Meet the Academic Council

The Rev. R. Keith Stuart, PhD. former Senior Minister at Dover Congregational United Church of Christ, holds advanced degrees in homiletics and systematic theology. While pursuing is Ph.D, Stuart studied in South Africa, spending time with Alan Paton, author of Cry, the Beloved Country. It was during that season that Stuart began to fashion a different understanding of the Jesus Way as a response to the evils of apartheid, racism, and exclusion. Later, while leading churches in Missouri and Ohio, Stuart led congregations consider faith beyond literalism and to exploring the freedom of theological metaphor as the interpretive lens to God and scripture. Stuart has contributed articles to numerous periodicals. He published his first book, Letting Go of True Belief: A Spiritual Memoir of Two Friends Who Found a Different Understanding of God. Since his retirement in 2022, he is working on his second book, a novel that traces racism through a series of three events that interweave through the lives of multiple families. Stuart is married to Cynthia. They have two children, Laura and Joseph and twin grandsons, Julian and Eli.

Rev. Roberto Ochoa (el, he, him, his) is originally from East Los Angeles, CA and currently is an ordained clergyperson and Minister for Ethnic Inclusion & Congregational Support for Rural and Small Churches for the National Setting of the United Church of Christ and is a member of Mt Zion Congregational UCC in Cleveland, OH.

Roberto serves congregations and provides UCC and ecumenical resources for congregational assessment, support, and advancement, especially for rural, ethnic identified and congregations of Color. Prior to his call in 2018, Roberto pastored Lake View Congregational Church, UCC for seven years in Worcester, MA

Roberto serves with multiple covenanted partners at the local, Association, Conference, National and ecumenical settings. Roberto is a certified facilitator for UCC’s Sacred Conversations to Erase Racism and UCC Our Whole Lives curriculums and a level 2 Congregational Coach trained by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA).

Roberto earned his Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School (2017) with Certificates in Ethics and Social Justice; and inSpiritual and Pastoral Care. He is currently working on his D.Min. on Prophetic Leadership at Iliff School of Theology, Denver, CO. Roberto did his undergraduate work in Macalester College, St. Paul, MN and Becker College, Worcester, MA.

Roberto lived with his husband of 25 years (nine years married), Jim, of blessed memory.

The Rev Fred W. Coulter, Ph.D., is the Professor of Education, Schauffler Chair of Christian Education, and the Director of the Center for Effective Teaching at Defiance College in Defiance, Ohio. His teaching interests include Instructional technology; family, school, and community relationships; child, adolescent, and adult growth and development. His certifications include being a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE), National Council on Family Relations and as a Certified Online Facilitator (OFC), Quality Matters. His research experiences include teaching and learning, families, child, adolescent, adult growth and development, and people with disabilities. Fred was recognized as a Distinguished Faculty member in 2016, the Outstanding Faculty Service Award in 2020, and the McMaster School for Advancing Humanity - Life is Action Award in 2021. As a McMaster Scholar, he partnered with another faculty member to take students to Cambodia for nine different years to engage in community-based research and service. He has many publications. Fred received his B.A. in Psychology, University of Rhode Island, M. Div. from Andover Newton Theological School, and his Ph.D. in Child & Family Studies, The University of Tennessee.

The Rev. Dr. Julie Mavity Maddalena is Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religion, Ulrich Ethicist in Residence, and University Chaplain at Lakeland University in Plymouth, WI. Previously, she was the interim pastor at First Congregational of Georgetown, Massachusetts and before that served as School Minister and Director of Christian Education at the Brooks School, North Andover, MA. She completed a Ph.D. in Religious Ethics from Southern Methodist University. She also consults with churches, community groups, and schools doing cultural competency education around race, gender, sexuality, ability, and intersectionality. Julie lives with her spouse, Mike, and their two sons. They love spending time in the mountains and at the ocean.

The Rev. Dr. Salome As-Salaam has been involved in PATHWAYS since it was with the Southeast Conference,United Church of Christ. She has served on the board of PATHWAYS Theological Education, Inc. as a member of the Executive Committee since 2018 and now as the President of the Board. She serves as the Pastor of the Shalom Spiritual Center (https://shalom-centers.org) a teaching ministry of the United Church of Christ. She has held several ministerial positions, including serving as the Senior Pastor of The First Church of North Miami Congregational, United Christ of Christ, Associate Pastor of Pembroke Manor United Church of Christ, Police Chaplain for the North Miami Police Department, Trauma Chaplain for Sentara Norfolk Hospital, Executive Director of The Richmond Education Peace Center, and the Executive Director of The Institute for Southern Studies. Before her call to ministry, Rev. As- Salaam served as an officer in The United States Army.

Rev. As-Salaam graduated from the Samuel D. Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. She also completed a residency in Clinical Pastoral Education at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. She received her certification as a Pastoral Counselor from the College of Pastoral Supervision & Psychotherapy. In addition, she has a certificate in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Health Care Ethics from the University of Virginia.

The Shalom Spiritual Center - Spiritual, Faith and Religion, Faith (shalom-centers.org)