This Is Who We Are

Posted on January 3, 2026January 3, 2026

Giving compassionate support to individuals in crisis, leading small groups, holding rituals to mark the seasons of both nature and our lives, contributing to scholarship in religious studies, and even working in formal congregations – Cherry Hill Seminary students turn up in communities around the country and beyond.

There’s a reason for that. Our students and graduates love to learn and they are moved to serve others. They are the new face of Pagan and Nature-Based spiritualities, integrating with the communities where they live, weaving new tapestries of service and growth.

Cherry Hill Seminary is the leading higher education program for Pagan and Nature-Based spiritualities. In fact, Cherry Hill is the first Pagan seminary, with programs designed to meet the needs of working adults who live in a complex and demanding world.

At the core of Cherry Hill Seminary are our programs, courses, degrees, and certificates that are more than just the products of a business. As a religious educational organization, our students find our programs to be transformative, gifts that encourage a deeper understanding of both our inner reality and the external world. Ensuring the integrity of these programs is critical for our students — those Cherry Hill Seminary exists to serve.

Cherry Hill distinguishes itself from other seminaries by offering education focused on Pagan and Nature-based spiritualities. A mentoring approach in our classrooms prepares our students to provide compassionate and competent leadership in their spiritual communities.

Rather than indoctrinating students with rigid practice requirements of particular traditions, we lead them through a personal journey which includes the exploration of world theologies, best practices for ethical leadership and counseling, scholarship in Pagan studies, and pastoral skills.

Because Cherry Hill Seminary provides primarily a distance learning experience, students have more flexibility to work through and complete their course of study. Cherry Hill Seminary professors include some of the best Pagan scholars in the world. Our tuition is competitive with any other seminary program.

There really are no other seminaries that offer this blend of excellence, affordability, professionalism, and grounding in the context of Pagan and Nature-Based spiritualities. We are unique in that unlike other liberal seminaries, we do not require studies of particular sacred texts like the Christian Bible but offer courses which introduce a range of sacred texts from many world religions.

We continue to evolve to meet the needs of our students. As we grow from year to year, we develop new programs such as the Rewilding the Soul: Ecospirituality Certificate, the Certificate of Writing as a Spiritual Practice, and the Spiritual Direction Certificate. Our Community Ministry Certificate, Insights short courses, and master’s degrees in divinity continue to grow in popularity.

As an IRS 501-c-3 nonprofit organization we safeguard fiscal responsibility by striving to make our operation ever more robust and nimble. Continuous evaluation and improvement measures allow us to respond to the changing needs of our community.

Our vision of the future is to continue our work towards accreditation while providing the best possible education to those serving the spiritual needs of Pagans and other Nature-Based Spiritualities. We invite you to be part of that vision.— Holli S. Emore, MDiv, Executive Director

Courage for this Time

Posted on September 19, 2025September 19, 2025

By now nearly all of us will know, or know of, someone who has lost their job because of policies and directives coming out of Washington, DC. To paraphrase the old meme, if you are not disturbed, you are not paying attention.

Our patron ancestor, Hypatia of Alexandria, lived in similarly chaotic times, through political and religious turmoil, and ultimately her own grisly murder at the hands of a mob. Up to that time, she was one of the most highly respected teacher/philosophers of the ancient world. At Cherry Hill Seminary, we have always looked to her for inspiration to forge ahead, always promote learning, engage in free (and respectful) speech, and enjoy the journey of curiosity.

Our professors teach for us not because they can earn a living here, but because they share these values. Many, if not most, of them have a “day job” at some kind of higher education institution. This week the American Association of University Professors urged education leaders to remember our fundamental duty to protect academic freedom without constraint of political pressure. I and others of us are members of this brave coalition and are watching with interest the lawsuit they just filed (American Association of University Professors et al v. Trump et al) to oppose the defunding of the University of California.

Here at CHS we endeavor to teach and practice active listening, appreciation of diverse ideas and viewpoints, and nonviolent ways of speaking. This is not censorship, nor is it dumping out the contents of Pandora’s box and waiting to see what will emerge. It’s probably safe to say that CHS will not host an extremist influencer to address our virtual campus. But if we did, I am confident that the influencer would find us unwilling to be used as kindling for a conflagration.

If you are frightened – so am I. Courage at a time like this may consist in continuing to show up, persisting in our vocations, and nurturing our relationships. And some of us will go shout, chant and wave signs at rallies. With my privilege of white skin and birthright citizenship, I am not yet afraid of being arrested at a rally. But I’ve reached out to the several black and Hispanic neighbors here adjacent to my house to let them know my husband and I will be there in a heartbeat if they have a need. When that time comes I doubt I’ll have time to think about courage, I’ll just do what I need to do.

My words here don’t offer solutions. But I hope we can take comfort in the community we have built. It is a precious commodity that can give us courage when the noise gets closer. — Holli S. Emore, MDiv, Executive Director

You Are Not Alone

Posted on March 22, 2025January 3, 2026

First, you are not alone. When crisis strikes, grassroots organizations lead the way, like Cherry Hill Seminary. Driven by people who understand that in times of need, we rely on each other.

Second, we have something no one can take from you. Cherry Hill Seminary is deeply committed to providing transformative education so that you can provide competent and compassionate spiritual support and leadership to others. We value community care, mutual support, and partnerships.

Third, community care is about coming together to build something sustainable, healing, and empowering for everyone involved. Cherry Hill Seminary has been here for everyone for more than 20 years, and we are in it for the long haul.

Your financial contributions each year make up about twenty percent of our budget. Those gifts take root in fertile soil at CHS, where students learn to think theologically, work effectively in their communities, excel academically, and lead others in their spiritual journeys.

Will you do your part this spring? You can make an outright gift of any amount, or you can let us know of an amount you intend to give, and when (that’s what we call a pledge). We also have occasionally received gifts of stock, or inclusion in your estate planning. We welcome all of it, year-round. But our spring appeal helps us plan for all our programs for the year, so we ask you at this turn of the wheel.

We are only $1000 away from our goal of $20,000 for the year! Your gifts tell us that you want CHS to thrive, that we need to keep on being there for the entire Pagan and earth-focused community.

Click here to make a contribution, or here to make a pledge for a gift any time until the end of 2025.

Thank you for making it possible for Cherry Hill Seminary to support and inspire you to nurture others through spiritual care and leadership.

A Threshold of Change

Posted on February 21, 2025June 26, 2025

Holli S. Emore, MDiv, Executive Director

Now, more than ever before, Paganism and the many forms of earth-centered spirituality have become the threshold over which increasing numbers step, seeking what is both within and without, both healing and celebration, profane and divine.

Some see the growth of Paganism as hope for the earth, itself. Many look to the eclectic and diverse nature of Paganism as a positive model for the burgeoning globalization of society.

Whatever we seek as spiritual sojourners, we are all still human — we need solace during life’s painful transitions, community support when we answer the call to effect social change, assistance with crisis, companionship as we pursue the path of transformation. And we are the most curious of creatures on the planet, ever and always wanting to know more, understand better, see further.

March 2025 marks the 18th anniversary of Cherry Hill Seminary as a public nonprofit educational institution (and nearly twenty years since our founding as a private teaching effort). It has been my honor to serve as director since January 2008. Like a garden, we have flourished in the fertile soil found among those who hunger for knowledge. Like most gardens, it is all that we can do to keep up with the rich and abundant harvest, as well as the weeds.

If we thought that recent years have been tough, 2025 seems to be getting tougher. But we have a community and resources here at CHS that you can trust to support each other, to keep improving each year, and to validate your sacred journey. Whatever jobs, freedoms, services or benefits may look shaky this year, your education can never be taken away from you. Learning at CHS is an investment that pays dividends the rest of your life.

Hypatia of Alexandria set an example for us of how to hold education as a linchpin to a healthy society. We honor her each year on International Hypatia Day, March 15, remembering how this remarkable person stood tall in front of all the authorities, insisting that education be tempered with wisdom and compassion.

You are invited to be part of this dynamic learning community, as a student, as a volunteer, as a member of Votaries Alumni Circle, or in a way we’ve not yet thought of. In your own way, be part of Cherry Hill Seminary as we step across our own threshold of change.

Yours in changing times,
Holli S. Emore, M.Div.
Executive Director