Union Academy
Equipping the next generation of Methodist leaders.
About the Academy
Union Academy is a ministry of the Union Combined Parish to form and equip the next generation of adaptive, liberating leaders in the Methodist movement. Union Academy works with lay and clergy leaders to offer rigorous theological training, Spirit-ual discernment, and adaptive leadership education to build a vision for a church of the 21st century in Boston and beyond.
Historically, Union has trained and sent out countless leaders in active ministry as lay leaders, pastors and bishops. At present, Union Academy focuses on prospective clergy by functioning as a contextual education site of Boston University School of Theology and as a hub for candidacy mentorship and training for the New England Conference of The United Methodist Church. We plan to quickly expand to supporting new clergy in our network with coaching through a cohort model of co-education.
Our Values
Excellence: We strive for excellence in all that we do, empowered by the love of God (2 Peter 1:5-7). Indeed, we strive with God, seeking Christian perfection that is rooted in the grace of God revealed in Christ Jesus.
Discerning God’s Call: We proclaim that God calls all of us into ministry. And so we actively discern God’s call in our lives (1 John 4:1) through constant prayer, Christian conferencing, and other individual and corporate spiritual practices.
Liberation: God has anointed us to preach the good news of Christ’s liberating movement in the world (Luke 4:18-19). So we approach ministry with a posture of liberation, seeking always to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8). God calls us to create the beloved community where all may flourish — especially those in our midst who are marginalized, vulnerable, and downtrodden.
Mutuality: We cannot do this work alone, and no one person’s knowledge is sufficient. So like the first Christians in Acts 2, we lean into the power of the collective through sharing and co-development.