Western Theological Seminary is pleased to welcome Sandra Maria Van Opstal as the speaker of the 2025 Leonard F. Stoutemire Lecture in Multicultural Ministry. 

Sandra Maria Van Opstal is a second-generation Latina pastor, activist, author, and a powerful leading voice on the intersection of faith and justice. She is the executive director of Chasing Justice, a BIPOC-led movement that mobilizes the next generation of Christians to live justly. Sandra’s distinctiveness comes from working in both local and global contexts as a practitioner and academic, which has solidified her calling to disrupt oppressive systems within the church and center marginalized voices. She served as executive pastor at Grace and Peace Church on Chicago’s west side and as an activist in her community. She holds a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is currently pursuing doctoral work in Urban Leadership and Transformation. Sandra is the author of The Next Worship, Forty Days on Being An Eight, as well as a contributor to the New York Times bestselling book, A Rhythm of Prayer.

Event Schedule

Tuesday, March 25

• 11:20 AM-12:00 PM: Stoutemire Lecture in the Mulder Chapel

AVAILABLE VIA LIVESTREAM HERE > 

Registration is not required for the lecture.

• 12:00 PM-1:15 PM: WTS Students are invited to a Lunchtime conversation and Q&A (Not a current WTS Student, but want to attend? Reach out to info@westernsem.edu) 

About the Stoutemire Lecture in Multicultural Ministry

The Leonard F. Stoutemire Lecture in Multicultural Ministry is named in honor of the late Reverend Leonard Foster Stoutemire, a pioneer African American clergyman and church planter in Holland, MI. The lecture equips seminarians, faculty, staff, alumni/e, and local congregations with resources for increased intercultural competence for greater effectiveness in Christian ministry. In the past, Stoutemire Lectures have included speakers such as Willie Jennings, Jemar Tisby, Leah Gunning Francis, Soong Chan Rah, Alexia Salvatierra, and Micah McCreary, among others.