Dates:
October 15-16, 2025
Place:
In-Person or Online
United Theological Seminary
4501 Denlinger Road
Dayton, OH 45426
REGISTRATION
In-person registration is for all activities on Wednesday-Thursday and includes lunch on Thursday.
Virtual registration provides webinar-format access to lectures and workshops on Wednesday and Thursday.
If you are a current student who is taking the seminar for course credit, please register through your Student Portal. If you have questions about the Student Portal, please contact the Registrar’s Office at registrar@united.edu or 937-529-2201.
In-Person at United
- General: $180
- Alumni/ae: $140.00
- Student (non-master’s credit): $90
Streaming/Online
- General: $90
- Alumni/ae: $70
- Student (non-master’s credit): $40
Add-Ons
- CEU Certificate: $20
FEATURED SPEAKER
The Rev. Dr. Sunggu A. Yang is Associate Professor of Theology and Christian Ministries in the Department of Theology at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. An ordained Presbyterian minister (PCUSA), he has had numerous intercultural congregational experiences (Pentecostal, Methodist, Presbyterian, and more) and has preached widely. He has authored and edited seven books, including Preaching
The Rev. Dr. Sunggu A. Yang is Associate Professor of Theology and Christian Ministries in the Department of Theology at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. An ordained Presbyterian minister (PCUSA), he has had numerous intercultural congregational experiences (Pentecostal, Methodist, Presbyterian, and more) and has preached widely. He has authored and edited seven books, including Preaching
SESSIONS
WEDNESDAY KEYNOTE
Ministry in a House Divided: Finding the Purple Zone
Red state/blue state politics threaten the foundations of our democracy and tear the fabric of our churches. Congregations and church leaders need new perspectives and insights for navigating this difficult time. Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade will offer an overview of “the purple zone” based her longitudinal research of nearly 3,000 clergy and 1,000 laity from 2017-2023. She will then introduce a method for engaging issues of public concern called the “sermon-dialogue-sermon” process which enables congregations to find the values that bind them together and respond faithfully to God’s Word.
THURSDAY WORSKSHOPS
Deliberative Dialogue: The Church’s Role in a Divided Society
What should churches do to help their parishioners deal with the difficult state of political discord in America? Using a nonpartisan form of civil discourse called “deliberative dialogue,” Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade will moderate a discussion that explores the church’s role in navigating the polarized political landscape that complicates our engagement with challenging social issues. Participants will learn a technique for having a balanced, open-minded discussion in their own church that moves us beyond the current political debate and frames the conversation within biblical and theological perspectives.
Preaching Across the Divide: Strategies for Sermons in the Election Season
The challenge of preaching across the red-blue divide in our churches is fraught with risks, but also offers opportunities for proclaiming the gospel and building community in profound and contextual ways. Informed by insights from her longitudinal research of ministry, preaching, and social issues, Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade will offer an approach to preaching in this politically divisive climate using a “dialogical lens” for interpreting scripture and crafting sermons. Participants will workshop a biblical text to learn how they can use the dialogical lens for preaching in their own contexts during the election season.