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Trinity Church Wall Street and Union Theological Seminary Announce Fellows Program

Categories: Press Releases

Initial cohort of students from China and India
to launch in 2018 – 2019 academic year

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Trinity Church Wall Street and Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York (Union) today announced the creation of the Trinity Union Fellows program, which will bring international students to Trinity and Union for one year of academic training and faith formation.

The program will begin in the 2018-2019 academic year with an initial cohort of up to six students from China and India. Funded by a $750,000 grant from Trinity, the Fellows will join other students in the Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M) degree program. The grant will cover a full range of expenses for students, including English language courses and living stipends. Union and Trinity will be partnering with sister institutions in China and India to identify applicants for the program.

“A key aspect of Trinity Church’s mission is to help train and develop church leadership,” said the Rev. Dr. William Lupfer, Rector of Trinity Church Wall Street. “This program will provide an opportunity for international students to immerse themselves in the rigorous academic environment at Union, as well as the community life of the growing congregation at Trinity Church, providing a well-rounded experience for these future Christian leaders.”

“We are excited to be partnering with Union Theological Seminary, which has a long and well-respected history of educating international students to act as catalysts in their communities and their churches,” said Dr. Lupfer.

At Trinity, students will participate in all facets of worship, as well as learn about the committee structure and governance of the church. Students will discover how Trinity’s core values of faith, integrity, inclusion, compassion, social justice and stewardship guide the church in fulfilling its mission.

“Union is committed to cultivating a new generation of international scholars and global faith leaders, and we are thrilled to partner with Trinity in this endeavor,” said the Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, President of Union Theological Seminary. “This program will expand and strengthen Union’s longstanding partnerships with Christian seminaries in China and India. In today’s world, theological education is, at its best, global in reach and intercultural in scope.”

Fellows who enroll in the S.T.M. program will participate in advanced theological study that prepares them for some forms of teaching, enhancement of ministerial practice, focus on a specialized function of ministry, or doctoral level study.

About Trinity Church Wall Street:
Trinity Church Wall Street is a growing and inclusive Episcopal parish that seeks to serve and heal the world by building neighborhoods that live Gospel truths, generations of faithful leaders, and sustainable communities. The parish is guided by its core values: faith, integrity, inclusiveness, compassion, social justice, and stewardship. Members come from the five boroughs of New York City and surrounding areas to form a racially, ethnically, and economically diverse congregation. More than 20 worship services are offered every week at its historic sanctuaries, Trinity Church and St. Paul’s Chapel, the cornerstones of the parish’s community life, worship, and mission, and online at trinitywallstreet.org. The parish welcomes approximately 3 million visitors per year.

About Union Theological Seminary:
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a seminary and a graduate school of theology, grounded in the Christian tradition and embracing of multiple religious traditions. Union prepares students for committed lives of service to both faith communities and the broader world. Our unique educational programs develop practices of mind and body that encourage compassionate wisdom and foster academic excellence and social justice. Union believes that a new interreligious spirituality of radical openness and love is the world’s best hope for peace, justice, and planetary flourishing. www.utsnyc.edu

Press contacts:
Trinity Church Wall Street:
Patti Walsh, chief communications officer
[email protected]
(O) 212-602-0797; (M) 917-597-0665

Union Theological Seminary:
Robin Reese, Vice President, Communications & Marketing
[email protected]
(O) 212-280-1552; (M) 646-992-1019

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