Amanda Shanks named Chaplain and Director of Student Life for Charlotte campus

May 2, 2025 – Richmond, VA – Amanda Shanks has accepted a call to be Chaplain and Director of Student Life for UPSem’s Charlotte campus, effective April 14, 2026. A member of the UPSem Charlotte community, Shanks graduated with her Master of Divinity in 2025.

“It is a joy to return to a community that has helped shape me,” said Shanks. “As Chaplain and Director of Student Services, I look forward to accompanying others through seasons of discernment, change, and faith formation, trusting in God’s faithful presence already at work among us as we nurture belonging and build community.”

In her new role, Amanda Shanks joins Mairi Renwick as a chaplain for the entire UPSem community. “By working together, we can provide more support and care for our students, faculty, and staff in Charlotte, Richmond, and online-based students,” says Renwick.

Lisa McLennan, Vice President for Administration and Dean of Students, Charlotte campus, shared, “It is with great joy that I share the news that on Tuesday, April 14th, Amanda Shanks began as our CLT-based Chaplain and Director of Student Life. Amanda brings wisdom and experience as a licensed therapist running her own practice, an elder at Avondale Presbyterian Church, and a student representative to the Committee on Academic Programs and the Board of Trustees. We are excited to have her return to the UPSem community in this role for such a time as this. Please help me welcome Amanda!”

Shanks also holds a B.S. from Virginia Commonwealth University and an M.A. from the University of North Carolina.

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.