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BLACK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER: May 2023

…this summer! Carmen Foster, Certificate in Public Theology, Richmond Rev. Dr. Paula Owens Parker’s course on Womanist Mysticism was the capstone of my Public Theology Certificate experience. I found my authentic womanist self while studying “The Womanist Idea” by Layli Phillips Maparyan and her concept of “Luxocracy.” Dr. Parker crafted an excellent syllabus to capture the arc of womanist mysticism,…

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BLACK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER: August 2024

…who aspire to become Commissioned Ruling Elders and Commissioned Lay Pastors. Starting August 26, Rev. Carson Rhyne will lead our Polity and Administration Pathways course. On October 17, Dr. Cindy Kissel-Ito will lead our Teaching the Bible Pathways course. All are welcome to participate in these courses! Next, we have an exciting slate of podcasts. It was a joy to…

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BLACK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER: February 2024

…go around to each of us. Foundational for us all should be humility, gentleness, patience and love. In the scripture cited above, there are four spiritual gifts cited: apostles who pioneered church growth, prophets who speak God’s words to particular circumstances, evangelists who are storytellers that share the gospel and bring people to Christ and pastors and teachers who care…

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Listening and Learning in Egypt

…multipronged approach to addressing poverty, especially among women, children, and the disabled. Various directors shared their work in areas ranging from development to microfinance to agriculture to intercultural dialogue.   Recently, CEOSS participated in writing and proposing legislation against hate speech that is now being considered by the Egyptian parliament. Of particular interest to our group was their 80/800 initiative…

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Symposium | What Are Seminaries For?

Join President Jacq Lapsley and five thought leaders and pastors for this lively panel discussion in Watts Chapel. Panel members include Eric Barreto, Kenda Dean, Gail Henderson-Belsito, Jessica Tate, and Rich Voelz. Learn more about the speakers or watch the livestream at https://www.upsem.edu/may8/…

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Inauguration | Flourishing Church, Flourishing World

Union Presbyterian Seminary inaugurates its eighth president, Dr. Jacqueline Lapsley, at this special ceremony held on the Seminary’s Quadrangle in Richmond, VA. Watch the livestream and learn more about the details at https://www.upsem.edu/may8/…

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Thank You, Rev. Dr. Ken McFayden: A Legacy of Integrating Leadership in Pastoral Formation

…2006, McFayden and two pastors and alums, George Anderson (D.Min. ‘85) and Ed McLeod, Jr. (D.Min. ‘85), created an opportunity for newly ordained ministers, who were invited into the program to spend a week at Second Presbyterian Church in Roanoke, Virginia. The annual symposium includes over 25 seminars taught by experienced pastors, laypeople, and McFayden, each with a focus on…

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Islamic Studies Scholar to Lead Dawe Lecture on March 14 at Union Presbyterian Seminary

…interfaith dialogue, this lecture series seeks to contribute a deepened awareness and insight in areas of intellectual and especially practical religious concern. Please register online to attend the free Dawe Lecture at https://bit.ly/24Dawe or tune into the livestream on the Seminary’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@UPSem/streams # # # Contact: Barb Dodd Director of Communications Union Presbyterian Seminary (804) 278-4279 bdodd@upsem.edu…

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Inaugural Symposium Celebrates Center for Excellence in Christian Education at UPSem’s Charlotte Campus

…on children, youth, and adolescents, Caldwell is an expert in faith formation. Author of God’s Big Table and Making a Home for Faith, Caldwell specializes in equipping parents, pastors, educators and other adults with practices and framework to help faith grow deeper as children grow older. As a professor, practitioner, and pastoral presence, she brings keen insight to the past,…

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Gay Dawn Mothershed Dies at 85

…crochet and craft from her mother, creative skills and creations which she generously shared with many. She was a gourmet cook (who used and didn’t just buy cookbooks) and the consummate hostess who knew how to throw a great party. She travelled around the world (26+ countries) and all around the United States, collecting Christmas ornaments as she went. She…

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Union Presbyterian Seminary to Inaugurate Rev. Dr. Rebecca L. Davis as Sarah Belk Gambrell Professor of Christian Education

…at the Seminary, she was Director of Christian Education at Enslow Park Presbyterian in Huntington, WV, Associate Pastor at Central Presbyterian in Mobile, AL, Pastor of First Presbyterian in Monahans, TX and Executive Director of its child development center, Associate General Presbyter in Peace River Presbytery in Florida and Associate Pastor at Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte. One of…

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Complex Narratives of the Land

…of Christians in Palestine, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and the role of the university in Palestinian society. Despite the shrinking of their numbers, Christians have and continue to play an outsized role in variety of areas in Palestinian life. Through its emphasis on the arts and the culture, the university strives to strengthen the resilience of Palestinian communities. Their vision and…

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The Meaning of a True Pilgrim

Sunday started off in Tsipori (Sepporis), another national park/archaeological site where the layers of history are stacked like a birthday cake or a Jenga game depending on how you like to look at the tidiness of the intersection of natural and political forces. Highlights here were a crusader tower with wonderfully interactive, goofy educational movies and mosaics—oh the wonderful mosaics!…

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Joshua T. Morris Named Assistant Professor of Practical Theology

…for Pastoral Theology, the Association of Practical Theology, the American Academy of Religion, the Society for Intercultural Pastoral Care and Counseling, and the Pediatric Chaplains Network. He has received awards for excellence in academic, military, and hospital communities. Dr. Morris is married to Beth Morris. They are the proud parents of an eight-year-old son, Isaac, and a four-year-old daughter, Annette….

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Remember. Together. Apart.

Friends, this part of the world is not one for casual declarations or simple answers. It is world of passion, devotion, paradox, complexity, beauty, struggle, deeply held convictions, and long, long histories. This morning we awakened at our hotel-for-one-night in Jericho, in the West Bank. Jericho, like all of our destinations today (Masada National Park, Qumran National Park, and Tiberius…

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Everything, Everywhere, All at Once

…experiences are lifelong accumulations but the experiences are manifest fully only in their singular occurrences that cannot be appreciated to any great measure outside of them. So, suffice to say here that I could write pages and pages here in some vain attempt to elaborate on the ineffable. And then we had lunch. (Ask me later about Hezekiah’s Tunnel) –Lucius…

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The Museum of Israel

…reared in Jersey City, NJ, I feel at home! Upon our arrival at the museum, our first stop was to view a model of ancient Jerusalem at the time of the Second Temple when the city was at its peak. The model is prestige, as you can see on the attached picture of the replica. What makes it especially unique…

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2025 SPRUNT LECTURES

It’s time for the biggest alumni reunion event of the year: the Sprunt Lectures! Please plan to join UPSem alums from the past fifty years for a re-imagined event in Richmond from May 5-7. What can you expect? Click here for this year’s program and here for a campus map. Highlights include: Connect with colleagues and current and former faculty…

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Visiting The Pyramids

…bus to read ancient texts that relate to the sites that we visit. This day we read a passage from the Book of the Dead, a text that is part of an ancient Egyptian literary tradition that was intended to empower the deceased on their way towards the afterlife. Chapter 125 of the Book of the Dead offers a unique…

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UPSem Receives $1.25 Million Lilly Endowment Grant Supporting Font & Faith

…at home. We will strengthen pastors, educators, and volunteer leaders as they create welcoming communities for children and families. Seminary professors and students will also have the opportunity to participate as leaders are shaped for ministry,” added CECE Director Rev. Dr. Rebecca Davis. The Center for Excellence in Christian Education at Union Presbyterian Seminary is one of 91 organizations receiving…

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Hospitality in Cairo

Today we spent some time exploring the Coptic side of Cairo! We started the morning attending a Saturday service at the St. Bishoy monastery in Wadi El-Natrun. The service was a little overstimulating for me personally—the method of prayer they use is beautiful but it’s also almost constant singing or noise—but, as Christine reminded me, engaging with other cultures help…

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Sabbath on the Red Sea

…Ayyad spoke about AIRA’s particular concern with women’s issues and peaceful co-existence between Christians and Muslims in Egypt and around the world. One of AIRA’s main goals is to correct misconceptions about the Islamic faith which often come from terrorist groups. Dr. Ayyad spoke about the ways these groups, operating with their own agendas, misrepresent Islamic beliefs, particularly regarding violence…

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