TIDEL Fellowship

Our Fellows

- Ana Lara Lopez
  Bronx, NY
- Becca Forsyth
  Elmira, NY
- Nora Asedillo Cunningham
  Bronx, NY
- Olivia DiAgostino
  Dunellen, NJ
- Rev. Marvin Bailey
  Atlanta, GA
- Rev. William Thomas
  Atlanta, GA
- Merianna Harrelson
  Sumpter, South Carolina
- Rev. Dr. Regina Moore
  Camden, South Carolina
- Rev. LaTonja Ellis
  Chicago, IL
- Rev. Dr. Melanie Jones Quarles
  Richmond, VA
- Charlotte McAdams
  Cambridge, MA
- Jenn Louie
  Cambridge, MA
- Rev. Elijah Burton
  Lansing. Michigan
- Rev. Dr. Mark Vorenkamp
  Lansing, Michigan
- Rev. Dr. Gabriella Lettini
  Beacon, NY
- Professor Taya Shere
  Sarasota, FL
- Ryan Wong
  Millerton, NY
- Gerardo Ciprian
  Bronx, NY
- Rev. Dr. Gail Davis
  Norfolk, VA
- Rev. Audrey Akins Williamson
  Iselin, New Jersey
- Tony Eskridge
  Memphis, TN
- Pauline Pisano
  Yucca Valley, CA
- Ciara Taylor
  New York, NY
- Rev. Brittini Palmer
  Trenton, NJ
- Rev. Cassandra Henderson
  Atlanta, GA
- Rev. Rochelle Andrews
  College Park, MD
- Rev. Dr. Yvette Blair-Lavallais
  Dallas, TX
- Rev. Dr. Diane Bogues
  Lancaster, PA
- Rev. Equilla Curry
  York, PA
- Garlinda Burton
  Nashville, TN
- Rev. Dr. Angela Cooley
  Memphis, TN
- Rev. Kyla Brantley
  Ladson, SC
- Rev. Kimberley Johnson
  Philadelphia, PA
- Rev. Jalesha Bass
  Houston, TX
- James Jones
  New York, NY
- Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lynch
  Elmont, NY
- Rev. Dr. Lisa Robinson
  Summerville, SC
- Dr. Wanda Paulk Holder
  Decatur, GA
- Dr. Myrna Thurmond-Malone
  Riverdale, GA

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Tidel Fellowship

Union Theological Seminary (UTS) received a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative to help create a collaborative space lab (Technology, Innovation, and Digital Engagement Lab – “TIDEL”) that brings together theological schools, religious organizations, and faith leaders to reimagine how we teach, learn, mentor, organize, and worship.

TIDEL Partners Include:

Union Theological Seminary (UTS), Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School (CRCDS), New York Theological Seminary (NYTS), the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice, and the RISE Together Mentorship Network (RISE).

Despite a surge of technology over the past decades – especially during the pandemic – faith institutions have struggled to put new tools into practice and accommodate people’s changing lives. This initiative will unlock new opportunities to bring faith groups into the 21st Century.

With this grant, Union is leveraging tools and insights from design, including design thinking, to work with partners to identify opportunities to leverage emerging technologies, experiment, and build collective capacity and expertise. TIDEL will focus on collaborative innovation around three key areas of opportunity for faith organizations, religious leaders, and seminaries to expand their impact:

Facilitating mentorship and building/sustaining community, particularly in communities of color, in a hybrid and online world.
Developing and implementing high-quality, accessible opportunities for lifelong learning and professional education to meet the needs and interests of theology students, church leaders and faith and justice learners.
Thoughtfully, creatively, artistically, and inclusively producing religious and worship “experiences” that advance the work of churches and faith and justice organizations

At present, the inaugural cohort of the TIDEL Fellowship is underway. There are 22 pairs of fellows from

across the nation who make up this cohort

FAQ's

Program Details and Logistics1

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Design Challenges

Our TIDEL Fellows are divided into four areas of focus: Mentoring, Life-long Learning, Hybrid experiences & digital-only communities.

MENTORSHIP

Ministers, congregants, and theology students are increasingly practicing what it looks like to "pay it forward" by finding ways to mentor others and to stay abreast of the changing climate of our times.
LIFELONG LEARNING

True leaders are students of life. They never stop learning. They never stop adapting. This cohort of fellows are committed to learning and leading their communities through innovative approaches to ministry.
CURATING HYBRID WORSHIP EXPERIENCES

In a post-Covid age, congregations across the globe have learned that our parishioners and constituents exist beyond the four walls of our meeting spaces. This cohort focuses on creating true opportunities for in-person and digital audiences to walk together in life and minstry.
CREATING DIGITAL COMMUNITIES

This cohort understands that some people will only engage faith-based communities in a digital way. This reality requires someone to build dynamic communities of faith that are digital alone. These leaders are commited to that work.

TIDEL Fellowship

Our Fellows

Ana Lara Lopez

Becca Forsyth

Nora Asedillo Cunningham

Olivia DiAgostino

Rev. Marvin Bailey

Rev. William Thomas

Merianna Harrelson

Rev. Dr. Regina Moore

Rev. LaTonja Ellis

Rev. Dr. Melanie Jones Quarles

Charlotte McAdams

Jenn Louie

Rev. Elijah Burton

Rev. Dr. Mark Vorenkamp

Rev. Dr. Gabriella Lettini

Professor Taya Shere

Ryan Wong

Gerardo Ciprian

Rev. Dr. Gail Davis

Rev. Audrey Akins Williamson

Tony Eskridge

Pauline Pisano

Ciara Taylor

Rev. Brittini Palmer

Rev. Cassandra Henderson

Rev. Rochelle Andrews

Rev. Dr. Yvette Blair-Lavallais

Rev. Dr. Diane Bogues

Rev. Equilla Curry

Garlinda Burton

Rev. Dr. Angela Cooley

Rev. Kyla Brantley

Rev. Kimberley Johnson

Rev. Jalesha Bass

James Jones

Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lynch

Rev. Dr. Lisa Robinson

Dr. Wanda Paulk Holder

Dr. Myrna Thurmond-Malone

Tidel Fellowship

FAQ's

Design Challenges

MENTORSHIP

LIFELONG LEARNING

CURATING HYBRID WORSHIP EXPERIENCES

CREATING DIGITAL COMMUNITIES