Category Archives: communications-pages

Cherry Hill Seminary Graduates Present at Parliament of World’s Religions

Posted on

For Immediate Release: October 13, 2021

 

Cherry Hill Seminary Graduates Present at Parliament of World’s Religions

A human need for support

Old notions of spiritual support or ministry have historically concentrated on one leader or location. Yet, even before the pandemic, traditional place-based spiritual communities and support services were subject to social changes. Most of these changes are the result of increased mobility, personal independence, generational change, and a growing number of people who identify as some variety of Pagan or who blend earth-based spirituality with one or more religious background.

Studies show that most Pagans are unaffiliated with a spiritual group, whether by choice or through lack of choice, but have the same human needs for support during life passages, crises, and personal growth.

Addressing Pagan spiritual support

Three graduates from Cherry Hill Seminary will present “The Changing Landscape of Spiritual Support for Contemporary Pagans” on Monday, October 18, 2021 at 3:45 PM Eastern US Time.

  • Carol Kirk, MDiv, a longtime Wiccan priestess and retired military nurse, will address wounded warriors and moral injury.
  • Professional hospital chaplain Wes Isley, MDiv, will share his experiences on the floor during COVID.
  • Holli Emore, MDiv, will speak about engage collaborative networks, cultivating horizontal leadership in our communities and providing compassionate spiritual support.

Parliament of the World’s Religions

The Parliament of the World’s Religions (PoWR) is the world’s premier interfaith convening organization, and has featured Pagan involvement since 1993. It’s mission is to “cultivate harmony among the world’s religious and spiritual communities.”

Previous Parliaments have drawn thousands of participants from around the world for conferences in Chicago, South Africa, Spain, Australia, and Canada. The 2021 Parliament is virtual and anyone may attend, but registration is required. You can view the agenda here and filter the sessions by selecting “Paganism” under the “Tracks and Tags” feature.

Pagan Voices at PoWR: https://parliamentofreligions.org/paganism-2021-parliament

For more information about Cherry Hill Seminary contact us.

New Book Published by CHS Executive Director

Posted on

New Book Published by CHS Executive Director

Constellated Ministry book cover

Cover artist Sarah Kurlowich

We are delighted to announce that Constellated Ministry: A Guide for Those Serving Today’s Pagans by Cherry Hill Seminary’s Executive Director, Holli S. Emore, is now available for purchase, courtesy of Equinox Publishing. A book on Pagan ministry, we are proud of this contribution to the broader community and hope that future spiritual leaders will lean on its content for guidance as the develop their ministerial practice.

“There are no easy answers here; we are attempting to chart a map for a constantly moving starscape. My hope is that not only Pagans will use Constellated Ministry, but that it becomes a tool for the thousands of chaplains at military bases, hospitals, hospices and police departments who are genuinely committed to serving all who need them.” –  Holli S. Emore

Publishers Summary

“Pagan traditions are the fastest-growing religious group in America, or so it has often been said since British witchcraft arrived in the late 1950s. Numbers are tricky to come by, but we know that contemporary Pagans report themselves as living in every American state, and in countries around the world. Historian Ronald Hutton is fond of pointing out that witchcraft is the one new religion that England has produced and shared globally.

This volume reviews the shifting landscape of current Pagan spirituality, the unique culture and needs which must be understood in order to engage with contemporary Pagans, and the implications for future leadership, including organizational models, training and educational needs. The author has interviewed Pagan leaders about their own experiences and looks at data from the Pagan Engagement and Spiritual Support survey of 2016 to answer questions such as What does “ministry” mean for Pagans? Who do Pagans turn to for spiritual support? Who ought to be providing that support? Do Pagans want leaders who are trained for ministry? What kind of training do they need, and how do they get it?

If you are a Pagan who wishes to support others in these ways, you will find here a framework for your own work, including stories and examples. If you are an interfaith minister, a chaplain, or a spiritual leader who finds that Pagans are intersecting with your work, you will become acquainted with the culture of this old-but-new spirituality. If you are an educator, may you find Constellated Ministry useful in teaching seminarians and students of religious studies.”

Reviews

“Holli Emore offers a wise, inspiring and invaluable guide for all those called to the sacred task of tending to the spiritual needs of the modern Pagan community. She shares a framework of best practices and helpful recommendations, tools and ideas for effective, compassionate, and skillful Pagan ministry and a sustaining vision for all those also called to service.”

“The book is amazingly comprehensive, and perfect for Pagans/Heathens/etc. who feel called to do ministry of any kind. It gives guidance to untrained folks who find themselves unexpectedly in leadership positions in our changing times. Shifting the focus from locations and individuals, the usual Pagan group paradigm, to a more “constellated” point of view may provide a firmer basis for Pagan ministry in the future. This is a must-read for anyone considering a ministry in the Pagan communities.”

“Ministry and chaplaincy grow increasingly complex and nuanced as Western societies evolve and diversify in their spiritual affiliations and needs. Holli Emore’s book is a wise guide through the landscape of Pagan chaplaincy that will aid both those working or training as Pagan chaplains and those who may be called to serve Pagans in a non-denominational ministry. The book draws on insights from Emore’s wide experience in chaplaincy and from her important research in the Pagan Engagement and Spiritual Support Survey. Constellated Ministry is a highly useful resource for those interested in Pagan practice today.”

Parting Words: Candace Kant, Ph.D.

Posted on

From Our Outgoing Academic Dean:

Dear Students, Faculty, Staff and Board Leadership,

I have genuinely enjoyed serving as Academic Dean for the past three years and have been honored to be able to work with the dedicated, committed, talented, and enthusiastic students, faculty, and administration of Cherry Hill Seminary.

In my three years as Academic Dean we have reviewed our curriculum and our degrees and have continued to prepare for eventual accreditation. We have provided both graduate and Insights courses that are needed by our community. I am very proud of what has been accomplished, the growth we have had and are having, and the progress we have made.

I have been Academic Dean since July 2018. Before becoming Academic Dean, I served as Dean of Students for Cherry Hill Seminary from 2012 to 2018, giving me a total of nine years serving the school.

As I progress through my “golden years,” I feel that at this time in my life I should step aside in favor of leadership that is more attuned to the changing nature of our community, the educational environment, and our world.

I remain committed to the mission and goals of Cherry Hill Seminary. I will be available to assist with a smooth transition and to be of any help that I can to whomever assumes the position of Academic Dean in the future

I anticipate remaining affiliated with Cherry Hill Seminary other ways, depending upon the needs of the school.

Sincerely,
Candace C. Kant, Ph.D.

Coming to the Center Hosts Don Frew

Posted on
Labyrinth background with an image of Don Frew at the center

The Lost and Endangered Religions Project, Adocentyn Research Library, United Religions Initiative, Covenant of the Goddess, Wiccan advocacy during the “Satanic Panic” and recent Egyptology projects in Karnak and Luxor – Gardnerian witch Don Frew’s life is a veritable feast of culture and service. Join us as Cherry Hill Seminary director Holli Emore interviews Don during our fall semester Coming to the Center program.

Saturday, October 23, 2021, 3:00 PM ET. Free and open to all, register to receive Zoom link. Proudly hosted by Votaries!

 

 

Donald H. Frew is an Elder in the NROOGD and Gardnerian Traditions of modern Wicca, and High Priest of Coven Trismegiston in Berkeley CA.  Within the Gardnerian Tradition, he is known as a historian and theologian.  Working with his wife, Anna Korn, they compiled, edited, and in 2007 circulated a new edition of the Gardnerian Book of Shadows, incorporating material from their research in early Gardnerian texts and resulting in a Book of over 650 pages.

Frew’s coven is a member of the Covenant of the Goddess (CoG), the world’s largest religious organization of Witches.  He has served ten terms on CoG’s National Board, as Public Information Officer (PIO) and as First Officer (President).  As PIO, he served as a consultant on occult crimes for various law enforcement agencies.  This led to collaboration with the Committee for Scientific Examination of Religion, the FBI, and the Justice Department to create a report for law enforcement on so-called “Satanic” crime – Satanism in America: How the Devil Got Much More Than His Due (1989) – credited by the FBI with reversing the tide of the “Satanic Hysteria” in America.  This is soon to be republished in an updated edition. At the same time, Frew operated as a free-lance occultist, providing consultation for authors & others, investigating and dealing with “haunted” houses (& other places), and helping those believed to be “cursed”.

Frew is a National Interfaith Representative for the Covenant of the Goddess and has represented Wicca in interfaith work for over 35 years, on the Boards of the Berkeley Area Interfaith Council and the Interfaith Center at the Presidio, at all of the modern Parliaments of the World’s Religions (as a member of the Parliament’s Assembly of the World’s Religious & Spiritual Leaders), and as Vice-President of (and frequent contributor to) the online interfaith journal The Interfaith Observer.  He was the creator of the 2004 international Interfaith Sacred Space Design Competition – incorporating 160 designs from 17 countries – and editor of the resulting book, Sacred Spaces (2004).

Frew founded and serves as Director for the Lost and Endangered Religions Project – helping marginalized religious communities to preserve their religious traditions – as well as founding and serving as President of the Adocentyn Research Library, a Pagan library in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Frew has been active in the United Religions Initiative – the world’s largest grass-roots interfaith organization – since helping to create the organization in 1998.  He founded the URI’s Spirituality & the Earth CC – a founding CC of the URI – to network Earth Religionists in the URI.  More recently, he created the Wisdom & Vision CC to gather former Trustees and Board Members of the URI keep them engaged with the organization and make sure the URI does lose their wisdom.  He has served as a North American Trustee on the URI’s first elected Global Council, as an At-Large Trustee on the second & third Global Councils, as a Continuing Trustee on the fourth Global Council, and served again as an At-Large Trustee on the current Global Council until stepping down in September 2020.  He and URI founder Bishop William Swing are the only Trustees to have served on all of the URI’s elected Global Councils.

Frew’s research on the origins of modern Wicca and his interfaith work keep him traveling and encountering the world’s cultures and people, having visited 25 countries to date, including seven trip to Egypt. In Egypt, he has started a micro-crowd-funded Egyptology project to gather small amounts of money in the US to fund small but necessary archaeological projects there.  This project has built structures at Karnak and Luxor, but doesn’t yet have a name.