David served on Union’s Board of Directors from 1985 to 1989. Long a loyal supporter of Union, he established the Sara T. Woodyard Scholarship in 1981, in memory of his mother. In 2010 the Washington Post, commemorating Woodyard’s 50 years of teaching at Denison University, noted that he was “never a lecturer, [but believed] in
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Search Committee Launches National Effort to Identify Next President New York, NY — Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York announced today that President Rev. Dr. Serene Jones will step down at the end of the 2025-26 academic year, concluding 18 years of transformative leadership. Following a sabbatical, Dr. Jones will return to Union
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Move strengthens nation-leading religious liberty think tank and deepens Union’s commitment to faith-based social justice. NEW YORK, NY— The Law, Rights & Religion Project (LRRP)—the pre-eminent legal-strategy center reclaiming religious liberty for all—will make Union Theological Seminary (Union) its new institutional home this summer, capping eleven years of path-breaking work at Columbia Law School. LRRP’s
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Union Theological Seminary is proud to announce the appointment of Casey Donahue (she/hers) as the Director of the National Storytelling Initiative on Christian Faith and Life, a groundbreaking new project made possible through a $5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. President Serene Jones shares, “We are thrilled to welcome Casey back to Union, where
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Together, UTS and The Beacon will help equip a network of faith and community leaders with the tools to fight for a better tomorrow. New York, NY — Union Theological Seminary and The Beacon are pleased to announce a formal partnership that will empower faith leaders, clergy, community leaders, and members of the general public
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Union Theological Seminary joined fellow faith institutions across New York City to co-sponsor the New York City Interfaith Mayoral Candidate Forum, a powerful evening of dialogue on how our city’s next mayor might lead with justice, compassion, and accountability. Whether or not you could attend in person, we invite you now to watch the full
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When Union alum, Rev. Dr Scott Rennie ’99 was installed as Minister of Saint Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh this May—the historic heart of Scottish Presbyterianism—he stood at a pulpit once occupied by the likes of John Knox. For many ministers in the Church of Scotland, such a moment might be seen as a career pinnacle.
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When Union trustee, The Very Rev. Winnie Varghese ’99 was announced as the 12th Dean of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in April of this year, it marked a deeply significant moment in the life of the Episcopal Church and the broader faith community. Her appointment as an out queer woman of
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“Rev. Dr. James Cone’s fidelity to dignity and justice for Black people is unrelenting. He is one of the strongest deconstructors of whiteness that we have seen in America.” These are the words of Dr. Dianne Stewart – a Union alumna and the Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Religion & African American Studies at Emory
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This March, Serena Martin – the leader of a nonprofit that supports imprisoned women – participated in a landmark community event to push for second chances for people behind bars. The event was close to her heart. Martin was incarcerated when she was just 20 years old and served three years in prison. On the
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