BLACK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER: May 2023

…all that you can do; and for your faithfulness, it’s your time. You applauded for the rest, now it’s your time to be blessed and for your faithfulness, it’s your time.” Dr. Blount (prez) it’s your time!     A Tribute to the Reverend Brian K. Blount BY REV. WILLIAM R. FREEMAN M.Div., Union-PSCE, 2001 Rev. William R. Freeman I …

Cross-Registration at Other PC (USA) Schools

BLACK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER: August 2024

…pictures, visions that clarify your understanding of God’s assignment for you.2. Faith is unlimited. We must remove the limits. Read Rom. 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (KJV). How do I remove the limits? By taking in God’s word. The more I hear the word of God the more my faith grows. …

BLACK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER: February 2024

…on fire and voices clear, let this charge be heard, discard every fear. In the footsteps of giants, we boldly trod, for justice, equality, let us rise, O kindred souls and march on till victory is won! Black Lives Matter: African American Politicians Who Became Governors! By Rev. William R. Freeman M.Div., Union-PSCE ‘01 Rev. William Freeman Just before Christmas …

Crossing into Sinai

After a night of much needed rest, some awoke early to the sounds of barking dogs. I enjoyed a morning meditation on the breezy terrace. We had coffee in the lounge and then we went to a buffet-style breakfast that was plentiful and beautifully presented. We had free time after breakfast to go relax and tour the resort. Some went …

Gay Dawn Mothershed Dies at 85

…local youth group as well as on the Presbytery’s Youth Council, and helped clear trails at the new Camp Grier in Old Fort North Carolina. She graduated from Concord High School before attending Flora MacDonald College in Red Springs North Carolina (now St. Andrews University, Laurinburg North Carolina) from which she graduated cum laude in 1959. Gay continued her call …

2024 Sprunt Lectures

…preacher will be Rev. Dr. M. Craig Barnes, former president of Princeton Theological Seminary. Rev. Lori Raible is the Alumni luncheon speaker. The BAA Trailblazer and the Distinguished Alum will be recognized, too, at a reception! Lecture Series Fee $100 covers all meals; there is no a la carte. Current UPSem students and faculty are free (for planning purposes/food, please …

2024 Sprunt Lectures

…preacher will be Rev. Dr. M. Craig Barnes, former president of Princeton Theological Seminary. Rev. Lori Raible is the Alumni luncheon speaker. The BAA Trailblazer and the Distinguished Alum will be recognized, too, at a reception! Lecture Series Fee $100 covers all meals; there is no a la carte. Current UPSem students and faculty are free (for planning purposes/food, please …

2024 Sprunt Lectures

…preacher will be Rev. Dr. M. Craig Barnes, former president of Princeton Theological Seminary. Rev. Lori Raible is the Alumni luncheon speaker. The BAA Trailblazer and the Distinguished Alum will be recognized, too, at a reception! Lecture Series Fee $100 covers all meals; there is no a la carte. Current UPSem students and faculty are free (for planning purposes/food, please …

2023 Sprunt Lectures May 1 -3, 2023

…most recent book, Azusa Reimagined: A Radical Vision of Religious and Democratic Belonging, (2022). She has also been recognized by NBC News as one of six black women at the center of gravity in theological education in America. She is a fourth generation preacher in the Church of God in Christ (COGIC). Alongside her scholarship, she also engages public policy …

Bridge for Early Career Preachers to Expand

Richmond, VA (November 3, 2023)—Union Presbyterian Seminary recently received a grant of $249,920 from the Lilly Endowment Inc. to expand The Bridge for Early Career Preachers. The program was developed with the support of an earlier grant from Lilly Endowment made through its Compelling Preaching Initiative. The Bridge for Early Career Preachers provides resources, continuing education, and a supportive community …

Union Presbyterian Seminary to Inaugurate Rev. Dr. Rebecca L. Davis as Sarah Belk Gambrell Professor of Christian Education

Charlotte, NC (November 16, 2023)—On December 2 at 11:45 a.m., Union Presbyterian Seminary will formally inaugurate Rev. Dr. Rebecca L. Davis as the Sarah Belk Gambrell Professor of Christian Education at Sharon Presbyterian Church. A Minister of the Word and Sacrament and a Certified Christian Educator in the Presbyterian Church (USA), Davis previously served as Associate Professor of Christian Education. …

Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty Named Professor of Theology and Ethics

…School of Christian Education (now UPSem) in 2002. Ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church, USA, she is a member of the Mid-Kentucky Presbytery. Dr. Hinson-Hasty’s service to the church is ecumenical and international. She has represented the World Council of Churches in numerous capacities. On the national church level, she has served as a …

Islamic Studies Scholar to Lead Dawe Lecture on March 14 at Union Presbyterian Seminary

…interfaith dialogue, this lecture series seeks to contribute a deepened awareness and insight in areas of intellectual and especially practical religious concern. Please register online to attend the free Dawe Lecture at https://bit.ly/24Dawe or tune into the livestream on the Seminary’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@UPSem/streams # # # Contact: Barb Dodd Director of Communications Union Presbyterian Seminary (804) 278-4279 bdodd@upsem.edu …

112th Year of Sprunt Lecture Series Brings Renowned African American Scholar-Authors to Union Presbyterian Seminary

…by Dr. Gilbert, are free and open to the public. Registration is required. Dr. Day, a nationally recognized scholar, political commentator, and teacher, has a background in Afro-Pentecostalism. She is a fourth-generation preacher in the Church of God in Christ and a prolific author. The lecture theme will be “Undomesticated Faith: A Decolonial Theology of Spirit.” Dr. Day said, “What …

Complex Narratives of the Land

…trauma embedded in the places we have lived in the last three weeks. As we head home tomorrow, we carry with us memorable experiences and encounters of the lands and peoples of Egypt, Israel, and Palestine. The historical layers, diverse geographies, various religious traditions, and cultural expressions of this region will continue to shape and transform the ways we think …

From Galilee to the Dead Sea

…end my 31st year on this earth, I spent it with new and old friends and two of my favorite professors over a drink at Mikael Bar! Being at the Sea of Galilee has been a marvelous adventure for all. Tomorrow, we move to the final leg of our journey, to the city of Jerusalem. –Katie Carboni 1st year, MDiv/MAPT …

Duc in Altum

…the site, explained each mosaic carefully. She not only shared each artist’s intention behind their piece, but also her own interpretations that centered on the message that Jesus is always there for you. As impressive as it was to walk in the steps of Jesus, what really stood out to me was the living faith of the communities of I …

Into Israel

…are truly part of a “great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1). Once we left the hotel, we arrived at the Saint Catherine’s checkpoint twenty minutes later and awaited other buses to leave in a caravan for the Taba Border crossing to Israel. We eventually met up with our tour guide, Samir, by 3:30 p.m. He directed us to the bus, …