The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a socially liberal mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Restorationist, Continental Reformed, and Lutheran traditions, and with approximately 4,600 churches and 712,000 members. The UCC is a historical continuation of the General Council of Congregational Christian churches founded under the influence of New England Puritanism. Moreover, it also subsumed the third largest Calvinist group in the country, the German Reformed. Notably, its modern members' theological and socio-political stances are often very different from those of its predecessors.
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant that has been run since 1983 by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19 years old as of January 1st of the competition year. They must be US citizens, and cannot have been married, pregnant, or have children. Unlike its sister pageants Miss Universe, which currently broadcasts on JKN18 and like it’s sister pageant Miss USA, it is televised on The CW television network starting in 2024, after being streamed online for several years. The Miss Universe Organization previously operated Miss Teen USA, as well as Miss USA, until 2020 when the rights to produce both pageants were licensed to Miss USA 2008 Crystle Stewart prior to her suspension in October 2022, thus returning the said pageants to the Miss Universe Organization. The parent company of all three pageants and the Miss Universe organization remains the same under the licensing agreement: JKN Metaverse Inc., a subsidiary of JKN Global Group.
The Pacific School of Religion (PSR) is a private Protestant seminary in Berkeley, California. It maintains covenantal relationships with the United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church, and the Disciples of Christ, ensuring the school provides the necessary requirements for candidates to seek ordination within these denominations. These three denominations account for approximately half of the student population of PSR. The school has also maintained close relationships with the Unitarian Universalist Association, the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, as well as other denominations. Over the years PSR has provided training for clergy and leaders from a wide range of religious traditions including Buddhists, Jews, Pagans, Pentecostals, and Roman Catholics.
Jenna Edwards is an American beauty queen from Brandon, Mississippi who has held the titles Miss Florida and Miss Florida USA. Edwards represented Florida at the Miss America 2005 pageant and the Miss USA 2007 pageant.
The Miss California competition selects the representative for the state of California in the Miss America competition.
Shawnae Nicole Jebbia is an American entertainer and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 1998.
The Miss Texas Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Texas in the Miss Teen USA pageant. This pageant is part of the Miss USA organization, owned by Texas native Crystle Stewart, who was Miss USA for 2008.
Nicole Briscoe is an American sportscaster who is employed by ESPN. Originally focused on covering auto racing for the network, which included stints as the host of NASCAR Countdown and NASCAR Now, Briscoe became a SportsCenter anchor in 2015. She is married to IndyCar Series driver Ryan Briscoe.
Kandice Pelletier Halpin is an American beauty queen, swimwear designer, and dancer from Marietta, Georgia. She competed in the Miss America pageant and on two seasons of the reality television show The Amazing Race.
John A. Buehrens is an American Unitarian Universalist minister and author.
Miss America 2008, the 81st Miss America pageant, was held on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, on Saturday, January 26, 2008.
Miss USA 2008 was the 57th Miss USA pageant, held at the Planet Hollywood Theatre for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 11, 2008. At the conclusion of the final night of competition, Crystle Stewart of Texas was crowned the winner by outgoing titleholder Rachel Smith of Tennessee. Crystle represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2008 pageant, which was held in Vietnam, where she placed in the Top 10. This was also the first time in the pageant's 56-year history that two consecutive women of African Americans have been crowned.
The most frequently presented Miss America awards are for preliminary talent and swimsuit. The talent award was introduced in 1936, and the swimsuit award in 1940. In the 2000s, preliminary awards for evening gown and interview were briefly introduced but were discontinued after two years as it was felt that they made the semi-finalists too predictable.
Miss USA 2009 was the 58th Miss USA pageant, held at the Planet Hollywood Theatre for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 19, 2009. At the conclusion of the final night of competition, Kristen Dalton of North Carolina was crowned by outgoing titleholder Crystle Stewart of Texas.
Miss Earth Venezuela 2007, or Sambil Model Venezuela 2007, was the 3rd Miss Earth Venezuela pageant held on June 7, 2007, in Centro Sambil Caracas, Caracas, Venezuela. The winner was Silvana Santaella, and represented Venezuela in the Miss Earth 2007 beauty pageant, in the Philippines and won the Miss Earth - Water title, or Second runner up. She also won the special prizes Best in Long Gown and Best in Swimsuit.
April Ross Lim Perez is a Filipina fashion model and beauty pageant titleholder. She competed in the second edition of the national Miss Philippines beauty pageant and was crowned Miss Philippines Earth 2002.
James Keith Manley is an American songwriter and composer of hymns, as well as pastor in the United Church of Christ. Manley is best known for his 1975 hymn Spirit, included in the modern Presbyterian Hymnal as number 319.
Bree Morse is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Garden Grove, California, who was crowned Miss California 2015. She competed for the Miss America 2016 title in September 2015.
Megan Rohrer is an American activist for homeless and LGBTQ+ rights and former Lutheran bishop. Rohrer is the first openly transgender minister ordained in the Lutheran tradition.
Diamond Langi is a Tongan-New Zealand model, actress, singer, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe New Zealand 2019. She represented New Zealand at the Miss Universe 2019 competition, but failed to make the Top 20.
