PSR Alum Bishop Steps Into Historic Role In The Evangelical Lutheran Church
https://www.npr.org/2021/09/11/1036371531/evangelical-lutheran-church-first-transgender-bishop-megan-rohrer SAN FRANCISCO — The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America installed its first openly transgender bishop in a service held in San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral on Saturday. The Rev. Megan Rohrer will lead one of the church’s 65 synods, overseeing nearly 200 congregations in Northern California and northern Nevada. “My call is … to…
Open Letter from The Association of Theological Schools Latinx Presidents and Deans
We live in unprecedented times. There are over 3 million dead worldwide from novel coronavirus, and over a half a million of those in the United States alone. We read daily in the newspapers of new hotspots in India, Brazil and within the US. Merging with this wave of death has been a wave of…
PSR Class of 2021 Rises to the Challenges of a Transformative Year
On Sunday, May 23, 2021, PSR held its 154th Commencement, with thirty-one students graduating. Those assembled provided a range of moving reflections on the graduation theme “Never Going Back: Breaking Wide, Rising Forward.” The theme urged graduates to see the various ways in which God is continuing to do new things in an unprecedented and…
Rev. Dr. Megan Rohrer (DMin ’17 and MDiv ’05) Makes History as the First Openly Transgender Bishop in Any Mainstream American Denomination
The Rev. Dr. Megan Rohrer has made history this month as the first openly transgender bishop in any mainstream American denomination. They will lead the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Rev. Dr. Rohrer will be installed as bishop on September 11, 2021, at Saint Matthew Lutheran Church in Walnut Creek. Rev. Dr. Rohrer graduated in 2005 from Pacific School of Religion…
Welcoming Rev. Nicole Naffaa as Director of Development
Nicole Naffaa joined our Development team as Director of Development, starting March 1. In this role she will focus on the annual fund, manage a portfolio of donors, and work with alumnx and congregational partners as we seek to make PSR’s mission vibrant and accessible. Nicole brings over 25 years of experience in education, non-profit…
Alumnx Rev. Dr. Yvette Flunder Part of Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service
The Virtual Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service on Thursday, January 21, at 10:00 AM ET featured Bishop William J. Barber II delivering the homily, with Pacific School of Religion alumnx The Rev. Dr. Yvette Flunder, Presiding Bishop of The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, also participating in the historic event. The event was hosted by the Washington…
Interview with Judge Diana Becton
Judge Diana Becton, one of PSR’s 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients, is the first African American woman to be elected district attorney of Contra Costa County, California and a retired judge of the Superior Court. She reflects on how she is keeping our communities safe in this time of global pandemic. See Judge Becton’s full Distinguished Alumni profile here. Coping During the Pandemic The coronavirus, or COVID-19, has been declared by the World Health…
Remembering Bonnie Bonetti-Bell
Bonnie Bonetti-Bell (MDiv ‘86 and MA ‘87) is one of PSR’s 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients. Upon her passing in November of last year, Jim Bell, her widower, offers this reflection on grieving the loss of his beloved life partner while social distancing in the time of pandemic. See Bonnie Bell’s full Distinguished Alumni profile here. Grieving the Loss…
Interview with Rev. Pat de Jong
Rev. Pat de Jong was selected as one of PSR’s 2020 Distinguished Alumni. She currently serves as the Chair of Church World Service (CWS), a faith-based, global humanitarian agency. Below, Pat shares about her long connection to PSR, the work CWS is doing in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the power of community…
Distinguished Alumni Deborah Lee and COVID-19 on Immigrant Communities
Rev. Deborah Lee, one of PSR’s 2020 Distinguished Alumni award recipients, is the Executive Director of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, where she has served since 2009. Below she shares how her organization is responding to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in immigrant communities. See Rev. Lee’s full Distinguished Alumni profile here. First, I wanted to share a…