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…
Building a Thriving Campus Community Through Partnerships
PSR’s 154th commencement celebration and theme, “Never Going Back: Breaking Wide, Rising Forward,” beautifully captured our mission at this critical time and our excitement as we look towards the future. We have risen together to the realities of pandemic, protest, and polarization, and are filled with a new sense of hope and a renewed energy for what the future holds…
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…
PSR Statement on George Floyd Trial Verdict
As we pray for the family and friends of George Floyd, we dare to hope today after hearing the news that his murderer has been found guilty. We are grateful that our broken justice system has found a way to deliver the beginning of justice in this case—even as we are immeasurably grief-filled at the…
Statement on Anti-Asian Violence: The Asian Descent Presidents and Deans Affinity Group of the Association of Theological Schools
The Asian Descent Presidents and Deans, of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) condemn and denounce every form of attack against Asians and Asian Americans in the strongest possible terms. As a minoritized group, Asian Americans have been historically subject to harassment, discrimination, violence, and mass incarceration.
Call for Papers: PSR Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander Initiative
The AAPI Initiative presents “Taboo”, a colloquium for masters-degree students at the Pacific School of Religion and the GTU consortium. The purpose of this event is for students to present topics that are taboo in our ethnic spaces but are still very real things to consider in the AAPI religious community.
PSR Stands in Solidarity With The AAPI Community
We are heartbroken and enraged by the acts of violence and hate made terrifyingly present with the murders of six Asian women in Atlanta and the rising number of incidents of anti-Asian violence across the country and right here in the Bay Area. This violence and expression of racism against the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community are inexcusable and Pacific School of Religion stands in grief and solidarity…
Memorial Service for Rev. Janice Jean Smith-Sommerville
Pacific School of Religion and The City of Refuge UCC church family deeply mourns the passing of Rev. Janice Jean Smith-Sommerville, Director of the Theological Education for Leadership Program at Pacific School of Religion and beloved Associate Pastor of Administration & Member Services at The City of Refuge UCC. We will gather virtually to honor…