»Founders Day
Saturday, March 14, 2026
How Do We Belong?
Every year the Office of Church Relations hosts Founders Day, a celebration of Chapman’s history, heritage, and values. This year’s Founders Day will be centered on the theme of belonging, encouraging us all to find the ways we belong to Chapman – and how we can expand our sense of the Chapman University community. Rebecca Anderson, storytelling coach, returns to host StoryHour where Chapman related storytellers will tell true stories on the theme “Is This Seat Taken? Stories of Belonging.”
Founders Day is an annual event sponsored by the Office of Church Relations which connects students, staff, faculty, and community members in a celebration of Chapman University’s founding, and current relationships with the Disciples of Christ and United Church of Christ and all that it means to belong to the Chapman community.
The day will begin with music from world renowned Gospel musician Walter Owens Jr.. Walter has traveled extensively in Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, and Latvia to participate in gospel festivals and choirs. As a clinician, singer, conductor, and consultant he has worked extensively with many churches and groups. He serves as the Minister of Music and Arts at Salem Baptist Church of Chicago – a 13,000+ member congregation with 10 arts-related ministries, and as an adjunct professor at the Moody Bible Institute where he also conducts the Moody Gospel Choir. Walter will provide music throughout Founders Day including a gospel piece to be sung by a mass choir during the afternoon worship.
We will hear riveting stories from the voices of the Chapman community during the StoryHour, including stories from Chapman staff, students, and alumni. These stories will elucidate how we belong to one another. Rebecca Anderson returns as the host of our StoryHour.
After morning music with Minister Walter and the StoryHour, boxed lunches will be served with workshops to follow.
Rev. Terri Hord Owens, General Minister and President of the Disciples of Christ – Chapman’s founding denomination – will return to campus to preach during the afternoon
worship service. She previously spoke at President Matt Parlow’s investiture ceremony
in October 2025. Rev. Terri Hord Owens is a widely sought after preacher, speaker,
and workshop facilitator. She is the first woman of color and second woman to lead
the Disciples denomination - and the first African American woman to lead a mainline
Christian denomination. Her sermon on Founders Day will be accompanied by music sung
by the elite choir, the Chapman Singers.
Founders Day will conclude with a Disciples on Campus alumni party held off-campus.
For the Chapman Community: the morning StoryHour and the evening worship are free to Chapman students, staff, and faculty by presenting your Chapman I.D. at the door. Lunch is not included. If you would like a boxed lunch you will need to register and pay online. Donations to offset the costs of the day will be gladly accepted. For more information: chapman.edu/founders-day.
REGISTER NOW or contact Ticketing Services at 714-997-6812. Office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Meet the Workshop Facilitators
Dr. Gabriela “Gabby” Castañeda
Vice President of First-Generation and Promising Futures Programs, Chapman University
Workshop Title - TBD
Dr. Gabriela “Gabby” Castañeda is a dedicated leader in higher education, currently
serving as Vice President of First-Generation and Promising Futures Programs at Chapman
University. She holds a Doctorate in Community College/Higher Education Educational
Leadership from California State University, Long Beach, as well as a Doctoral Institute
Certificate in the Study of Race and Equity in Education from the University of Pennsylvania.
Additionally, she earned her master’s degree in Higher Education Leadership and bachelor’s
degree in psychology from California State University, Fullerton.
Since beginning her career in 2007, Dr. Castañeda has gained extensive experience
in various administrative roles across diverse higher education settings. Her leadership
focuses on fostering comprehensive, student-centered environments and developing effective
policies and strategies that enhance student success. She deeply values working alongside
talented students, colleagues, and community partners, finding these collaborations
both fulfilling and inspiring.
Beyond her role at Chapman University, Dr. Castañeda actively contributes to the broader
community through service on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Orange County
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, World Affairs Council of Orange County, and Charitable
Ventures. She believes in bridging education with professional development, empowering
students to build confidence and pursue career paths aligned with their goals.
Over the years, she has held prestigious leadership positions such as CSULB Educational
Leadership Future Faculty and Alumni Fellow, Co-Lead for the National Association
of Colleges and Employers (NACE), Director for the Mountain Pacific Association of
Colleges & Employers (MPACE), and President of the Latinx Staff and Faculty at Chapman
University. In these roles, Dr. Castañeda has spearheaded initiatives aimed at promoting
excellence, access, and opportunity within higher education and the broader community.
Her unwavering commitment to transformative leadership and inclusive excellence underscores
her mission to empower communities and champion student achievement. Through her visionary
guidance, Dr. Castañeda continues to advance education as a catalyst for meaningful
advancement and opportunity for all.
Dr. Angela Lederach
Assistant Professor, Peace Studies, Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities and Social
Siences
Workshop Title TBD
Meet Rebecca Anderson and the Story Tellers
Rebecca Anderson, StoryHour Facilitator
Rebecca (she/her) is ordained in The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), with standing in the United Church of Christ, as is co-pastor of Bethany United Church of Christ in Chicago. She’s a graduate of Hampshire College (playwrighting) and the Divinity School at the University of Chicago. Active in the Chicago storytelling scene, she’s performed with events like RISK!, 2nd Story, The Moth, This Much is True, and The Paper Machete. She’s the founder and head honcho of Earshot Stories, running storytelling workshops across the country. Rebecca is a 2025 recipient of a Reflective Leadership Grant from Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.
A weaver, gardener, fair weather cyclist and starry-eyed pessimist, she’s always looking for the least crowded forest preserves, knows the best places to pick juneberries, and almost certainly wants to have coffee with you.
Chapman Community Story Tellers
Rev. Terri Hord Owens, Rev. Tanya Lopez, Annie Mellott '13, Rev. Rachael Prayor, David
Ruby '15, Gracie Wakefield '27. Additional names to be announced soon.
Schedule
All events are in the Fish Interfaith Center unless otherwise noted.
Saturday, March 14
| 9:15 a.m. |
Check-in opens |
| 9:30 a.m. |
Cafe Hour with live music, coffee and tea available |
| 10:00 a.m. |
Music with Minister Walter Owens Jr. |
| 10:30 a.m. |
StoryHour: "Is this Seat Taken? Stories of Belonging." |
| 12:30 p.m. |
Boxed lunches in Beckman Hall, Room 404 |
| 1:30 p.m. |
Workshops (Speakers & Locations TBD) |
| 3:00 p.m. |
Closing worship featuring Rev. Terri Hord Owens, Minister Walter Owens Jr., the Chapman Singers, various musicians and Disciples on Campus students |
| 5:00 p.m. |
Disciples on Campus Alumni Party, off campus |
Registration Fees
Directions to Chapman & Parking
Hotel Accommodations
ALO Hotel by Ayres
3737 W. Chapman Ave, Orange CA, 92868
Special Chapman University Rate of $139.00 per night plus occupancy tax (includes full American buffet breakfast, parking, and Wi-Fi access).
To make a reservation, call: (714) 978-9168 ext. 0 and ask for the “Chapman Rate.”
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