Alumni Reunion
February 25-27, 2026
Early Bird Registration has been extended.
In-person Registrants will also receive a “Columbia Alumnus” insulated mug!
New: limited scholarships available through the Nancy Kinzer Fund for Shalom. Use code “KinzerHalf” to receive a 50% discount on both Registration and Housing Fees.
Annual Alumni Awards Luncheon to honor our Distinguished Alumni and Pioneer in Ministry recipients
Reunion Year Class Celebrations for those celebrating a milestone celebration (those who graduated in years ending 6 or 1)
Worship services led by retiring Old Testament Professor, Dr. Bill Brown and by Campus Minister, Rev. Shavon Starling-Louis, and a combined Student and Alumni Choir (sign up as part of registration process)
Presbyterian Lectures offered by Dr. Melva Sampson, Assistant Teaching Professor of Preaching and Practical Theology at Wake Forest Divinity School
Workshops led by Columbia faculty and guests with a wide variety of topics designed for pastors, chaplains and retirees too. See Workshop Listings below for the complete list.
SGA Reunion Luncheons with current students. If you were a member of Imago Dei, WIM (Women in Ministry) or AHSA (African Heritage Student Association), please come for lunch Wednesday to meet with students and see how your legacy lives on!
Pre-Conference Opportunities: Learn more about the new Center for Theology and Contested Publics on Wednesday morning from 11am – 12pm in Broyles Leadership Center: Duplicitous narratives about the origin, purpose, and destiny of the United States are as old as the nation itself. But in recent years, Christian nationalist narratives have grown in influence—and are evolving rapidly. Social media, and now bots, accelerate their spread, making it harder for the church to respond with clarity and integrity. Join Dr. Mark Douglas to explore faithful responses to these narratives—grounded in humility, truth-telling, and moral courage.
Self-Care Options: Twenty minute massages are available Wednesday from 10am – 1pm. Time with our Chaplain, Rev. Shavon Starling-Louis is available as well.
Reconnect with friends, faculty, students and staff
Wednesday, Feb. 25th:
| 10:00 am – 1:00 pm | Self Care Options Available (advance registration required) |
| 12:00-1:30 | SGA Group Reunions |
| 1:00-2:00 | Registration & Check-in, Richards Center Alumni Suite (former bookstore) |
| 2:00-2:50 | Welcome & Opening Worship, Campbell Hall Chapel |
| 3:00-4:00 | Panel Conversation: “Preaching in a Relentless News Cycle” |
| 4:00-4:30 | Break |
| 4:30-5:30 | Reception with Columbia Faculty – Alumni Suite, Richards Center |
| 5:30-6:45 | BBQ Dinner, Ellis Room, Richards Center |
| 7:00-8:00 | Presbyterian Lecture 1 of 2 by Dr. Melva Sampson, HC Chapel |
| 8:00 | Reception, HC Library |
Thursday, Feb. 26th:
| 8:00 am | Breakfast, Refectory |
| 8:45-8:55 | Morning Prayers, Ellis Room |
| 9:00-9:55 | Workshop A |
| 10:10-10:50 | Lecture 2 of 2, Dr. Melva Sampson, HC Chapel |
| 10:50-11:15 | Coffee Break, outside HC Chapel |
| 11:15-12:25 | Workshop B |
| 12:30-2:00 | Alumni Association Luncheon & Awards Ceremony, Refectory |
| 2:00-2:30 | Break – Visit the Columbia Swag Store! |
| 2:30-3:45 | Workshop C |
| Free Time | |
| 5:00-6:00 | Reception at Presidents’ Home |
| 6:00-8:00 | Dinner in Decatur with your Classmates – location decided by your class(es) |
Friday, Feb. 27
| 8:00-8:45 | Breakfast, Refectory |
| 8:45-8:55 | Morning Prayers, Ellis Room |
| 9:00-9:55 | Workshop D |
| 10:10-11:00 | Closing Worship & Communion, HC Chapel |
| Thursday 9:00 – 9:55am Workshop Block A | “Preaching the Easter Texts” – Anna Carter Florence “How to be a Faithful Middle-Class Christian in America” – William Yoo “The Church and/against/with Artificial Intelligence” – Dr. Mark Douglas & Dr. Rafael Reyes |
| Thursday 11:15-12:25 Workshop Block B | “Preaching the Easter Texts” – Anna Carter Florence “Spiritual Care as Embodied Integrity” – Dr. Jonathan Ball |
| Thursday 2:30-3:45 Workshop Block C | “Candid Conversations: Communal Dialogue on Music, Liturgy & Leadership” – Tony McNeil & Columbia Students “The Church and/against/with Artificial Intelligence” – Dr. Mark Douglas & Dr. Rafael Reyes “Theology for Easter Morning” – Tim Hartman |
| Friday 9:00-9:55 Workshop Block D | “Candid Conversations: Communal Dialogue on Music, Liturgy & Leadership“ – Tony McNeil & Columbia Students “How to be a Faithful Middle-Class Christian in America” – William Yoo |
Imagine a roundtable opportunity for current students and alumni to talk about the surprises, challenges, lessons, and blessings of leading worship in the local church. Moderated by Dr. Tony McNeill, CTS Affiliate Professor of Worship & Seminary Musician, this session will provide space for CTS students and alumni to bring questions, ideas, and testimonies to a time of shared reflection and looking ahead.
Join Dr. Anna Carter Florence and colleagues on a walk through a process of discovering the verbs, and discovering preaching angles for the first Sunday in Lent.
How might the church think about its interactions with, especially, generative artificial intelligence (e.g., Chat GPT, Perplexity)? This session offers participants the occasion to think about what AI is, what risks it poses, what promises it offers, and how the church might engage AI even as both church and AI are undergoing times of rapid and dramatic change.
In this workshop time, we’ll be exploring what the Lilly Endowment Wonder of Worship grant has been doing in its first 2 ½ years of operation. We’ll engage with what we are learning from our partner churches about intergenerational worship that takes the presence of children seriously and spotlight the resources the grant is producing and curating that can benefit your church context.
In this workshop, Dr. William Yoo tackles an urgent but perplexing question: What does it mean to be a faithful middle-class Christian in America? There are abundant resources in the Bible and theology to instruct the powerful and inspire the powerless, but Dr. Yoo is looking for divinely inspired wisdom to help people like him: Christians residing in between the rich and poor who neither wield absolute authority nor find themselves pushed to the margins. Dr. Yoo is excited to present his findings and share his convictions about how ordinary middle-class Christians can faithfully engage contemporary challenges such as the rise of white Christian nationalism, the decline of the American dream, and more.
Disabled Christians are often perceived by congregations as those who should be included in congregations rather than as leaders whose expertise, wisdom, and experience enrich practices of worshipping communities. In this workshop participants will reflect on the importance of human difference in Christian worship through the perspective of disability theology and lived experiences. Engaging themes from a qualitative research project with disabled Christians, participants will discuss approaches to integrating disability wisdom and confronting ableism in worshipping communities and theologies of worship.
This workshop introduces Embodied Integrity, the vital intersection where sacred vocation meets the science of the nervous system. Whether in a hospital or a parish, your physical presence is the primary instrument of care. Drawing on Polyvagal Theory and Interpersonal Neurobiology, we will explore how a regulated nervous system creates the safety required for soul-level connection. We will then expand this lens to “systems-thinking,” learning to maintain that groundedness amidst the pressures of communities and institutions. Join us to learn how to align your theology, biology, and contextual wisdom to offer care that is ethically grounded and emotionally resonant.
In this workshop, preachers will have a chance to explore advanced strategies for faithful and effective sermon delivery. Special attention will be paid to preacher’s core understanding of who they are as preacher/proclaimers and to discern methods of sermon delivery appropriate to preacher’s identities.
How do we maintain inner stillness throughout a busy schedule? Active Prayer is an ancient yet accessible practice of reconditioning internal programs. Participants will craft a personalized prayer sentence to use during unoccupied moments—helping them to stay open and connected to Divine inspiration throughout the day. Discover how this profound practice cultivates a spiritual reservoir, ensuring service flows from a place of deep, nourished stillness, no matter how full life becomes.
In spite of its claim to be the most significant holiday in the Christian year, Easter often gets overshadowed by Christmas (Jesus’ birth) and Good Friday (Jesus’ death). This workshop will consider the meaning of the empty tomb by examining theological understandings of the Jesus’ resurrection from Karl Barth, Rudolf Bultmann, Martha Schull Gillis, Jürgen Moltmann, Mercy Oduyoye, and Wolfhart Pannenberg. We will ponder deep questions such as the significance of a bodily resurrection, and whether Christians should wear empty tomb necklaces or earrings instead of crosses?
Can I register for housing? Yes! Housing in the Harrington Center is available on a first come, first served basis. Please use the registration form to register for housing. If you have questions about housing, reach out to Felicia Thimas: thimasf@ctsnet.edu.
Is childcare available? We are committed to supporting parents! If you need childcare, please contact Julie Bailey to help make arrangements: baileyj@ctsnet.edu.
Can I attend part of the reunion? Yes! While we want you to enjoy all aspects of Alumni Reunion, we understand busy schedules. Please feel free to join for as much of Alumni Reunion as you can. Please register for lunch for the day(s) you will attend if you are not registering for the full event.
Are there class-specific events? Yes! Alumni Reunion is for ALL alumni, but we hope to have celebratory gatherings for classes who are celebrating milestone graduation anniversaries. These gatherings will take place on Thursday evening.
Where will events take place? Registration and luncheons will take place in the Richards Center. Opening Worship will take place in the Campbell Hall Chapel. Presbyterian Lectures and Closing Worship will take place in Harrington Center Chapel. Workshop locations will be listed in the schedule closer to the date.
Where should I park? Parking is available next to the library, next to and behind the Harrington Center and behind the Richards Center. Additional street parking is available on Inman Drive and Kirk Road.
I have another question that’s not answered here. Who should I contact? If you have questions, reach out to Julie Bailey: baileyj@ctsnet.edu.
