More than two decades ago, UTS alumni the Rev. David Parsons and Dr. Judith Diers exchanged their wedding vows at James Chapel. Fast forward to today, and they’re offering a UTS scholarship in honor of UTS’ beloved professor, Dr. Delores Williams – an author, teacher, and revolutionary trailblazer of Womanist Theology. Rev. Parsons and Dr. Diers had different journeys to UTS, but both were immeasurably influenced by the profound legacy of Dr. Williams. Rev. Parsons had performed as an opera singer in New York for over 15 years. Then, the AIDS crisis struck – and his brother was one of its victims.
Suddenly, the Rev. Parsons realized he would be more fulfilled in a pastoral position. So, he decided to come to UTS. There, he took a class with Dr. Williams. According to him, she taught profoundly about the importance of people exploring and understanding faith in their own contexts. In the first paper she assigned, she asked him to consider, “Who do you say God is? How do you know, and what difference does it make in your life?” Rev. Parsons also spent significant time learning from Dr. Williams outside the classroom. He recalled that when he asked a question, she encouraged him to come to office hours. He didn’t just come to one session – he ended up attending office hours once per week for months. From UTS, Rev. Parson started serving at St. John – St. Matthew-Emanuel Lutheran Church in Brooklyn. He has also helped his denomination advance its stance on LGBTQ+ issues. Dr. Judith Diers, meanwhile, grew up in a household where faith was the foundation for social justice. Her father preached on the weekend and used the pulpit to speak for social causes he was passionate about.
Similarly, Dr. Diers knew she wanted to use her faith for good. After college, Diers was offered a Rockefeller scholarship to study at any seminary in the country. For her, the decision was easy. UTS was “a place where I could ask any questions and not be constrained to fit into any denominational mold.” Dr. Williams completed her doctorate the year Dr. Diers received her Master of Arts degree. According to Diers, Dr. William’s scholarship brought a critical intersectional link between Feminist and Black Theology at Union. Dr. Diers reflected: “She brought a Womanist lens that required me to dig even deeper to understand the way in which not only my whiteness, but also my feminism, actively suppressed the humanity of women of color. While I was never her student, I followed her scholarship carefully.” Dr. Diers received her Ph.D. from Princeton’s School of Public Policy. Since graduating, Dr. Diers has been a researcher at the Population Council, an executive at UNICEF, a grant maker at Ford Foundation, and Vice President of the LEGO Foundation. Throughout her career, she has supported adolescent girls worldwide, increasingly reflecting on and critiquing an international development frame that seeks to “help” girls rather than recognizing and supporting them in their power. After Dr. Williams passed away, Rev. Parsons and Dr. Diers decided to give back to UTS and create a scholarship in honor of her legacy. Rev. Parsons noted, “It’s difficult to sustain a nondenominational progressive seminary. The graduates don’t get out and get rich. We are called into places and spaces that are rewarding in a number of ways, but may not allow for the accumulation of significant wealth.” He continued, “UTS’ place in the landscape of theological education is historically important, and I would hope for the Seminary to continue to do that work – to be that kind of voice furthering the many theological innovations that have developed out of its classrooms.” Dr. Diers explained, “David and I support UTS because it is a unique space where a student can be pushed, embraced, challenged, and loved.” In addition to this scholarship, UTS is also honoring Dr. Williams in another important way: The Class of 2019 commissioned a portrait of Dr. Williams. In October 2023, the Seminary hosted an event to bless the portrait and permanently place it in a prominent academic hallway. Speaking on the legacy of Dr. Williams, Dr. Diers explained, “It is my hope that the world will center on the lives of the young Delores Williamses all around the world – that we will listen, support, and advocate. If the world responds to her and her vision, then we will be on the road to achieve greater justice for us all.”