Starr King School for the Ministry is a

Unitarian Universalist Unitarian or Unitarianism may refer to: Christian and Christian-derived theologies A Unitarian is a follower of, or a member of an organisation that follows, any of several theologies referred to as Unitarianism: * Unitarianism (1565–present) ...

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the ...

. The seminary was formed in 1904 to educate leaders for the growing number of progressive religious communities in the western part of the US. The school emphasizes the practical skills of religious leadership. Today, it educates

ministers, religious educators, and spiritual activists, as well as progressive religious leaders from a variety of traditions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, earth-centered traditions, and others.

History

Starr King School for the Ministry opened in 1904 as the Pacific Unitarian School for the Ministry. With most Unitarian ministers being educated at

Harvard Divinity School Harvard Divinity School (HDS) is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school's mission is to educate its students either in the academic study of religion or for leadership roles in religion, gov ...

in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago, Illinois the new seminary would meet the need to train religious leaders serving the progressive churches west of the Rocky Mountains. The school held its first classes at the

First Unitarian Church of Oakland The First Unitarian Church of Oakland is located in western Downtown Oakland, California. It is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association. History The building site was purchased in November 1888 from Jane K. Sather, a patron of the ...

, moving just a few years later to the

City of Berkeley Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emeryv ...

to be closer to other "Holy Hill" seminaries and the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...

. The first president was

Earl Morse Wilbur Earl Morse Wilbur (Jericho, Vermont, April 26, 1866 – Berkeley, California, January 8, 1956) was an American Unitarian minister, educator, and historian of Unitarianism. Wilbur was the first dean 1904-1910; then president 1911-1931; and un ...

. In addition to his service to the school for 30 years, he is remembered for writing the first comprehensive histories of European Unitarianism. In 1941, the school changed its name to honor the Rev. Thomas Starr King, minister of the First Unitarian Church of San Francisco. During the Civil War, the popular lecturer and activist spoke zealously in favor of the Union and was credited by

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...

with preventing California from becoming a separate republic. In addition, he organized the Pacific Branch of the

United States Sanitary Commission The United States Sanitary Commission (USSC) was a private relief agency created by federal legislation on June 18, 1861, to support sick and wounded soldiers of the United States Army (Federal / Northern / Union Army) during the American Civil ...

, which cared for wounded soldiers and was the predecessor to the

American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the des ...

. King's prominence also contributed greatly to the spread of Unitarianism on the West Coast. In 1962, the "Holy Hill" seminaries officially formed the Graduate Theological Union (GTU), a diverse consortium of what now numbers nine theological seminaries, several research centers, affiliates and institutes. It is the largest theological consortium in the U.S. and its library consolidates the numerous resources of the member schools. Starr King joined the GTU in 1964. From this time up through the mid-1980s the seminary was known as the Starr King School for Religious Leadership. When Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker became President of the school in 1990, she was the first woman to serve as the permanent head of an accredited U.S. theological school. She is an ordained minister of the

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelica ...

with dual fellowship in the Unitarian Universalist Association.Starr King School for the Ministry Faculty & Staff. Retrieved May 6, 2013. http://www.sksm.edu/faculty/

Presidents

1904–1931 * William Morgan (1931–?) *

Josiah Bartlett Josiah Bartlett ( – May 19, 1795) was an American Founding Father, physician, statesman, a delegate to the Continental Congress for New Hampshire, and a signatory to the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation. He served as ...

1949-1969 * Robert C. Kimball 1969–1983 * Gordon B. McKeeman 1983–1988 * Rebecca Ann Parker 1990–2014 * Rosemary Bray McNatt 2014–present

Academics

Starr King School for the Ministry educates people for Unitarian Universalist ministry and for progressive religious leadership in society. Its approach to the study of theology is inspired by Unitarian Universalism's liberal religious values. It is dedicated to providing student-centered, multi-religious, counter-oppressive graduate education that cultivates multi-religious life and learning, and creates just and sustainable communities. The school offers two master's degrees:

Master of Divinity For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and di ...

(M.Div.) and Master of Arts in Social Change (M.A.S.C.). It also offers certificates in Chaplaincy Studies, Unitarian Universalist Studies and Multi-Religious Studies. The school is accredited by the

Association of Theological Schools The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) is an organization of seminaries and other graduate schools of theology. ATS has its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. History It was founded in 1918. The as ...

(ATS).

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Starr King School For The Ministry Educational institutions established in 1904 Unitarian Universalism in California Graduate Theological Union 1904 establishments in California

History

Presidents

Academics

See also

References

External links