Congratulations to Paul Pribbenow, AM’79, PhD’93, president of Augsburg University, who has been named the 2025 Alum of the Year by the University of Chicago Divinity School. This honor recognizes Pribbenow’s distinguished career in higher education, his commitment to civic engagement, and his leadership in fostering inclusive and ethical communities. Paul was a DDH resident. Read more here.

After serving as secretary for ten years, Paul Steinbrecher has handed over those duties while continuing his trustee work as a member of the House Committee. Now retired as a principal at Interactive Design, Inc. (IDEA), a Chicago-based architecture firm, Paul was elected to the Board in 2012. Melinda Keenan Wood (1997) has picked up the pen. She was first elected to the Board of Trustees in 2019 and has been Senior Minister of Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Durham, North Carolina, since 2017. 

Victoria Wick (2017) began as the new executive minister of National City Christian Church in Washington, DC, during Holy Week(!). Tori will preach on April 27.

April Lewton (2004), Vice President of Development and Marketing for the National Benevolent Association Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), has been selected as one of the preachers at this year's General Assembly in Memphis, Tennessee. Lewton is scheduled to preach on Sunday, July 13.

Morganne Talley (current scholar) attended the fortieth anniversary conference of the Pacific, Asian, and North American Asian Women in Theology and Ministry (PANAATWM), March 27-29. It was held at Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta.

In 2017, alumna Rebecca Anderson (2007) and Vince Amlin, Divinity School MDiv classmates, co-founded Gilead, an emergent church on the north side of Chicago. Three students came to DDH from Gilead and many imaginations have been catalyzed by its practice and vision. In January, Gilead voted to close after eight years of ministry. Anderson and Amlin reflect: We ultimately believe that closing Gilead is an act of hope and defiance... We think this is an opportunity for Gilead to go out as we meant to go on: with joy and with faith that God has more for us beyond this present moment. Its last service will be May 4. Anderson and Amlin will continue as co-pastors of Bethany UCC in Chicago. 

Alexa Dava (2020), who is serves as the Project Officer for Human Dignity and Reproductive Health with the World Council of Churches (WCC), was in New York attending the UN Commission on the Status of Women. She is seconded to the WCC by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and through support by Week of Compassion.

Judith Guy Thomas (2013) helped to lead a virtual workshop, "Designing Your Mental Health Sunday," for the National Benevolent Association (NBA) on March 27.

Congratulations to Nathan Travis (current scholar), who has accepted an offer to the PhD program in Philosophy and Ecology at the University of Oregon. He will study Pragmatism and ecofeminist approaches to food ethics.

Congratulations to Kevin Poe (current scholar), who has been accepted to pursue his doctorate at the University of California, Santa Barbara in South Asian Religions. He plans to study lived narrative ethics through the lens of northern Indian pilgrimage sites.