Columbia, S.C. — Cherry Hill Seminary is proud to announce that alumna Rev. Karen LeBlanc, M.Div. was officially ordained as a Unitarian Universalist minister and installed as the settled minister to the First Unitarian Church in New Bedford, Massachusetts in a special service held Sunday, October 30.

Members of the congregation, clergy colleagues, officials from the Unitarian Universalist Association, friends and family all gathered to recognize Rev. LeBlanc’s achievements and charge her with her chosen vocation. Congregational President Steve Carmel stated, “Within the Unitarian Universalist religious movement the authority to confer ordination lies wholly with the local church. It is a meaningful and joyous occasion when a congregation joins together, as we have, to recognize one who has chosen the ministry as her life’s work.”

Highlights of the ceremony included the traditional laying on of hands by all present, the gift of a custom-made ministerial stole, and performances of music by the church Music Director Randy Fayan. To view the entire service, including remarks by Rev. Woullard Lett of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

After the ceremony, Rev. LeBlanc said, “I am experiencing a whole new kind of joy right now. I thank everyone who helped get me here, and I certainly wouldn’t have had this opportunity to serve without the education I got at Cherry Hill Seminary.” She further noted that half of the offering collected at the service would be given to Cherry Hill Seminary.

LeBlanc earned her Master of Divinity in 2019 from Cherry Hill Seminary. The Seminary Academic Dean Margo Wolfe said, “A quality seminary education is the bridge between the academic and the spiritual, the mind and the heart. It allows for that liminal space to sit with our own faith and see how it fits within the multiplicities of the many. Those who attain this level of learning through divinity degree programs and ordination can provide that instruction, but also the comfort to others as they find their own path.”

Cherry Hill Seminary is the leading provider of education and practical training in leadership, ministry, and personal growth in Pagan and Nature-Based spiritualities for more than fifteen years. For more information contact CHS@cherryhillseminary.org, 803-862-9088.

Columbia, S.C. — Cherry Hill Seminary is proud to announce that faculty member Shane Nelson, M.Div., M.A., has been granted certification as Provisional Board Certified Chaplain (PBCC).

The Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc. (BCCI) is an affiliate of the Association of Professional Chaplains. BCCI certification is the leading standard for professional excellence in the field, a qualification required by many hospitals and other institutions which employ chaplains.

“To the best of the knowledge of the BCCI staff, I am the only Pagan-identifying chaplain who has been provisionally board certified by the Board of Chaplaincy Certification,” said Nelson. “This is a long time coming and has taken many years of graduate work, Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), personal reflection, and board interviews. This accomplishment also serves to open the door to become board certified for other Pagan practitioners who are working towards becoming, or currently are, professional chaplains.” Nelson is a faculty member in the Department of Pastoral Counseling & Chaplaincy at Cherry Hill Seminary.

At least one Cherry Hill Seminary graduate is currently pursuing BCCI certification. As mentioned by Nelson, the process is lengthy and rigorous, requiring demonstration of competencies, graduation education, and documented mentored experience.

David Oringderff, Ph.D., longtime Seminary faculty and Chair of the PCC department, said, “Having spent several decades mentoring seminarians and both practicing and aspiring chaplains, I am incredibly gratified to see the results of Shane’s hard work. He is a vital asset to our department, respected by both his peers and students. Sacred Well Congregation is also extremely happy to hear this news because Shane serves on our Board of Directors as Director of Military Affairs.”

Seminary director Holli Emore noted that as more individuals consider themselves solitary or unaffiliated with a religious body, chaplaincy becomes increasingly relevant. “When in crisis or stress, or during a disaster, people still look to those who can support them spiritually. At Cherry Hill Seminary, we emphasize the importance of all our students being able to support others, no matter what their beliefs. Pagans are uniquely positioned to honor diverse spiritual traditions, so Pagan-identifying chaplains can be strong partners on a chaplaincy team.”

Nelson was ordained through Sacred Well Congregation in 2013. He holds a BA in Religion from American Military University, a MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwest Christian University, and a MDiv from Starr King School for the Ministry. He is a Certified Drug & Alcohol Counselor Registrant, a Licensed Professional Counseling Registered Intern, and a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist serving veteran, homeless, and forensic populations as a mental health provider. Nelson is a veteran with over ten years of military service, including three years of service to Sacred Well Congregation as a Distinctive Faith Group Leader (DFGL).

For more information contact CHS@cherryhillseminary.org, 803-862-9088.

 

Columbia, S.C. — Cherry Hill Seminary supports the immediate cessation of violence against Ukraine.

“While we take no position on political parties, campaigns or candidates, we will always stand against aggression and violence such as that we are witnessing in Ukraine this week,” said Executive Director, Holli Emore. “World leaders such as Russia should be leading with peace-building support rather than seeking territorial dominance. We ask our wider Pagan community to join us in supporting an immediate cease-fire and de-escalation.”

The violence against Ukraine violates the CHS values of honoring the sacredness of the earth (including other humans) and embracing diversity. Cherry Hill Seminary empowers spiritual leadership, scholarship, and ethics through theological and pastoral education to nurture interfaith engagement in a diverse society.

For more information contact CHS@cherryhillseminary.org, 803-862-9088.