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Union Seminary awarded $400,000 grant to support womanist leadership

…understanding. The Foundation advances its mission through grantmaking and leadership programs in the fields of Asia, higher education, religion and theology, art, and public policy. For more information, please visit www.hluce.org. ### Top photo: The Center for Womanist Leadership’s 2018 Inaugural Gathering in Richmond, VA. Melanie C. Jones photo MEDIA CONTACT Mike Frontiero Director of Communications Union Presbyterian Seminary mfrontiero@upsem.edu…

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Union Seminary D.Min. program accepting applications

…based on personal and vocational interests. Students gain a deepened capacity for theological reflection on the practices of ministry, especially with respect to social justice and witness. Total tuition for this multi-year degree program is $10,000. Students are eligible for need-based aid. More information is available at https://www.upsem.edu/academics/programs/#dmin. ### MEDIA CONTACT: Mike Frontiero Director of Communications Union Presbyterian Seminary mfrontiero@upsem.edu…

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Professor Emeritus Jim Smylie (1925-2019)

…American Religious History at Union Presbyterian Seminary. Donations to the Westminster Canterbury Fund can be made at https://foundation.wcrichmond.org/senior-living-donations-richmond-va or by check to the Westminster Canterbury Foundation, 1600 Westbrook Avenue, Richmond, VA 23227. Donations to the James and Elizabeth Smylie Award can be made at https://www.upsem.edu/give or by check to Union Presbyterian Seminary, 3401 Brook Road, Richmond, VA 23227. For gifts…

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Noted Scholar Dr. Leela Prasad Addresses “Religion That Underlies All Religions” on March 15

…practical religious concerns. The event is free and open to the public. To register, visit https://bit.ly/315Dawe23 by noon on March 15. The lecture will also be livestreamed on the Seminary’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/UPSem To hear a podcast interview with Dr. Prasad and the Director of the Leadership Institute, Chris Burton, visit https://open.spotify.com/episode/67MyOLYaynrBUL6oYcOI1S?si=e3fbe55cba664f97 For or additional information, contact Chris Burton,…

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Information for Rev. Dr. Katie Geneva Cannon memorial service Sept. 10

…streamed. Closer to the time of the service, we will both send out a link to the live feed and post instructions on the www.upsem.edu website. Hotel Information The seminary is pleased to be able to offer guaranteed rates for our out of town guests. You’re invited to contact the hotels directly and that information is below: Linden Row Inn…

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Statement by Union Seminary faculty on oppression, systemic racism in U.S.

…of color in our respective fields Forthrightly examine our own practices of teaching and learning, student and faculty recruitment, curricular design, and faculty support and evaluation in order to identify, acknowledge, and transform any that are complicit in the reinforcing of systemic racism Maintain a continually updated list of local groups committed to social justice and actionable items for social…

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Help New Ministers Preach in Today’s World

…early career preachers in order to develop a program focused around supporting four key areas: preaching and significant social issues, preaching and diverse listeners, preaching and digital technology, and mentoring and feedback for preachers. Additionally, Union will create an invested network of judicatory and denominational leaders, and pastors in multi-staff congregations who champion and care for early career preachers. “In…

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Dr. Paul Galbreath publishes book on process of change in Christian worship

…undergoing transition, and that aspects of worship are in need of transformation in order to address primary issues of our time with a focus on environmental and ecological concerns. Special attention is paid to the role of the Sacraments and to preaching with an emphasis on the need to connect worship with daily life. These essays show readers ways that…

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Dr. Jacqueline Lapsley Named Next President of Union Presbyterian Seminary

…A cradle Presbyterian, Lapsley’s bold vision for theological education is rooted in the Reformed tradition and intentionally focused on diversity. “The diversity of the world God creates, redeems, and sustains must be reflected on our campuses in order to shape leaders for the world God so loves,” noted Lapsley. Dr. Rodney Sadler, Director of UPSem’s Center for Social Justice and…

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Union Seminary hosts commencement in a cloud

…The graduation ceremonies, held May 16 for the Richmond campus and April 18 for the Charlotte campus, marked the first time in the school’s 208-year history that its commencement exercises were conducted online, with graduates participating and hooding themselves live via Zoom video conferencing before an unseen audience of family and friends who watched via Zoom, Facebook, and YouTube. An…

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Dr. Katie Geneva Cannon Legacy Luncheon in Norfolk, VA

…April 27, 2019 from 11 am – 1 pm. First Presbyterian Church, 820 Colonial Ave., Norfolk, Virginia 23507. Our Keynote Speaker is Rev. Dr. Yvonne Delk- “Tell Your Own Story” . Dr. Delk is the First African American Woman to be ordained as clergy in the United Church of Christ. Luncheon: $30 To register, please go online and visit BIT.LY/CANNONLUNCHEON…

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A History of Homelessness

…and dependent on welfare or social security. They usually resided in cheap hotels, flophouses, and single room occupancy hotels (SROs) located in the poorest areas of urban America. (Peter Rossi; Down and Out in America: The Origins of Homelessness) Most periods of homelessness have been mitigated by robust responses from the federal government, including the Housing Act of 1937 and…

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“What Will We Do Now?”

…of 16th Street Baptist Church, where four little girls were murdered in a Klan bombing in 1963; in Little Rock, Arkansas, where, after worshipping at Second Presbyterian Church, we spent time at Central High School, where the Little Rock Nine integrated the student body in 1957; in Jackson, Mississippi, at Medgar Evers’s home (where many tears were shed as we…

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Save

Savings Accounts: If you’re looking to save for retirement, savings accounts won’t earn you much money, due to their low interest rates. They’re essentially as good as saving your money under your mattress. However, savings accounts are great practice for younger students who haven’t set up an IRA or 401K yet and they’re a good place to store an emergency…

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Confession, Repentance, and Restorative Justice

…expansive and gracious God we worship. Amen. Footnotes: [1] Book of Order 2023-2025, The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Part II, G-1, Congregations and Their Membership. [2] “Letter from Birmingham Jail [King, Jr.].” Accessed January 30, 2024. https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html. [3] “John Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion: Christian Classics Ethereal Library.” Accessed December 15, 2023. https://ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes/institutes.v.iv.html [4] Isaiah 58:6 (NRSV)….

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Re-Moralizing Monday

…at the General Assembly building and at the Capitol. The movement was in full swing and soon developed a healthy court component, with trials that resulted in the exoneration of arrestees, freeing them to return to “our house,” and vacating trespass orders, and opposing repressive laws like the “Monster” Voter Suppression Bill, passed the day after the Shelby County v….

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Financing Seminary

…you’ll get an offer of financial aid from the seminary. If you accept the offer, you will need to complete entrance counseling (available online for UPSem) and sign a loan agreement. Grants/Scholarships: You could qualify for a UPSem scholarship or matching grant, denominational scholarship, a PC(USA) Study Grant, or a myriad of other options. Head over to the financial aid…

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Activist in Profile: Rev. Dr. Claude Forehand II

…Institute and teaches a 15-week homiletics course and provides evidence-based consultation on 20 key indicators of proper sermon delivery. He also writes Sunday school lessons for R.H. Boyd Publishing and is a regular instructor for the National Baptist Church’s Baptist Training Union and Sunday School Convention. Rev. Forehand is committed to the conviction that every person of faith who attempts…

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