Living in Darkness?

By Rev. Sandra Caldwell Williams, (Union Presbyterian Seminary, M.Div., M.A.C.E. ’07) “Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the…

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Remembering James H. Smylie

…and other pressing issues of the day in anticipation of future conversations they would lead on equally difficult subjects in parishes and other ministry settings. With Ken Goodpasture, Smylie also created a number of experiential learning opportunities for students off campus, including travel seminars to New York City, Appalachia, and Washington, D.C. My earliest memory of Jim Smylie is running…

Strengthening Faith Formation Among Children

…simple ‘Religion is the answer and everything will be okay’ response,” Yust adds. “But we can offer tools and help for children in a world that can seem out of control.” Currently, she says, the church is not reaching many of these children. Old methods are not working, Millennial families are skeptical, and attendance numbers are falling. New approaches are…

Congregational Corner: I am your pastor, but this is MY body

By Rev. Jordan B. Davis (M.Div.‘14) Congregational Corner I cannot begin to count the number of times I have heard about inappropriate comments being made to or about my female clergy colleagues, and myself, about our bodies. We are told to dress more conservatively, asked if we are pregnant, receive suggestions about new hair dyes and makeup, and are handed…

Charlotte Campus 20th Anniversary

Nearly 20 years ago, an intrepid group of Union Presbyterian Seminary students gathered in shared classroom space at Queens University in Charlotte, NC. This coming year, 2022, marks the seminary’s 20th anniversary in the Charlotte area. Over these 20 years, the leadership structure has remained unchanged, despite the campus quadrupling in size, doubling the number of degrees offered, and moving…

BLACK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER: February 2023

…before there was a BAA, the people who now make up the BAA were professing and displaying their support for me and the work of my presidency. Union Presbyterian Seminary (UPSem) is blessed to have an energetic and involved alumni base. UPSem alumni give financially to support the seminary in strong numbers. UPSem alumni encourage their churches and businesses to…

The People’s March

…for the school. At 4:00 pm on June 18, the marchers moved down Brook Road, led by a mounted police patrol. Police protection was everywhere, as pickup trucks with Confederate flags circled the campus. Church choirs sang all evening and on Sunday morning worship services were held. Professor Bannerman recalls: “One image is stuck in my brain. As I went…

A Message from Dr. Blount

…of the coronavirus pandemic mandates that our 2021 graduation be done as a virtual exercise. We lament the inability to greet you in person and celebrate in the same sanctuary with you and your families. But, like Paul who wishes dearly that he could visit with the Roman church in person, we trust that we are linked spiritually with you…

Physical Change Leads to New Thinking: Walter W. Moore

…and then preach about those problems from the pulpit. He urged them not to engage in partisan politics, but unsparingly to apply the social and ethical teachings of Christ. Indeed, Lingle taught that it was the proper business of all Presbyterians “to carry Christianity into every department of life.” He understood a more active social Christian faith not as a…

Richmond Graduates

Master of Arts Christian Education Philip Walter Adams, B.A. Carson-Newman University Sandra Asaro, A.A., B.S., M.Ed. Edison Community College Florida Gulf Coast University Camden Coulter Ashworth, B.S. Auburn University Jillian Marie Lincoln Gatewood, B.S. Michigan State University Mary Catherine Ingalls, B.A. North Carolina State University Angela Lenora Palmer, B.A. Judson University Sarah McCreery Wilson, B.A., M.S., M.Div. University of Maryland,…

Wife of former PSCE professor, Mildred Sneeden McIver, passes

RICHMOND, Va. (April 29, 2019) – Union Presbyterian Seminary has just learned of the passing of Mildred Sneeden McIver, wife of late PSCE professor Malcolm C. McIver, Jr.. She died April 24, 2019 in Wilmington, NC. Mildred Sneeden McIver, 98, died Wednesday, April 24, 2019, at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. She was born July 17, 1920 in Wilmington, North…

Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty Named J. Roy Davis Family Chair of Theology and History at UPSem’s Charlotte Campus

…and on the board of the Society of Christian Ethics. Other contributions to the connectional church include serving on the PC (USA) Advocacy Committee on Women’s Concerns, chairing the Design Team for the Churchwide Study of the Status of Women, as a research consultant for the World Council of Churches’ North American Regional Forum and Hearings on Poverty, Wealth, and…

UPSem Names Rev. Dr. Lee Hinson-Hasty Next Vice President for Advancement

…in digital media. He is the host of the Leading Theologically podcast where he regularly interviews current and future leaders across the country both inside and outside the Presbyterian Church USA. As a trusted and wise conversation partner, Dr. Hinson-Hasty is called upon regularly as a strategist and confidant across the country in national, regional and local educational and ecclesial…

Dr. Richard Voelz awarded grant to strengthen preaching preparation

…people’s understanding of worship and strengthen practices of public worship and faith formation. This year’s recipients include scholars at five research universities, seven seminaries, and two regional Christian colleges, representing 10 states. “Teacher-scholars from a wide variety of disciplines have so much to contribute to congregations and parishes — helping us all see things we otherwise might miss, offering access…

Union Seminary to host “Icons Reimagined” exhibit

…exhibited art at the Massey Cancer Center, Richmond Public Library’s Dooley Hall, and The Gallery at Convergence in Alexandria, Virginia. The Centre Gallery East at ArtWorks, the Petersburg Regional Art Center, and the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart have also exhibited her work, which is in many private collections. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art from…

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Sprunt 2025

…to the Immigration Crisis” Watts Chapel Christian Sanchez Asst. Professor of New Testament 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM Lunch Honoring Unsung Staff Hero, Amanda Montague & Rising Star Alum, Megan Argabrite Holderness Dining Room Sung Hee Chang Assoc. Professor of Supervised Ministry 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM BAA Annual Meeting and Other Connection Groups (on request during registration) BAA: Early…

Womanist Leadership Institute Course: Introduction to Africana Religions

Led by: Iya Dr. Funlayo E. Wood Six-Week Elective Course | Thursdays, January 11-February 15, 2024 | 6-8 p.m. Eastern Time Africana Religions include indigenous traditions of Africa like those of the Akan, Yoruba, Ndebele, San, and Fon peoples, as well as related traditions of the Americas like Candomblé, Palo, Lukumi, Hooodoo, Obeah, and Haitian Vodou. In spite of factors…

CBF Campus Day

Join the CBFVA staff and Susan Blanchard for campus worship and community lunch. A time for prospective students and pastors to experience UPSem, take a tour of campus, and meet our Baptist students. Also, this is a great opportunity for our students to network with pastors in the CBF VA ecosystem. Please RSVP to sblanchard@upsem.edu…