Belonging

Mission & Context

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 participates in God’s New Creation, the liberation, wholeness, and flourishing that God reveals in Jesus Christ and intends for all. 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. Read about our Mission & Vision here.

Ecumenical

Roughly half our student body comes from denominations other than Presbyterian. Our student body is made up of 17 different protestant denominations. In 2024, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) students comprise 48% of the student body, followed by Baptist, United Methodist, Episcopal, United Church of Christ, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and international Presbyterian students.

Belonging

A key part of our 2024-2029 strategic plan calls us to continue to build an increasingly diverse faculty, staff, and student body. UPSem seeks to prepare leaders to reflect the diversity of the world God so loves. We continue to strive for a just institutional culture in which all community members feel a powerful sense of belonging and inclusion. Union Presbyterian Seminary is an inclusive and welcoming community. In the 2024 graduating class, 56% of the students were women, and 40% were men. 63% percent identified as White and 39% as people of color. Most graduates were between the ages of 30 and 39.