On March 18, 2025, homiletics students at Boston University School of Theology (BUSTH) gathered to preach for the Edith P. and Augustus G. Hare Preaching Prize, established by Philomena Hare (’11). The prize has two categories: the first for sermons based on a Biblical or other scriptural text, and the second for sermons for a situation of the student’s choice, which could include interreligious meditation, poetry, musical lyrics, or a local community reflection.
Each category awarded a $1,000 prize to the winning recipient. The students were evaluated by the jury panel that included Assistant Professor of Spiritual Care and Counseling and Co-Director of the Center for Practical Theology Dr. Eunil David Cho (chair), Dean of Marsh Chapel and Professor of New Testament and Pastoral Theology Robert A. Hill, Professor of Worship Karen Westerfield Tucker, and PhD students Joshua Lazard and La Ronda Barnes. All registered spring 2025 BUSTH students were able to participate in the competition and encouraged to speak from any tradition or spirituality.
More information about the Edith P. and Augustus G. Hare Preaching Prize can be found in the 2024 issue of focus magazine on page 20.
Congratulations to all participating students – and to the 2025 award winners!
Prize 1: Text-based Sermon
 Herman Griffin, winner: Herman Griffin is a graduating Doctor of Ministry Student, an ordained Baptist minister, and a licensed Michigan attorney. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, and raised in the heart of Detroit, Michigan, Herman is passionate about practical theology and promotes real-life applications from preaching. He advocates for people and has a heart to serve the most vulnerable members of our society. His doctoral project reimagines preaching moments as community service projects to decrease barriers, increase church participation, and ensure belonging. |
 Christina Nurse, honorable mention: Dr. Christina Nurse is a powerhouse of faith, family, and purpose. A Master of Divinity student on the chaplaincy track, she serves alongside her husband, Rev. Khaden Nurse, as First Lady of Bethel AME Church in Plymouth, MA. Proud mom of Khaden Jr. and Kaleb, she’s also the author of Visit the SPA: Tools to Rejuvenate Your Marriage, inspiring couples to build stronger, thriving families. |
 Jacob Farmer-Rylands, honorable mention: Jacob Farmer-Rylands is a first-year Master of Divinity student from Southern Virginia, discerning a call to chaplaincy and public ministry. With a background in political organizing and legal studies, he is passionate about intersections of faith, justice, and public service. A member of Union Combined Parish in Boston’s South End, Jacob intends to pursue ordination in The United Methodist Church. |
Prize 2: Situational Sermon
 Diego Garrido Barreto, winner: Diego Garrido Barreto is from Colombia and a 2025 MDiv graduate of BUSTH. He is pursuing ordination as a Unitarian Universalist and board certification as a chaplain. Diego is also training as a Spiritual Director at the Spiritual Life Center, focusing on the spiritual lives of migrants and queer communities. A mandala and linocut artist, Diego identifies as a little bit Catholic, a little bit Methodist, and mostly a heretic. He’s not interested in eternal salvation—only in love and drag queens. |
 Magnus Troy Amonte, honorable mention: Magnus Troy Amonte is a first-year Master of Divinity student at the Boston University School of Theology. He came to the school to learn more about world faith traditions and his role in the world as a future leader. As someone deeply passionate about justice and human rights, he has hopes of creating positive change in the lives of others. Magnus enjoys playing hockey, boxing, and swimming, and hopes to incorporate fun and exercise in his career. |
 Daniela Harrigan, honorable mention: Daniela Harrigan (she/her) is a Movement Chaplain, a graduate student at Boston University School of Theology, and the Director of Community Engagement for the MA Department of Mental Health (DMH). As a spiritual and wellness leader, advocate, and daughter of the African diaspora, she centers healing within liberation, drawing on ancestral wisdom and womanist, liberatory frameworks. With a focus on empowering individuals and communities, Daniela works to address barriers for historically harmed groups, striving to move them beyond survival to thriving. A Massachusetts native with roots in Cape Verdean immigrants and Black farmers from the American South, she embodies care through healing justice and the interconnectedness of faith and activism. Expected to complete her MDiv in Fall 2025, she currently serves as the president of the Association of Black Seminarians (ABS), student coordinator for the Chaplaincy Interest Group, and RCT Talking Circle Intern, while maintaining her commitment to creating spaces for liberation and solidarity. |