Author Archive: Cherry Hill Seminary

Cherry Hill Seminary Awards First-Ever Pagan Master of Divinity Degree

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For Immediate Release, August 16, 2012
Contact: Holli Emore, 888.503.4131, CHS@cherryhillseminary.org

COLUMBIA, SC — Cherry Hill Seminary today announced the graduation of Sandra Lee Harris, awarding her the Master of Divinity in Pagan Pastoral Counseling. Harris is the first student to complete her master’s degree since Cherry Hill Seminary first opened its graduate program in 2009.

Sandra L. Harris, M.Div., Pagan Pastoral Counseling

“When I started in 2002, Cherry Hill Seminary was the first and best opportunity I found for inexpensive and trustworthy Pagan education beyond the training I received in the Fellowship of the Sacred Grove,” said Harris in an interview. “By the time the masters program was introduced in 2009, I had committed myself to becoming a board-certified chaplain. I embraced the Cherry Hill Seminary program as a way to add the necessary qualification of an M.Div. or equivalent.”

Harris served her internship at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C., and prior to that was for several years a volunteer pastoral caregiver and on-call interfaith chaplain at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia. She has been accepted into the Fairfax County Community Chaplain Corps, beginning service following November Corps training.

Executive Director Holli Emore notes that the needs of students like Harris have helped shape the seminary program, and the needs of local and regional communities have shaped the educational choices of Cherry Hill Seminary students. Academic Dean, Wendy Griffin, Ph.D., comments on the unique assets of Cherry Hill Seminary: “Our Masters classes are multi-disciplinary and taught by leading scholars in their fields. A major advantage of an online seminary is that our instructors come from all over the United States, as well as Canada, Britain, France and Australia, and are scholars with whom students would never come into contact except through their writings. Ms. Harris has taken full advantage of the opportunities that Cherry Hill Seminary can offer and we know she will make us proud as she takes up her calling.”

Harris’ department chair and advisor has been Dr. David Oringderff, also founder of Sacred Well Congregation. Oringderff says, “On behalf of the Pagan Pastoral Counseling Department, I would like to extend our congratulations to Sandra L. Harris, M.Div., for an outstanding job well done. Having worked with Sandra as a professor and academic advisor for much of her academic career, I can attest to her diligence, dedication and academic excellence. I am both proud and gratified that she wishes, as an alumnus, to continue her close association with and contributions to Cherry Hill Seminary. Conferral of the Master of Divinity, Pagan Pastoral Counseling, was both a personal milestone for Sandra, and an institutional milestone for the Seminary. As our first Master of Divinity in Pastoral Counseling, she helped set the high standards of excellence for all of our students who follow. We wish her all the best, and pledge our continued support in her endeavors to become a Board-Certified Chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains.”

Cherry Hill Seminary is the leader in providing education and practical training for Pagan and Nature-Based spiritualities, leadership, ministry, and personal growth.. Incorporated in the state of South Carolina, all studies are through online distance education, with occasional retreats and conferences. For more information, visit www.cherryhillseminary.org or write CHS@cherryhillseminary.org.

Cherry Hill Seminary Saddened by Attack on Sikh Sacred Space

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The Cherry Hill Seminary family of students, faculty, staff and board leadership is deeply saddened by yesterday’s attack on the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek.  We express sincere condolences to all those who have lost loved ones, and to the wider Sikh community across our nation and the world.

As Pagans, we are particularly sensitive to the violation of sacred space and disregard for human life which occurred.  Furthermore, we cherish the pursuit of ongoing education as an antidote to the violence bred in ignorance and misunderstanding.

We call on each member of our seminary community as well as our supporters and friends to set aside a moment of contemplative silence today in memory of those who lost their lives, and in support of all who are suffering because of this tragedy.  In addition, we recommend that you seek ways to express support for Sikhs in your own community.

Cherry Hill Seminary provides distance education for Pagan and Earth-based spiritualities and prepares individuals for ministry to their communities.  For more information, visit www.cherryhillseminary.org.

Cherry Hill Seminary Names Two New Department Chairs

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COLUMBIA, SC — Cherry Hill Seminary is pleased to announce two new academic appointments. Valentine McKay-Riddell, Ph.D., is the new chair of Pagan Community Education, and David Oringderff, Ph.D., is the new chair of the Department of Pagan Pastoral Counseling.

David L. Oringderff, Ph.D.

A long-time professor for the department, Oringderff is well known for his role in the founding of Sacred Well Congregation, as well as many years of advocacy on behalf of Pagans in the U.S. Armed Forces. Oringderff is a graduate of Dallas Baptist University, and holds an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Bowie State University (Maryland) and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The Union Institute School of Professional Psychology in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a Licensed Psychologist and Licensed Professional Counselor. He is currently a consultant and trainer in forensic and organizational psychology, and psycho-diagnostics. A veteran of over twenty-seven years in military and civilian law enforcement and intelligence work, Oringderff is a Subject Matter Expert consultant to the Department of Defense Armed Forces Chaplains Board on Alternative Religions, Sects and Cults. He has appeared on ABC World News Tonight, Good Morning America, NBC Dateline, VRT Television (Belgium), ZDF Television (Germany), and in national and international printed media, including Time Magazine, Texas Monthly and US News and World Report. Oringderff holds a Texas Peace Officer license with Master Certification, a Police Instructor license, a Forensic and Investigative Hypnotist license and serves as a Deputy Sheriff (Reserve) in Comal County.

Valerie Cole, Ph.D

“We are fortunate to be able to welcome Dr. Oringderff to this new role,” said Wendy Griffin, Ph.D., Academic Dean for Cherry Hill Seminary. “His combination of broad life experience and professional background are what our students need as they prepare to serve in the real world. As more and more individuals serving in the military turn to Cherry Hill Seminary for training for ministry, Dr. Oringderff’s extensive network will be a tremendous asset.” The outgoing chair, Valerie Cole, Ph.D., also expressed confidence in Oringderff’s abilities to lead the department. “David and I have worked closely together now for a number of years as faculty; I’m pleased to be able to pass the baton on to such a capable colleague. Cole ably stepped into the position when Judy Harrow, Chair Emeritus, found it necessary to resign for health reasons. During her time as chair, Cole has been responsible for important developments in the department, where she will remain as a professor.

Valentine McKay-Riddell, Ph.D., Chair, Pagan Community Education

The second new appointment is that of Valentine McKay-Riddell, Ph.D., as Chair of Pagan Community Education (PCE). McKay-Riddell is a graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute and a member of the adjunct faculty at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto, CA, where she earned a Masters in Counseling Psychology and a Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology. She has a private practice in shamanic healing and wellness counseling in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A cancer survivor, McKay-Riddell developed a combination of shamanism and art making as part of her healing journey, and later founded a nonprofit organization, Orenda Healing International (OIH), devoted to promoting individual and community health and wellbeing. Current projects through OHI include the influence of the Goddess in Navajo spirituality; filmmaking as a catalyst for intergenerational healing among Native American youth and elders; the possibility of genetic inheritance as the inspiration for shamanic practice; and shamanism as a root philosophy for many of our modern professions, including medicine, religion, and art. McKay-Riddell has taught art to young people and adults, including HIV-AIDS and cancer patients, as well as challenged youth, developmentally-disabled adults, and women in transition for over twenty years. She is a certified Usui Reiki Master.

“We look to Dr. McKay-Riddell to bring fresh inspiration to this important department,” said Wendy Griffin, Ph.D., Academic Dean of Cherry Hill Seminary. “Broadening the scope and student base of Pagan Community Education is a particular strategic objective to which we know she will bring her unique talents. Meanwhile, we also express our gratitude to Jennifer Bennett for her leadership in this area for nearly three years.”

Cherry Hill Seminary supports individuals in Pagan and other Earth-based spiritualities and their communities by providing an extensive education in diverse aspects of Pagan philosophy, practice, and skilled ministry, Supplementing existing ritual and magical skills with training for professional ministry and counseling, serving as an ongoing resource for individual continuing education, and providing a forum for scholarship and community.

All Cherry Hill Seminary courses are offered online, with periodic conferences in various locations around the United States. For more information, visit www.cherryhillseminary.org, or contact us at CHS@cherryhillseminary.org.

Cherry Hill Seminary Supports Patrick McCollum

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COLUMBIA, SC — Cherry Hill Seminary denounces an assertion that Christianity is the only faith protected by the U.S. Constitution, made in a friend of the court (amicus) brief filed this week in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The brief is part of a years-long struggle by the Seminary Director of Chaplaincy, Rev. Patrick M. McCollum, to compel the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to eliminate its discriminatory policies and practices.

Patrick M. McCollum

The CDCR has argued before the court that Pagans are not deserving of equal civil rights. In one of their first arguments to the court, the defendants said that certain “traditional” faiths are “first-tier faiths” which merited equal rights and protections under the U.S. Constitution. Faiths other than “Christianity, Catholicism and Judaism” were designated as “second-tier faiths,” with no right to protection or accommodation. Islam and the Native American Church were later added to this list, hence the term “five-faiths policy.”

The amicus filed this week in support of the CDCR is submitted on behalf of WallBuilders, Inc., an organization known for promoting a dominionist “Christian Nation.” WallBuilders claims that the definition of the word “religion” at the time the Constitution was written included only monotheism, and therefore other religions are not protected by the Constitution.

“To make such an assertion is not only outrageous, but it reveals the irony that this country is fighting a war against religious extremists in one part of the world, while government officials in California are willing to deny religious freedom to their own citizens,” said Rev. Kirk Thomas, recent Past President of Cherry Hill Seminary. “We stand by our faculty member, Rev. McCollum, in full support of his brave fight for religious liberty for all in this country.”

“Pagan religions have always existed alongside Christianity, as well as throughout human history and around the world,” said Holli Emore, Executive Director of Cherry Hill Seminary. “The many religious groups and leaders who joined Cherry Hill in signing an amicus understand that we live in a plural society. Indeed, this is one of the strengths of our country, not something to deny or oppose. Our students are a testament to that plurality; they represent the growing need for Pagan ministers who are prepared to serve not only the public sector, but institutional settings such as the California prisons.”

McCollum has a long and successful history of ministering to those unable to practice their faith in institutional settings. He a member of the American Correctional Chaplain Association, a statewide Wiccan chaplain for the California Department of Corrections since 1997, has served as a Wiccan chaplain in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, has helped mentor chaplains from many faith traditions across the country, and has advised state and federal correctional institution officials on religion issues across the nation.

On February 5, 2008, Rev. McCollum testified before the U.S Commission on Civil Rights, and his remarks were widely quoted in the Commission’s report entitled “Enforcing Religious Freedom in Prison.” As a member of the National Advisory Council of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, McCollum was closely involved with efforts by that group which resulted in a policy change within the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs to include the pentacle symbol on the list of approved symbols permitted to be inscribed on the headstones and markers of fallen soldiers.

Cherry Hill Seminary provides education for Pagan ministry, including master’s degrees and practical training, through its distance education program. For more information about this story, please contact Holli Emore, Cherry Hill Seminary, at 888.503.4131, or CHS@cherryhillseminary.org.