› Rev. Joyce Shin Receives Ph.D from the University of Chicago

n the midst of all of the chaos this spring, a wonderful event is occurring at Swarthmore Presbyterian Church. On Friday, June 12 at 1:00 PM during a virtual commencement, Rev. Joyce Shin will receive her Ph.D. in Theological Ethics from the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. Joyce began her tenure as the 10th Pastor / Head of Staff of Swarthmore Presbyterian Church in January of 2016, at which time she had completed her doctoral research but needed to finish writing her dissertation. The dizzying schedule demanded of a Pastor, wife, and mother left no time for activities related to her academic pursuits. In August of 2019, with the support of the Personnel Committee and the Session, Joyce took one month of administrative leave to complete and submit her dissertation on Faith in an Age of Cultural Pluralism: An Aesthetic Approach to Transformation. The entire congregation of SPC rejoices with our beloved pastor at this extraordinary accomplishment.

On the Acknowledgements page of her dissertation, Joyce wrote: “Writing a dissertation takes some solitary time. I thank the congregations of Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago, Illinois and Swarthmore Presbyterian Church of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, who, while I served them in ministry, cheerfully encouraged me to take the time I needed to complete this dissertation. These are congregations whose love of learning has been extended generously to me.”

The congregation of SPC sends our heartfelt congratulations to our Pastor, whom we will now be able to call “the Reverend Doctor Joyce Shin.”