CTS Community Awards Program and Dr. Terrell Retirement Luncheon

Join us in person at CTS or on Zoom: chicago-edu.zoom.us/j/95091295855

Chicago Theological Seminary is pleased to invite the CTS community and friends to the CTS Community Awards, an annual gathering that celebrates outstanding students, alumni, and leaders whose work embodies CTS’s enduring commitments to scholarship, justice, leadership, and transformative faith in the world.

This hybrid ceremony will honor recipients of several distinguished awards and offer space for reflection, gratitude, and communal celebration. A Community Celebration Lunch marking Dr. Terrell’s retirement will follow the awards ceremony.

Awards to Be Presented

The G. Campbell Morgan Award in Preaching
The G. Campbell Morgan Award in Preaching honors a current Chicago Theological Seminary student. Submissions are judged anonymously based on excellence in theological and social reflection and meaningful engagement with a sacred text or tradition.

As part of the ceremony, the recipient will offer the winning sermon or reflective presentation, engaging sacred text, lived experience, and contemporary social realities in a way that reflects CTS’s multifaith and justice-centered ethos.

The Sanderson Award for Women in Leadership
Established in 2006 by Howard C. Morgan in memory of Judith Parks Sanderson, this award honors an outstanding woman leader whose work demonstrates courage, integrity, and vision. Judith Parks Sanderson died in 2004 after a courageous battle with ovarian cancer.

Distinguished Alumni Award
The Distinguished Alumni Award honors a CTS alum whose life and work exemplify the Seminary’s mission and values. This award recognizes sustained contributions to faith communities, public life, scholarship, education, activism, or service—and celebrates alumni whose leadership continues to shape a more just and compassionate world.

Additional Recognitions

During the ceremony, we will also celebrate the recipients of the 2025 Castañeda-Jennings Award, the 2025 C. Shelby Rooks Award, and the 2026 Herman E. Schaalman Award, recognizing students for their significant contributions to scholarship, leadership, and public engagement.