| Bio
- The Reverend Dr. Donna Schaper |
| |
Senior Minister
Judson Memorial Church
Washington
Square South, NYC 10025
www.judson.org
Home
Address:
235 E 18th Street
New York, New York 10003
212.260.1608 (h) or 413.687.1937 (c) | |
|
PROFESSIONAL
GOAL |
| • | To
provide spiritual nurture for public, democratic capacity in individuals and communities. |
| • |
To
practice and develop public ministry as a way to renew congregations
and communities. |
| | |
EXPERIENCE
AS PASTOR AND EDUCATOR |
| • |
Senior Minister, Judson Memorial
Church, New York City |
| • |
Consultant: Bricks Without
Straw Consultation Service, Specializing in Conflict Management and Strengthening
Non Profits for Social Change
|
| • |
Executive Director, Women’s Fund
of Western Massachusetts, 2004 |
| • |
Consultant, Still Speaking Initiative,
The United church of Christ, 2004 |
| • |
Senior
Pastor, Coral Gables Congregational Church, Coral Gables, Florida 2000 -
2004 |
| • |
Associate
Conference Minister, Western Area Massachusetts Conference, United Church of
Christ 1993 - 2000 |
| • |
Pastor,
First Congregational Church, Riverhead, New York 1987 - 1993 |
| • |
Executive
Director, The Urban Academy in Chicago 1983 - 1987 |
| • |
Pastor,
First Congregational Church, Amherst, Massachusetts 1980 - 1983 |
| • |
Associate
Chaplain, Yale University 1976 - 1980 |
| • |
Urban
Minister, Tabernacle Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1974 - 1976 |
| • |
Associate
Pastor, First Congregational Church, Tucson, Arizona 1972 - 1974 |
| • | Extensive
ongoing experience as Liturgist and Educator in multi-faith situations, most recently
in Morocco on a tour of scholars of Abrahamic Religions, before that at the World
Parliament of Religions in South Africa, and before that at the UN Meeting on
Women In Beijing. |
| | |
EDUCATION |
| • |
American College of Preachers,
Fall Fellow, The Washington National Cathedral |
| • |
Minnesota Summer Institute for
the Humanities, 2003 |
| • |
Nonprofit
Management Seminars, School of Business Administration, University of
Miami, 2003 |
| • |
Doctor
of Ministry, Hartford Seminary, 2000 |
| • | Coolidge
Fellow, Association for Religion and Intellectual Life, Columbia University Summer,
1998 |
| • |
Lutheran
Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, M. of Div., 1973 |
| • |
University
of Chicago Divinity School, M.A., 1971 |
| • |
Gettysburg
College, B.A., 1969 |
| • |
Extensive
Field Training as Community Organizer, 1969 - 1973 |
| • |
Clinical
Pastoral Education, National Institute of Mental Health, Washington, D.C.,
1972 |
| • |
Public
Access Television, Producing, Writing and Directing, 1989 |
| • |
Spanish
Language learned in Mexico at Cuernavaca, 1972 |
| |
| SAMPLE EXPERIENCE AS WRITER AND
SPEAKER |
| • |
Auburn Seminary Women’s
Preaching Course, January 2007 |
| • |
Fosdick Convocation on Preaching,
2006 |
| • |
Adjunct Professor, “Parish
Ministry in the 21st Century”, Union Theological Seminary, Fall 2006 |
| • |
Lecturer, Yale Divinity School, “The
Sense in Sabbath,” Nov. 2004 |
| • |
Preacher, The Chatauqua Institute,
Chatauqua, New York, 2004 |
| • |
Presenter, “Spirituality
For Skeptics,” The Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, 2004 |
| • |
Presenter, the National Association
of Visual Artists, “Sacred Space,” 2001 |
| • |
Preacher and Lecturer, Episcopal
Diocese of Chicago, 2000 |
| • |
Keynote Speaker, The Dovetail
Institute on Interfaith Families, 2000 |
| • |
Keynote Speaker, American Association
of Pastoral Counselors (ACPE), 1996 |
| • |
Delegate,
European College and University Chaplains, Budapest, Hungary, 1993 |
| |
| SAMPLE PUBLICATIONS — Books, Pamphlets,
Selected Articles |
| • |
Living Well While Doing
Good
(Church 2007) |
| • |
Grass Roots Gardening: Rituals
to Sustain Activism (Nation 2007) |
| • |
A Holy Vulnerability: Spiritual
Resources for People With Cancer (ACTA 2005) |
| • |
Prayers for Easter and Lent (Abingdon) |
| • |
Spiritual Resources for
People With Cancer (ACTA) (2004) |
| • |
Brookings Institution, "Greater
Miami Prosperity Campaign” (2004) |
| • |
Prayers for Advent and Christmas (Abingdon) |
| • |
Sacred Speech: A Humble
How To (Skylights 2003) |
| • |
When A Parent Dies (Cowley
2003) |
| • |
Art of Spiritual Rock Gardening
(Paulist 2001) |
| • |
Labyrinths from the Outside
In (Skylights, 2001) |
| • |
Prayers for Children (Liguori
2001) |
| • |
Altar Call (Abingdon 2001) |
| • |
“Life Is Too Short to be
White” (National Public Radio, MLK Day, 2000) |
| • |
“Prayer In the News”
(National Public Radio, 1999) |
| • |
Spiritual Orphans & Spiritual
Heirs: Raising Interfaith Children (Crossroads 1999) |
| • |
Sabbath Keeping
(Crowley 1998) |
| • |
All is Calm (St. Mary’s
Press 1998) |
| • |
Alone, But Not Lonely (Twenty-Third
Publications 1998) |
| • |
Sabbath Sense: A Spiritual
Antidote for the Overworked (Innisfree 1997) |
| • |
Angels in the Making (Trinity
Television Video Tape 1997) |
| • |
Overcoming Racism: A
Dozen Strategies (Credence Cassettes Audio Tape 1997) |
| • |
Fatigue as a Friend (Credence
Cassettes Audio Tape 1997) |
| • |
Why Write Letters? (Pilgrim
1996) |
| • |
More Than Bread: The
Church and Higher Education (United Church Board for Homeland Min.
1996) |
| • |
Giving (Forward Movement
Press 1995) |
| • |
Why I Tithe (Liguori1994) |
| • |
Calmly Plotting the Resurrection (Pilgrim
1994) |
| • |
Hope for Hard Times: Sermons (Abingdon
1993) |
| • |
“Bricks Without Straw” in
Eleanor Scott Meyers, ed., Envisioning the New City (Westminster 1992) |
| • |
Stripping Down: The Art
of Spiritual Restoration (LuraMedia 1991) |
| • |
Common Sense for Men and Women
in Ministry (Alban 1990) |
| • |
A Book of Common Power: Narratives
Against the Current (LuraMedia 1989) |
| • |
Superwoman Turns Forty (LuraMedia
1988) |
| • |
“Streets to Dwell In: A
Theory of Public Ministry” (manual) (Urban Academy in Chicago 1986) |
| • |
“Methods of Supervision
for Public Ministry” (Journal of Supervision for Ministry 1986) |
| |
SAMPLE COURSES
TAUGHT |
| • |
“Parish
in the 21st Century,” South Florida Theological Seminary (2002) and Union
(2005) |
| • | Creative
Writing Workshops at Pendle Hill, Star Island, Kirkridge, and other retreat centers
1990-present |
| • | Urban
Internship, Fund for Theological Education (Ten days per year as consultant) 1989-1993 |
| • | Consultant
on Field Education and Public Ministry, Union Theological Seminary 1988-1990 |
| • | Community
Organizing and the Parish, through 12 Chicago Seminaries 1983-1987 |
| • | Summer
Urban Intensive, (CPE equivalent) jointly at Chicago Theological and McCormick
Seminaries 1983-1987 |
| • |
Parish
Ministry, Yale Divinity School |
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SAMPLE VOLUNTEER
ACTIVITIES |
| • |
Board of Directors, United Church
of Christ, Florida Conference, 2003 |
| • |
Chair, Interfaith Clergy, National
Conference of Christians & Jews, 2002 - 2004 |
| • |
Mayor’s Healthcare Access
Task Force, 2002 - present |
| • |
Board of Directors, The South
Florida Theological Center, Miami, 2002 - present |
| • |
Board of Directors, Planned Parenthood,
Miami, 2002 - present |
| • |
Jubilee 2000: The Campaign to
End Global Debt, Fund-raiser, 2000 |
| • |
Board of Directors, The Pioneer
Valley Project, Springfield, MA, 1996 - 2000 |
| • |
Board of Directors, American Congregational
Association, Boston, MA, 1997 - 2000 |
| • |
Frequent Preacher at Hampden County
Jail, 1993 - 2000 |
| • |
Corporator, The Hartford (CT)
Theological Seminary, 1993 - present |
| • |
Chair, Public Affairs Committee,
Long Island Council of Churches, 1988 - 1993 |
| • |
Board of Directors, Women’s
Theological Center, Boston, MA, 1988 - 1993 |
| • |
Board for Homeland Ministries,
United Church of Christ, 1989 - 1995 |
| • |
Vice Moderator, United Church
of Christ, 1979 - 1981 |
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SAMPLE AWARDS |
| • |
Hartford Seminary Significant
Ministry Award, 2004 |
| • |
Garden Golden Globe Writing Award,
2003 |
| • |
Free Speech Award, People for
the American Way, 2004 |
| • |
American College of Preachers,
2000 |
| • |
Sonoma County Writer’s Award,
1995 |
| • |
New York State Council on the
Arts, Writing Grant, 1993 |
| • |
Puffin Foundation Grants (2) for
Writing About Women in Religion; |
| |
2nd
time to cover UN Conference on Women, Beijing, 1993 |
| • |
Distinguished Alumna, Gettysburg
College, 1993 |
| • |
Long Island Council of Churches,
Citizenship Award, 1993 |
| • |
Mayor’s Award for Fighting
Poverty, Tucson, Arizona, 1973 |
| |
PERSONAL |
| • | Born
5/29/47; Married to Warren Goldstein; mother of Isaac (6/7/83), twins Katherine
and Jacob Goldstein (5/26/85). |
|
SUMMARY
OF MIAMI MINISTRY |
| • |
Initiated a conservatory for
musically talented but financially challenged youth in the Miami Public Schools. |
| • |
Rejected for membership in the
Coral Gables Garden Club, wrote an article about it for the New York Times
May 3, 2003, which article received the Golden Globe Writing Award from the
National Garden Writer’s Association |
| • |
Congregation initiated a project
with the Cuban American National Foundation on the freedom to read in Cuba
by means of a library project |
| • |
Led talkbacks for Sunday Matinees
at both local theaters |
| • |
Congregation led the way in
the Living Wage Movement in Miami and voted unanimously to adopt a living
wage for its own staff of 22 |
| • |
Congregation led the way in
the Living Wage Movement in Miami and voted unanimously to adopt a living
wage for its own staff of 22 |
| • |
Was active in the SAVE DADE
movement to assure human rights for homosexuals and to promote gay marriage
in Florida |
| • |
Congregation housed and hosted
the Miami peace movement during the Iraqi and Afghanistan wars as well as
the FTAA protesters |
| • |
Chaired the Interfaith Clergy
Dialogue, an affiliate of the National Conference of Christians and Jews,
now National Conference of Community and Justice |
| |
|
|
JUDSON
INTRODUCTORY PERIOD
|
It
is my intention to guard and secure Judson’s enormous legacy in the
city of New York so that a hundred years from now we speak of this 21st
century as our best yet. To this end, we hope to: |
| • |
Foster artistic experimentation |
| • |
Work with GLBT Youth in Greenwich
Village |
| • |
Advocate New York City as a
Sanctuary City for Immigrants (In April of 2007, we became a Sanctuary Congregation). |
| • |
Having initiated a Community
Ministry Program in cooperation with New York Theological Seminary and Union
Seminary, we continue to train seminarians and seminary graduates in public
ministry. A total of $200,000 has been raised for 11 students, starting in
the first year with 5 |
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|
|
INTRODUCTION
GIVEN AT THE ACLU AWARDS DINNER
WHEN I RECEIVED THE “COURAGE
AWARD” IN 1995 |
| |
“Her primary work is preaching
and pastoring a congregation of 900 people. She spends personal and
spiritual time with about a half dozen people per day, supervises a staff
of 22 and a budget of 2 million dollars, and is “on call” for
crisis situations five days a week, 24 hours a day. About 50 new members
per year have joined the church. Since coming to Miami in 2000, Donna
Schaper has led the community in immediate worship services following 9-11,
both on the day thereof and immediately following for a week, during which
the Moslem community actively participated. She was part of a group
of interfaith clergy that spoke in a dozen public schools immediately after
the event. |
| |
She cooperated with the Knight
Foundation and the Annie Casey Foundation to bring Accion International to
Miami. Accion is a microlending organization that assists new immigrants
to create businesses, with or without papers. 150 people have been
helped to start businesses already. Three million dollars was raised. |
| |
She initiated, with Mark Hart
and the church’s music program, a conservatory for musically talented
but financially challenged youth in the Miami public schools. 28 students
are now participating, providing a monthly orchestra during worship as well. |
| |
She was rejected for membership
in the Coral Gables Garden Club because she was too “liberal” and
wrote a piece for the NEW YORK TIMES May 3, 2003 on the matter. That
article received the Golden Globe Writing Award from the National Garden
Writers’ Association. |
| |
Her congregation has initiated
a project with the Cuban American National Foundation on the freedom to read
in Cuba by means of a library project. |
| |
She leads engaging talk backs
at both local theaters. |
| |
Her congregation has led the way
in the Living Wage Movement in Miami and the congregation voted unanimously
to adopt the living wage for its own staff of 22. |
| |
She has just received the “Significant
Ministry” award from Hartford Seminary. |
| |
She has published over a dozen
opeds in the Miami Herald, notably a piece advocating a state income tax
in Florida. |
| |
She was active in the SAVE DADE
movement to assure human rights for homosexuals and to promote gay marriage
in Miami.. |
| |
Her church housed and hosted the
Miami peace movement during the formal Iraqi and Afghanistan wars as well
as the FTAA protesters. |
| |
She is chair of the Interfaith
Clergy Dialogue, an affiliate of the National Conference for Christians and
Jews. |
| |
|
|
A Precis of
My Archive at Gettysburg College |
| | The
papers of Donna Eleanor Schaper (nee Osterhoudt) offer a window into a number
of cultural and political developments of the period from the mid-1960s and the
year 2000. During that time, Donna Schaper was deeply involved in the civil rights
and anti-Vietnam War movements (at Gettysburg College, Class of 1969). She married
in her junior year of college (to Robert Schaper) and went to the University of
Chicago, where she entered Divinity School in 1969, earning a Master’s Degree
in 1971. She was one of the first women ministers in the United Church of Christ
in the early 1970s, and was a key figure in the feminist movement within the Church
and within campus ministry during the 1970s, when she was first Assistant Pastor
of the First Congregational Church of Tucson, AZ, and then Associate Pastor of
Tabernacle Church in Philadelphia (also a chaplain at the University of Pennsylvania).
She was a key player in Campus Ministry Women, as well as women’s groups
within the United Church of Christ. |
| | |
| |
From
1976-1980 she served as Associate Chaplain of Yale University, as well as Associate
Pastor of the Church of Christ in Yale. She was the first woman in each of
these posts, as she was the first woman minister of the First Congregational
Church of Amherst, MA, from 1980-1983. She then went to Chicago to be the
first Executive Director of the Urban Academy in Chicago (now known as the
Center for Public ministry). In that position she struggled to change seminary
education to include training in urban, public ministry, as well as more private
pastoral ministry. She did that from 1983-1987. Then she became the first
woman minister of the First Congregational Church of Riverhead, NY on Long
Island, where she stayed until 1993. Then she became the first woman Area
Minister for the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ, with
responsibility for 107 churches in the four western counties of MA. In 2000,
she became the first female Senior Minister of the Coral Gables Congregational
Church, possibly the largest church headed by a woman in the denomination.
Her correspondents include many of the most important socially involved ministers
in her denomination, as well as religious editors and writers across the country. |
| | |
| | Her
papers detail the appointments, thinking, and writing of a pioneer in the social
action wing of the Protestant Church. For 25 years in ministry she has been one
of the best known feminist civil rights and peace advocates in the church. She
is one of the most sought-after preachers and speakers in the United Church of
Christ. She edited the UCC’s newsletter for peace and justice ministries
for 4 years in the 1990s. |
| | |
 | Donna
Schaper is also one of the most widely published women ministers in the country,
especially within the mainline church. Since the late 1980s, she has authored
18 books on everything from becoming 40, to understanding Sabbath, to spiritual
rock gardening, to the differences between male and female ministerial styles,
to devotional guides to different Christian seasons (Advent, Lenten, and the like).
This is without counting the hundreds of sermons she has written in this time.
The papers contain many draft manuscripts, as well as the complete manuscript
of one (unpublished) novel, “The Broken Bell.” They also contain all
of her journals, more than 20 years’ worth of reflections, poetry, ideas
for sermons, articles, and books. |
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