Sharon D. Welch is a leading social ethicist, educator, and longtime activist whose work engages theology, public life, and movements for social transformation. For decades, she has been active in the peace and women’s movements and now works with partners addressing systemic racism, racial violence, and rising authoritarianism while strengthening the practices of inclusive and participatory democracy. She collaborates with the League of Women Voters to advance criminal justice reform and works with the Community-Based Global Learning Collaborative to cultivate global communities of generative interdependence.

Welch served as provost and professor of religion and society at Meadville Lombard Theological School from 2007–17, where she helped guide institutional initiatives that prepared students for multiracial, cross-cultural leadership and community-engaged ministry. Earlier, she taught at Harvard Divinity School and at the University of Missouri, where she contributed to the development of multicultural education and interdisciplinary conversations on religion and the professions.

A pioneering voice in feminist and social ethics, Welch is the author of several works, including After the Protests Are Heard: Enacting Civic Engagement and Social Transformation (NYU Press, 2019). Her scholarship and leadership continue to shape conversations in theological education about justice, democratic practice, and the public vocation of faith communities.