Category Archives: News

2023 Professor of the Year

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Robert Patrick, PhD, MDiv,

Columbia, S.C. — During a special virtual ceremony on Saturday, February 25 the Votaries Alumni Circle of Cherry Hill Seminary announced the winner of this year’s Wendy Griffin Professor of the Year Award. The recipient is Robert Patrick, PhD, MDiv, Dept. of Ministry, Advocacy & Leadership.

Patrick (pictured at left) holds a BA in Biblical Literature from Oral Roberts University, a Masters of Divinity from Emory University, and a PhD in Latin and Roman Studies from the University of Florida. His dissertation focused on the presence of sacred groves in the Metamorphoses of Ovid as nonlinear events, and he has continuing interest in sacred groves in surrounding European and near-eastern cultures, particularly Celtic cultures.

An active member of the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Gwinnett (Georgia), he co-founded both the Oak Grove CUUPS (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans) and the Druid Order of Three Realms whose mother grove, Sylvan Sanctuary, meets at UUCG. His religious and spiritual path is labyrinthine including ministry in the United Methodist Church, the Roman Catholic Church, Druidry and Unitarian Universalism. He has special interests in language pedagogy, creating and leading ritual, and spiritual direction/friendship, working with labyrinths, gardening and painting, and is a certified and licensed massage therapist. He understands his Earth-centered spiritual path as the way of weaving together all of these aspects of his life.

Special Recognition

Erica Baron, M.Div., Dept. of Ministry, Advocacy & Leadership

Also honored with special recognition was Erica Baron, MDiv, for her outstanding service to students in the past year. Nominations are submitted by students who have taken a course in the past year with their nominee; nominees are reviewed and voted on by the Votaries.

“As a member of the Board of Directors for Cherry Hill Seminary, I am proud that Votaries Alumni/ae honor the late and beloved Academic Dean, Wendy Griffin, with the annual Professor of the Year Award named for her,” said Margaret Meggs of the Seminary Board of Directors. “Any Cherry Hill Seminary professor honored with this award may be assured of their value to the students, faculty, staff, and Board of Cherry Hill Seminary.”

In his acceptance remarks, Patrick commented on the unique relationship between students and successful faculty members. “I’ve learned over the years that my students are my best evaluators. They can tell me what I get right, and they can tell me where things don’t work for them. I always learn at least as much as they do. At Cherry Hill Seminary, this has been my constant experience, that each class is a gathering of co-learners.”

Rev. Erica Baron thanked the group by saying, “I love the students at Cherry Hill Seminary so much. You are all so creative and smart and engaged and I have really enjoyed all the time I get to interact with you and read your work.”

Recording of the entire ceremony, including keynote remarks by Seminary graduate, Rev. Karen LeBlanc, MDiv, minister of New Bedford (Massachusetts) Unitarian Church

About the Wendy Griffin Professor of the Year Award

Sponsored by the CHS Votaries Alumni Circle, this prestigious award is presented annually to one deserving faculty member who has demonstrated teaching excellence in the classroom and a commitment to spiritual growth for students. Nominations are accepted throughout the calendar year until Thanksgiving weekend, and the award is announced and presented at a special online event early in the new year following.

Honoring Academic Dean Emerita Wendy Griffin

As Cherry Hill Seminary’s first permanent Academic Dean, Wendy Griffin, Ph.D., and Academic Dean Emerita, brought to our seminary a dedication to academic integrity and a devotion to Pagan and Nature Spirituality. She was an academic pioneer in the study of Goddess Spirituality and Wicca, and served in the American Academy of Religion and on the editorial board of The Pomegranate: the International Journal of Pagan Studies. By the time she retired in 2018, Griffin had inspired students and colleagues alike with her intellect, skills and engagement.

CHS Pagans at 2023 Parliament

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from Aline (Macha) O’Brien – Pagans, both groups and individuals, were a strong and visible presence at the most recent Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago. I attended as a National Interfaith Representative of the Covenant of the Goddess (cog.org), without whose support I wouldn’t have been there, but also less formally for Cherry Hill Seminary and COMPASS (pagancommons.org). On behalf of the third, I found several Pagans eager to participate in Hematite Inmate Ministries, as well as potential interviewers — interviewees are easy to find, interviewers much harder — for the Pagan History Project. What I was most proud of, however, were two plenary speeches by Pagans, both on the rise of facsism, one by PWR Trustee Phyllis Curott and the other by CoG member Dr. Gus diZerega.

CHS Pagans at 2023 Parliament

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from Lawrence Lerner – The 2023 Chicago Parliament of the World’s Religions celebrated 130 years in the birthplace of the modern interfaith movement. 2023 was the largest Pagan presence in its history, with approximately 200 Pagans in attendance. Our community had an exceptionally welcoming, inviting interfaith room, curated by Twilla York, featuring 20 insightful talks, two tables brimming with reading literature and books, and contributions from a dozen or more Pagan traditions and groups. Rev. Laura Gonzalez added to the grandeur with a powerful presentation during the opening ceremony in front of 8,000 attendees. It was a moment of progress. During one of the first modern Parliaments, members of one faith group walked off stage when the Goddess was invoked. Join us in future events as we continue to raise awareness of the Pagan presence and celebrate its contributions to the interfaith movement. Summarizing an event three years in the making and many sessions and panels was tough. I wanted to acknowledge the Pagan presence and stellar work of so many people, but two rose to the top. Our interfaith room showed the effort and dedication of the entire Pagan community.

Four elements masks from the Cosmic Mass

Seminary Announces New Vision-Mission Statements

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COLUMBIA, SC — Cherry Hill Seminary today announced new vision and missions statements for the organization. The statements reflect several months’ work by a special committee which consisted of board members, students, staff, volunteers, and faculty, and followed a special survey in the spring of all who are on the broader Seminary email list. Here are the new foundational texts:

Vision 2023: Cherry Hill Seminary envisions a world where people of Pagan and Nature based spiritualities can receive competent and compassionate spiritual support.

Mission 2023: Cherry Hill Seminary serves Pagan and Nature-based communities by providing transformative education and empowering students to advance academically and lead spiritually.

Board chair Jeffrey Keefer noted, “We are proud of our work, and as we look into the future, we want to invite those intrigued and feel called to share in our vision to join us as we seek to make the world a better place. Know that our efforts are guided through the lens of our Mission, one we continue to live every day.”

The committee was chaired by Laurel Holmstrom-Keyes, who said, “The impetus for reviewing the Vision and Mission came from our pursuit of [future] accreditation. It was important to the Board that our Vision and Mission were strongly reflective of the work of Cherry Hill Seminary.”

A promotional tag line, “Seek-Explore-Empower,” was also suggested by the committee. A process for rollout and implementation of the new vision and mission include suggestions for faculty, board and staff use, posting in strategic locations on the web site and in classroom platforms, new social media graphics and the video here.