Union Presbyterian Seminary Appoints Rev. Dr. Katrina Olson as Assistant Professor of Worship, Ritual, and Community Engagement

An ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Reformed Church in America, Olson brings to UPSem experience in homiletics, liturgics, pastoral theology, worship leadership, and theological education. Olson's scholarship and teaching explore how preaching and worship form Christian imagination, deepen relationships with God and neighbor, and equip communities for faithful ministry in a changing world. 

“Kat brings a heart for the church in the world, deep teaching experience across multiple modalities, and great excitement for how her work will contribute to the Seminary Extended grant efforts,” said the Rev. Dr. Daniel Ott, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean at Union Presbyterian Seminary. 

Olson earned a Ph.D. in Homiletics and Liturgics and a Master of Arts from Vanderbilt University, a Master of Divinity and Master of Theology in Worship from Calvin Theological Seminary, and a Bachelor of Music with Honors in Education from The University of Western Ontario. 

Her doctoral dissertation, Worship Wider, Worship Deeper: Coorienting Relationship in the Christian Imagination, develops a constructive and evaluative model for examining formation in worshiping communities, with particular attention to more inclusive and thoughtful preaching and worship.

This year, T&T Clark published Olson’s first monograph, Transformative Preaching and Worship: A Strategic Practical Theology for Developing the Christian Imagination. 

Olson currently serves as visiting assistant professor of homiletics and pastoral theology at Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California. She has also taught at Lexington Theological Seminary and Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Olson’s ministry experience includes worship leadership, parish preaching, sermon coaching, leadership development, and work with the Compelling Preaching for a Climate-Changed World Project. She is active in the Academy of Homiletics, the North American Academy of Liturgy, and the American Academy of Religion. 

“I am overjoyed to join the visionary work at Union Presbyterian Seminary. This community represents the best aspects of a Reformed worldview, that sees rapidly shifting contexts, trusts that God is already doing something, and asks how to jump in,” Olson said.  

Olson’s appointment supports UPSem’s mission to prepare people to be leaders of gospel-inspired transformative change in pursuit of a more just and compassionate world. Her work strengthens the seminary’s commitment to rigorous theological education, spiritual formation, and leadership for the church and the world. 

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About Union Presbyterian Seminary 

Union Presbyterian Seminary is a community that is bound by the love of God, and united in bold Christian service for the church in the world. With campuses in Richmond, Virginia, and Charlotte, North Carolina, the seminary has prepared leaders for ministry since 1812 through rigorous theological education that is scholarly, pastoral, and engaged with contemporary life. Offering a range of degree programs, Union is home to distinguished faculty, a historic campus with one of the nation’s finest theological libraries, and a vibrant community of worship, service, and fellowship. Graduates serve as pastors, educators, chaplains, mission workers, and scholars, carrying forward the seminary’s long tradition of equipping leaders for the church and the world. Learn more at upsem.edu.