Chicago — McCormick Theological Seminary is honored to announce a transformational $1 million gift establishing the Mitzi Gebhard Henderson Endowed Chair, a living tribute to a Presbyterian lay leader whose courage helped bend church and country toward fuller inclusion.
The Henderson Chair is intentionally flexible, allowing the seminary to appoint a scholar in the area where theological education and formation most urgently require depth.
Given Henderson’s legacy as a national leader for LGBTQIA inclusion — including her service as national president of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) — McCormick anticipates a justice-and-equity focus across disciplines. The search is expected to begin this fall with an appointment targeted for a year later.
“Our calling is to pair world-class scholarship with liberating practice, so that every voice is heard and every student is equipped,” said McCormick’s president, Dr. Maisha Handy. “The Henderson Chair strengthens our faculty, fuels innovative research and teaching, and keeps McCormick at the forefront of justice-rooted, inclusive theological education.”
Born in Oak Park, Illinois in 1933, Mitzi Gebhard grew up a careful saver, a curious student and a steadfast Presbyterian. After excelling at Oak Park and River Forest High School, she studied at Wellesley College, including a junior year in post-war France. She married Tom Henderson, a civil engineering student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and together they raised four children while she poured her gifts into church leadership; civic learning, including the PTA, League of Women Voters, and Great Books; and the long work of justice.
A turning point came in 1978 when one of her sons came out as gay. She met that moment with scripture, study and love — and then with action. Within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), she championed ordination and marriage equality, helping to found and serve as the first co-moderator of More Light Presbyterians. She led PFLAG from 1992-96 and testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee against the Defense of Marriage Act, which was signed into law by President Clinton in 1996 and repealed in 2022.
Her Presbyterian commitments ran deep, including lay leadership in multiple congregations, presbytery service, statewide campus ministry leadership, and two terms as a trustee of McCormick Seminary, where she chaired several committees and helped guide presidential transitions.
The Henderson Chair will:
- Attract and retain a scholar-practitioner who teaches across boundaries, from, for example, classroom to congregation or sanctuary to city hall.
- Seed new courses and research in justice, equity and pastoral practice, shaping ministers, chaplains and organizers for complex contexts.
- Deepen partnerships with movements and ministries advancing inclusion, racial justice and community repair.
McCormick officials called it “more than an academic appointment. It is a formation engine that will keep McCormick nimble to the Spirit and responsive to the world God loves.”
Because of the Henderson Chair, McCormick students will keep learning how to preach with clarity, organize with wisdom and lead communities with courageous love, today and years from today.
For updates on the Henderson Chair and related events, visit McCormick’s news page.
About McCormick Theological Seminary
Founded in 1829, McCormick Theological Seminary is a progressive leader within the Reformed tradition. McCormick is committed to fostering a community of Christian leadership that serves diverse ministries and congregations in a challenging and complex world. Through academic excellence, critical reflection and transforming witness, McCormick uniquely equips excellent church leaders for faithful, inclusive and liberating ministries in God’s world. Learn more here.
