Congregational Corner: Take on, A Moment of Silence

…Calm our minds and open our ears, quiet the storms and speak through silence. We are listening, we want to hear. Remind us that you are indeed near. Alumna Jordan B. Davis is associate pastor for youth and young adults at Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church in Cary, North Carolina, and editor of Congregational Corner. Photo by freestocks.org from Pexels …

Congregational Corner: What it all comes down to

…the two cannot coexist… so which will you follow? I choose to reform every single day (plus, it seems impossible to freeze right now, anyway!) Alumna Jordan B. Davis is associate pastor for youth and young adults at Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church in Cary, North Carolina, and editor of Congregational Corner. While this is the official close of “Congregational …

Central America Travel Seminar: “Power is for the people”

…people who had just been released from prison to their families. As they were driving, a flash flood overcame the car. Everyone safely got out of the car but Hermosa Carla did not survive. There is a white stone memorial next to the river where she died. As the afternoon wound down we had the privilege to hear two stories, …

Started UPSem 2018: Jason Smith

…MACE) The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students. Pursuing MDiv Local Pastor Piney Grove UMC and Shady Grove UMC Staff Attorney Lexipol Clyde, North Carolina Born and reared in the mountains and foothills of the Carolinas, Jason Smith now calls Clyde, North Carolina, home. Before landing in …

Black Lives Matter: “Taking a Knee” is Not About the Flag

By William R. Freeman (M.Div.‘01) A recent sports article by Timothy T. Ludwig in “USA TODAY” starts off with these words, “In August 2016 Colin Kaepernick sat on the bench while the national anthem played during a preseason game for the San Francisco 49ers. It went unnoticed at first for two games before a photo from Jennifer Lee Chan of …

Started UPSem 2015: Rev. Gail Henderson-Belsito (MDiv 2020)

…MACE) The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students. Associate Pastor Caldwell Presbyterian Church Charlotte, North Carolina From Brooklyn, New York, Rev. Gail Henderson-Belsito (MDiv 2020) has called North Carolina home for many years since her husband transferred to the city to continue his work in banking. While …

Started UPSem 2004: Rev. Nadine Ellsworth-Moran (MDiv / MACE 2011)

…distinguishes the work of the seminary and what Ellsworth-Moran wants others to know about UPSem Charlotte. Ellsworth-Moran concludes, “The faculty and staff really do care about each student and their life. They care not only about what is happening in the classroom but what is going on once we leave campus. There is a real community on the Charlotte campus.” …

Union Forum: Chaplaincy & COVID-19

…Presbyterian Church in Akron, OH. Rev. Dr. Matthew Sauer (M.Div./M.A.C.E.’96) Co-pastor of the Manitowoc Cooperative Ministry (Manitowoc UCC, First Presbyterian PCUSA), chaplain for the City of Manitowoc Police Department, and a community leader in Manitowoc, WI. Rev. Dr. Lynn McClintock (D.Min.’87) Director of pastoral care at Westminster Canterbury in Richmond, VA. Rev. Dr. Harry Simmons (M.A.’84) Assistant professor of pastoral …

Started UPSem 2009: Rev. British Hyrams (MDiv/MACE 2016)

…MACE) The following is part of a series of 20 profiles that represent each year that Charlotte has been enrolling students. Campus Minister North Carolina Central University Durham, North Carolina Rev. British Hyrams (MDiv/MACE 2016) had not initially considered a vocation in ministry. A self-described Midwesterner and only child, Hyrams grew up in and around Chicago, Illinois. She married her …

Solo Pastor/Head of Staff–Fremont Presbyterian Church–Fremont, NE

…the church’s programs as developed by the Session by leading and directing church staff through regular staff meetings as well as equipping and encouraging volunteers. The pastor’s compassion for members should be genuine, consistent and caring. Pastoral care, including counseling, home communion, visitation and crisis visits, will be a priority. Experience reviving and growing a church, which desires to move …

Embodying God’s Story and Our Stories: storytelling, art, worship

A program of the Carl Howie Center for Science, Art, and Theology led by Revs. Shawna Bowman and Nanette Sawyer All events are free and open to the public. Please register for the events you’d like to attend here. …

Seminary for a Day 2019

…of Ethics, Theology and Culture and Director of the Katie Geneva Cannon Center for Womanist Leadership at the Richmond Campus (Workshop description to be announced.)       All the Rage: The Dynamic Power of Anger in Conflicted Relationships Kenneth J. McFayden, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean, Richmond Campus, and Professor of Ministry and Leadership Development This …

(Online Conference) Called to Justice: Seeking Change within the Classroom, Congregation, and Community

…Registration: Online registration is open. Click here to register. Participants will be able to select the number of workshops to attend. Access to the keynote addresses will be free, with registration required. Registered participants will receive Zoom meeting links ahead of the workshop dates. The keynote addresses will be provided as separate links for participants to view. **************************     …

Pulling Out All the Stops: A Concert

RICHMOND, VA (May 15, 2018) – Musicians of the Atlantic Chamber Ensemble will perform at Union Presbyterian Seminary at 6:45 p.m. in Watts Chapel, 3401 Brook Road, on June 14, 2018. The concert is free and open to the public. The chapel’s organ, built in 1879 and donated to the seminary in 1961, will be included in two pieces. The …

A History of Homelessness

…to those in need. There have been distinct periods of homeless in America, according to historians. When first used in the United States in the 1870s, the term “homeless” was used to describe itinerant tramps who traversed the country in search of work. Prior to that time, most Americans had lived in rural areas, farming or working in skilled trades, …

History: Whose Story? Black Lives Matter! by Rev. William R. Freeman (M.Div.01)

…Why? The elections of 2008 and 2020 provide all you need to know! History offers many insights here: Carter G. Woodson started Negro History Week on February 7, 1926 because the white news media did not report on Black news nor was the accomplishments of Black theologians, educators, scholars, journalists, inventors, scientists, writers, etc., taught in American schools. Negro History …

DC Information Sheet Witnessing for Freedom NEW DATES

Class of 2018 profiles: Christopher Manunyo-Nyonyoh prepared to make a difference in Ghana

…“Even after a lecturer is done speaking, it is difficult to even ask a question.” Manunyo-Nyonyoh was relieved that at Union he had the freedom to ask a question to get a better grasp of what was going on.   Aside from the freedom of student and professor interaction, Manunyo-Nyonyoh was very impressed with the hospitality of the entire seminary …

Linger at the Levine Museum

Join fellow Union Presbyterian Seminary alumni for an afternoon of socializing, a light reception, update on the seminary, and a tour of the Levine Museum of the New South in Uptown Charlotte. Free admission, parking, and reception. Register by August 1 by emailing alumni@upsem.edu. Hello, alums! I hope you are having a great summer. Especially as a kid, I loved …

Freeman__Michelle_CV

Civil Rights Information Sheet Journey to Freedom NEW DATES

Central America Travel Seminar: Colonization in Guatemala

…in the 1400s and 1500s. He told us how the indigenous people were slaughtered and forced into slavery. Later on, the colonizers’ descendants realized that they were no longer recognized as Spanish citizens so they declared their independence and claimed that the indigenous population would be free and would be treated equally. As you already know they did not follow …