Congregational Corner: When the world changed

…pray for and long for the day when we can say that we are not only the United States of America, but the United Kingdom of God. 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 Axel Houmadi on Unsplash …

Middle East Travel Seminar: Scrolls, mud, salt and temptation

…have been the one that Zacchaeus used to get a “better look” (Luke 19:1-10)? We made a brief stop at a glass factory to purchase some fine craft and the best dates on the planet, then went back to the hotel for the night. After dinner, our sweet Becky Jones offered a beautiful send off to Carson Brisson and four …

Rev. Mitri Raheb brings message of hope to Charlotte campus

By Gail Henderson, M.Div. student Dr. Mitri Raheb – I had only recently heard about him, about his wisdom, his perspective, his experiences, and his writing. His work and his testimony had been recommended to me less than a month before he came to speak at Union Presbyterian Seminary here in Charlotte, North Carolina. What a gift he was to …

“I Wanna Be Whole” Luke 17:1-19

…hoped for, and the evidence – certainty – of things not seen. The one leper received spiritual healing because of his faith. I submit to you that there is a vast difference between being healed and made whole. Ten were cleansed but only one was made whole. Nine had new dermatology — one had new theology Nine had new careers …

“Hers some wotor four you”

…let us strive to live and act as they do as we open the doors for them to be the present church… … it just might be as simple as handing someone a bottle of water. Alumna Jordan B. Davis is transitional associate pastor at Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church in Cary, North Carolina, and editor of Congregational Corner.   …

Union matters! podcast: God and the sanctuary movement

…Union matters! podcast: Perils of peacemaking How to revitalize a church through music and drama BY JOE SLAY Lana Heath de Martinez, a 2016 graduate of Union Presbyterian Seminary, can, without a moment’s hesitation, name two professors who helped her to define her calling as a “faith-based activist.” Those individuals, Dr. Carson Brisson and the late Dr. Katie Geneva Cannon, …

Middle East Travel Seminar: Following Jesus around the Sea of Galilee

…disciples to bring some of their catch to be grilled. After lunch, our final visit took us to Capernaum where Jesus also carried out his ministry. It was a bustling city of three-to-five thousand people, a hub of commerce for caravans of traders. It was a crossroads for Jews and Gentiles. Jesus taught in the synagogue that now lies in …

Started UPSem 2014: Rev. William Joseph “Joey” Haynes III (MDiv 2019)

…was extremely important for my own faith journey. My time at UPSem challenged me, nurtured me, and gave me the chance to fully realize my potential, as a child of God, to love and care for others as well as our world.” Having returned to Queens University to serve as their chaplain, Haynes strives to use his seminary training and …

Andrew Taylor-Troutman: Indeed

…parked car, the horizon began to brighten. Birdsong filled the air. The wet grass shined slick underneath a polished moon. Tombstones rose from the ground. I shivered and not just from the cold. I was always careful to stay on the path, thus steering clear of the graves. This was the only morning of the entire year when I would …

Lonely & waiting: Walking through Advent with those who are grieving

…your congregation or family do anything for those who have lost a loved one during the year? If you have experienced loss this year, how would you like to hear from your church and family during the holiday season?   Alumna Jordan B. Davis is Transitional Associate Pastor at Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church in Cary, North Carolina, and editor …

Started UPSem 2003: Rev. Dr. Ophelia Garmon-Brown (MDiv 2008)

…mother, brother, and sister. Eventually, they all relocated to North Carolina to be closer to her mother’s family. Graduating from North Carolina Central University, she entered medical school at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Garmon-Brown moved to Charlotte to begin a family practice residency at Charlotte Memorial Hospital in 1980. Since completing her residency in the early 1980s, …

Alumni Spotlight: Amanda Hill called to WVU Medicine as chaplain

BY JEFF STAPLETON Amanda Hill (M.Div.’17) begins a new position at West Virginia’s largest healthcare provider as a chaplain for the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia. For the Hickory, North Carolina, native who got her undergraduate degree in horticulture at North Carolina State University the road to Union Presbyterian Seminary and …

Congregational Corner: Take On A Life of Sacrifice

…I now give my life to you. I give my heart to you. I put my trust in you. I rest my wearied soul in you. Amen. 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 yugdas manandhar from Pexels …

Carneal-Caroline-MDiv

Covenant Pastor for Congregational Life–First Presbyterian Church–Richmond, VA

…Jesus. We are committed to respecting one another and are strengthened and inspired through worship, study, fellowship, prayer, and service. Congregational Life describes both the dynamic nature of the ministry and mission of the congregation as well as the ways the church seeks to support FPC members in their daily lives. This area of church life includes pastoral care, activities …

Started UPSem 2002: Rev. Lori Raible (MDiv 2006)

…vows to teach and care for the children and youth of the church. After high school, Raible moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to attend Wake Forest University. Upon graduation, she relocated to Denver, Colorado, working as the brewery representative for The Boston Beer Company promoting the offerings of Samuel Adams — the patriot, not the Union Presbyterian Seminary professor. From …

Congregational Corner: Take On A Life Out of the Tomb

…of the storms of life. I will give my heart and my life over to God, trusting in God’s active presence and acting through God’s enduring grace. 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 yugdas manandhar from Pexels …

President Brian Blount statement on passing of Katherine Johnson

…of Freedom and the Congressional Medal of Honor. As her onetime pastor, I add to those powerful images the perhaps even more potent memories of a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend whose Christian faith was deep and whose trust in the resurrection promise was total. Godspeed, Katherine. ### Media Contact: Mike Frontiero Director of Communications Union Presbyterian Seminary mfrontiero@upsem.edu …

A Year of Seeking Shalom

…we began the racial reconciliation work of R.A.P., we noted that, although there was a significant need to attend to the notion of recompense in terms of racial relations, the standard term that is used—“repartions”—is often contested and controversial. It was in part because of this that one of our consultants, Rabbi Marc Gopin, director of the Center for World …

Professor Melanie Jones to Preach at MLK Commemoration Service

Professor Melanie Jones will preach at the MLK Commemoration Service at Carver Memorial Presbyterian Church in Newport News, VA, on January 19, 2020. Melanie C. Jones is Instructor of Ethics, Theology and Culture / Director of the Katie Geneva Cannon Center for Womanist Leadership at Union Presbyterian Seminary. …

Readings from “Writing Our Way Out: Memoirs from Jail”

“Writing Our Way Out: Memoirs from Jail” by David Coogan, associate professor of English and co-director of the Open Minds Program at Virginia Commonwealth University, explores racial conditions, economic traps, and turning points on the path to imprisonment in modern America. William Smith Morton Library will host a series of readings featuring Coogan, Naji Mujahid, Tony Martin, and Stanley Craddock, …