Strategic Plan
Union Presbyterian Seminary prepares people to be leaders of gospel-inspired transformative change in pursuit of a more just and compassionate world. Union Presbyterian Seminary Mission
About Our Mission
Union Presbyterian Seminary participates in God’s New Creation, the liberation, wholeness, and flourishing that God reveals in Jesus Christ and intends for all.
“I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it?” –Isaiah 43:19
As witnesses to this New Creation, we are called to respond to a suffering world struggling to address multiple interlocking crises, from epidemic violence to systemic oppression to the climate emergency. Steeped in Christian traditions, equipped to innovate for changing contexts, and in discernment of where the Spirit of God is already at work, we form leaders who will nurture in people an unquenchable longing for—and prepare them to work toward—a more just, faithful, and compassionate church and world.
Vision
As one seminary with two campuses, and ever being reformed, we aspire to be a vibrant, diverse, and engaging Christian community dedicated to serving one another, the church, and the world in the spirit of Christ. We commit to:
Craft and deliver educational programs of the highest quality that empower and support a diverse range of learners called to serve God, neighbor, church, and world.
Delve into the witness of the Scriptures and the Reformed as well as ecumenical traditions to nourish and empower our community’s dynamic participation in God’s New Creation.
Develop innovative and resilient leaders capable of nurturing and guiding robust and diversecommunities, whether in congregations, varied ministry contexts, or the public sphere.
Equip learners with essential skills to address conflict, promote justice and reconciliation in brokenand hurting communities, and preach and teach the gospel with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love.
Extend our rich history of excellence in Christian Education to foster the formation of disciples and communities for lives of faith and witness.
Serve as a central hub for critical conversations about the relevance of the Reformed and other Protestanttraditions for faithful life and service in the world; and through dialogue with both Christian and other religious traditions, work in concert with the Spirit in forming flourishing communities congruent with a joyful and compassionate gospel.
Strategic Initiatives
In support of this mission and vision, we prioritize and commit to the following strategic initiatives for the next five years (2024-2029):
Expand the work of five innovative programs--the four Centers and the Leadership Institute-- to reach current and new audiences with compelling and relevant programming that prepares people to act and lead faithfully in their ministry contexts, discerning and energetically pursuing the movement of the Holy Spirit. Seek collaborations with external partners to develop new initiatives.
Expand the work of five innovative programs—the four Centers and the Leadership Institute—to reach current and new audiences with compelling and relevant programming that prepares people to act and lead faithfully in their ministry contexts, discerning and energetically pursuing the movement of the Holy Spirit. Seek collaborations with external partners to develop new initiatives.
Through compelling curricula in the degree programs, prepare leaders for a rapidly changing church and world by forming persons who can, out of a deep grounding in Christian traditions, and guided by the Holy Spirit, lead transformative change in congregations and other ministry sites, productively addressing challenges such as community conflict, systemic injustices, and the climate emergency, in order to participate proactively in God’s New Creation of the church and world.
Through compelling curricula in the degree programs, prepare leaders for a rapidly changing church and world by forming persons who can, out of a deep grounding in Christian traditions, and guided by the Holy Spirit, lead transformative change in congregations and other ministry sites, productively addressing challenges such as community conflict, systemic injustices, and the climate emergency, in order to participate proactively in God’s New Creation of the church and world.
Create and implement a comprehensive plan to communicate the substantial positive impact the seminary’s graduates of degree and non-degree programs are having on the church and the world. Implement related marketing strategies to reach potential learners for our programs through a substantial revision of the seminary’s modes of communication.
Create and implement a comprehensive plan to communicate the substantial positive impact the seminary’s graduates of degree and non-degree programs are having on the church and the world. Implement related marketing strategies to reach potential learners for our programs through a substantial revision of the seminary’s modes of communication.
Conduct a comprehensive assessment and develop a subsequent forward-looking overhaul of the seminary's technological needs in order to serve a robust community of learners.
Conduct a comprehensive assessment and develop a subsequent forward-looking overhaul of the seminary's technological needs in order to serve a robust community of learners.
Continue to build an increasingly diverse faculty, staff, and student body so UPSem can prepare leaders to reflect the diversity of the world God so loves. Continue to strive for a just institutional culture in which all community members feel a powerful sense of belonging and inclusion.
Continue to build an increasingly diverse faculty, staff, and student body so UPSem can prepare leaders to reflect the diversity of the world God so loves. Continue to strive for a just institutional culture in which all community members feel a powerful sense of belonging and inclusion.
Implement a systemic multi-year plan to gather the financial resources that will support the educational offerings and initiatives outlined above.
Implement a systemic multi-year plan to gather the financial resources that will support the educational offerings and initiatives outlined above.
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