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Rev. Dr. Sharon E. Watkins ’84MDiv

By the staff | 9:35am January 23 2009

The inaugural prayers offered by Rick Warren, Joseph Lowery, and Gene Robinson each kicked up their own mini-controversies. But the Reverend Dr. Sharon E. Watkins ’84MDiv flew under the radar in her sermon at the National Prayer Service held on January 21 at Washington’s National Cathedral. Watkins, the first woman to preach the sermon at an inaugural prayer service, is president of the Disciples of Christ, a 700,000-member mainline Protestant denomination. In front of the Obamas, much of official Washington, and an interfaith Who’s Who of religious leaders, Watkins implored the president to respond to hard times with “generous hospitality” both at home and abroad. She also ad libbed a pastoral critique of his schedule the day before: “Dancing till dawn? What were you thinking?”

Filed under religion, alumnae, Divinity School
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