIFESPAN Services. Today, Fuquay makes his home in Mount Holly, NC, with his husband and partner of more than 30 years.
The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students.
Pastor First United Presbyterian Church Charlotte, North Carolina
Born in Norfolk, Virginia, but raised in Dunn, North Carolina, Rev. Lorenzo Small (MDiv 2013) graduated from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, where he studied finance. After graduation, Small worked for 3M Corporation followed by Eli Lilly & Company. His last job before accepting his full-time call to ministry was with Carolinas Healthcare System where he spent five years in various positions, ultimately serving as the Director of West Region Urgent Care Services. Shortly after moving to Minnesota to work for 3M, Small joined Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church (MBC) where he served as a Deacon, Chair of the Deacon Board, and Sunday School Superintendent. He accepted his call to ministry at MBC and was licensed in 2005 and ordained in 2006.
When he and his wife returned to North Carolina, he joined First Fellowship Ministries of Charlotte where he served as an associate pastor. In 2011 as a UPsem Charlotte student, he was invited to preach at Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, South Carolina, a congregation where he was eventually installed as their pastor after ordination in the PC(USA). Following his pastorate at Pleasant Ridge, Small accepted a call to First United Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Since returning to North Carolina, Small wanted to remain in the greater Charlotte area. In fact, it was remaining in the area that helped convince him that UPSem Charlotte was an ideal choice for his seminary education. Small states, “Ultimately, I was convinced after some research that I would get a good seminary education at UPSem Charlotte. I lived in Charlotte, and I had to continue to work. The program design in Charlotte allowed for this.” This accommodation to his need to work and live in the area also reflects the general spirit of the Charlotte campus, a campus populated by faculty and staff interested in the students’ lives and what needs to be done to ensure their success. This concern leads to strong and enduring relationships between professors and their students long after graduation. As Small explains, “Lasting relationships have continued to shape me as a pastor, especially my relationships with my professors.” Possibly most important, Small concludes, is that the Seminary in Charlotte means access, access for students who might otherwise have a more difficult time answering their calls to churches in need of new, well-trained yet seasoned leaders.
The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students.
Director of Intercultural Education The Puriyninchik Association Covadonga, Peru
Born in Peru and proudly connected to his Quechua indigenous community, Rev. Noe Juarez- Loayza (MDiv 2010) moved to the United States in 2003 to live near his wife’s family. Laurie Camp Loayza, also a Union Presbyterian Seminary graduate, is from Greensboro, North Carolina. Before emigrating to the US, Juarez-Loayza was a teacher in Moyobamba, Peru. Once in Greensboro, Juarez-Loayza served as the Director of Latino Ministries at First Presbyterian Church, Greensboro. After a few years of working at First Greensboro, he enrolled in seminary at UPSem Charlotte.
Now an ordained PC(USA) pastor, Juarez-Loayza’s decision to enroll in seminary was not unexpected. He said, “Since a young age, I pondered theological training. When I started working as Director of Latino Ministries, I saw the need for Biblical and leadership training that would equip and give me resources to serve the church and the community better.” Juarez-Loayza found having a seminary located in Charlotte, its educational format and delivery, and his desire to pursue a call to ministry well suited to his needs. “UPSem Charlotte was a perfect match for me to work and go to school at the same time.” Not only did the format and delivery help Juarez-Loayza pursue his calling, but the campus’s sense of community engendered by the faculty and staff added to a successful experience. Along with the convenience and community, he appreciated the deep passion the campus inspires for rigorous intellectual investigation married to an exploration of faith through literature, music, poetry, and mission. In fact, engaged mission is at the heart of what Juarez-Loayza understands his own vocation to be: “I always felt like my calling is in the community, places where church ministries intersect with the community.”
After graduation, he continued his efforts to link the witness of the church with work in the community. First, he completed a Clinical Pastoral Education residency at Duke University Hospital. Then, he took a call at a multicultural church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Until recently, he was the pastor for mission and family ministries at Highland Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. After nearly two decades in the US, Juarez-Loayza and his family returned to his home country where he is now the Director of Intercultural Education at The Puriyninchik Association. He delights in this new work because it is another tangible expression of his sense of call, i.e., as a bridge between the work of the church and the needs of the world. He added, “I am enjoying my new calling because it gives me the opportunity to empower children and youth by providing them access to quality books and offers leadership training to young adults to serve in the community.” It is this practical example of calling that Juarez- Loayza feels the UPSem Charlotte excels in developing. Charlotte students are directly engaged with their communities while in seminary because they are full-time citizens while part-time students. This provides the opportunity for the seminary’s deep theological training to produce community-minded practitioners.
The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students.
Associate Pastor Reid’s Memorial Presbyterian Church Augusta, Georgia
A native Charlottean, Rev. Nadine Ellsworth-Moran (MDiv / MACE 2011) now calls Augusta, Georgia, home with her husband of more than 20 years and what she describes as three unrepentant cats. Prior to enrolling at Union Presbyterian Seminary at Charlotte, she worked as a paralegal in various law firms from Charlotte to Washington, D.C. She walked through the seminary’s doors in 2004, arriving from the corporate world with another master’s degree already in hand from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium.
Ellsworth-Moran had been discerning a call to ministry well before enrolling in seminary at UPSem Charlotte. Ultimately, she chose the seminary because of its convenience and the fact that she “felt it was important to attend a Reformed seminary, and UPSem Charlotte had everything I was looking for in my theological education.” Also, the seminary’s outstanding professors and variety of courses offered underscored the value and quality of the choice of the Charlotte campus. Ellsworth-Moran concludes, “I loved that it was a smaller overall campus, and it was possible to get to know your cohort and your professors quickly. I also liked the strong Reformed theological emphasis in core courses as well as the practical applications that I was able to put into practice every week.”
After graduation, she had the unique opportunity to work at the seminary’s Charlotte campus, serving as an assistant to Dean Richard Boyce while pastoring a small Presbyterian Church in Charlotte. These dual roles allowed her to be ordained in the PC(USA) and work for an institution she loved. What makes this institution so appealing for Ellsworth-Moran is her assessment that the Charlotte campus is a godsend, allowing many who are discerning a call to ministry to live and work where they are. This is particularly important for those who cannot leave the area and cannot afford to stop working while attending. The Charlotte campus, she maintains, “offers the same high standard of teaching as the Richmond campus but with a flexible schedule that accommodates all types of students, from recent undergrads to second and even third-career students.” Importantly, she observes, the faculty understand the difficulty of juggling family, work, and study and go out of their way to make theological education a reality for its students.
It is this deep concern for all members of the UPSem community that distinguishes the work of the seminary and what Ellsworth-Moran wants others to know about UPSem Charlotte. Ellsworth-Moran concludes, “The faculty and staff really do care about each student and their life. They care not only about what is happening in the classroom but what is going on once we leave campus. There is a real community on the Charlotte campus.”
The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students.
Chief Community Wellness and Health Equity Executive Novant Health Charlotte, North Carolina
Rev. Dr. Ophelia Garmon-Brown (MDiv 2008) was born in Detroit, Michigan. After her father died when she was young, she moved into Detroit’s inner city with her mother, brother, and sister. Eventually, they all relocated to North Carolina to be closer to her mother’s family. Graduating from North Carolina Central University, she entered medical school at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Garmon-Brown moved to Charlotte to begin a family practice residency at Charlotte Memorial Hospital in 1980. Since completing her residency in the early 1980s, she has held numerous roles at Novant Health. High on her list of vital roles are those of proud mother of two adult children and loving grandmother of three grandchildren.
An American Baptist by heritage, Garmon-Brown had not considered attending seminary nor ordained ministry as an additional vocation. However, she co-chaired Novant Health’s ethics department for more than two decades with Rev. Dr. David Scott Lindsay. Lindsay is a graduate of Union Presbyterian Seminary’s northern campus in Richmond, Virginia. After years of working together, Lindsay asked her if she had considered going to seminary. Garmon-Brown said no, but clearly, his question opened a door of possibility that Garmon-Brown did not realize was there, a doorway she eventually walked through.
UPSem’s Charlotte campus was the reason seminary proved possible for Garmon-Brown. Throughout seminary and after graduation, she has continued to work full-time as a physician, so UPsem Charlotte’s offering of part-time and weekend courses afforded her the opportunity to stay in Charlotte and enroll at the seminary while working for Novant Health. It is that flexibility for its students that proves one of the Charlotte campus’s strengths, Garmon-Brown contends. Another strength Garmon-Brown highlights is the seminary’s rich history and deep reservoirs of knowledge. Studying there, she says, “transformed me into a much more diverse person.” She continued: “The seminary is much, much more than a place to learn about religions. Our seminary is a place to learn about love, diversity, inclusion, justice, and hope. Learning to think in a much more critical way was a tremendous gift from the seminary.”
After graduation, Garmon-Brown completed a pastoral residency training at St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church, eventually becoming one of the congregation’s associate pastors. Still working as a physician and a community advocate for improving access to good healthcare for all segments of society, she sees her work as a medical practitioner and a pastor as essential halves of a faithful whole. Together, they remind us that we are to love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind and our neighbors as ourselves. “It is this reminder,” she declares, “that the world needs today.”
The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students.
Pastor and Head of Staff Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church Charlotte, North Carolina
Born and reared in Salem, Virginia, Rev. Lori Raible (MDiv 2006) grew up attending First United Methodist Church, Salem, a congregation she felt took seriously their baptism vows to teach and care for the children and youth of the church. After high school, Raible moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to attend Wake Forest University. Upon graduation, she relocated to Denver, Colorado, working as the brewery representative for The Boston Beer Company promoting the offerings of Samuel Adams — the patriot, not the Union Presbyterian Seminary professor. From Denver, she moved to Charleston, South Carolina, finding her way into another local congregation, Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church. There, as a young adult, she was “loved back into church,” becoming involved as a youth advisor. In 2002, she married and moved with her husband to Charlotte. Nearly 20 years later, they now share their lives with their son and daughter, and tiny pup.
When exploring her call, Raible concedes that becoming a minister was on her “never” list. Initially, she was unwilling (or unable) to admit a deep yearning to explore a call to ordained ministry. As she says, she “went to seminary to prove a few close family members, friends, and this inner voice wrong. I fully expected the good professors and theologians at UPSem Charlotte to paint God into a box. Instead, the box blew up!”
She chose UPSem Charlotte because her husband’s vocation meant they needed to stay in the Charlotte area. In 2002, hybrid and online degrees were not options and other area seminaries did not fully align with her personal or denominational commitments. When starting her studies in 2002, the seminary in Charlotte was just beginning to offer its first classes, too. At its inception, the Charlotte faculty had four dedicated members. She remembers that they were “steadfast, tenacious, and scrappy. The well was deeper than it was wide, yet they were ‘all in.’”
It is that sense of being “all in” that attracted Raible to the Charlotte campus and continues to keep her engaged with the seminary all these years later. UPSem Charlotte was and is deeply connected to the congregations who helped support and birth the Charlotte campus in its earliest years. While UPSem Charlotte maintains an academic integrity inherited from the Richmond campus, learners constantly have one foot in the local church and the other in the classroom. That dynamic is organically practical and relational, equipping leaders and pastors, as she says, to be the “church in the world” from the inside out.
Reflecting on what she wants others to know about the seminary’s campus in Charlotte, Raible replied, “If these folks are not already theologically trained but hear a whisper of curiosity, then they should know that UPSem Charlotte is an authentic, invested group of professors and professionals supported by a network of friends and congregations, and all are deeply committed to being Christ’s church in the world, together.”
