By Jacey Crawford

In the fall of 2021, Anderson University’s School of Theology and Christian Ministry welcome a new dean, Assistant Professor of Theology and Ethics Dr. Nathan Willowby. Willowby has taught at AU for four years and foresees the coming years as an important time for AU to dive deeper into the role it plays in Christian higher education.

“We have important roles to play in AU’s mission of educating students for lives of faith and service to Church and society through the ministry preparation programs we offer, and the role of the School of Theology and Christian Ministry courses in the liberal arts core curriculum,” said Willowby. “I hope to balance these two purposes and intentionally seek ways that our seminary programs can serve the Church through training the next generation of pastoral leaders.”

Willowby earned his bachelor’s degrees in Bible and religion and business administration at AU, then went on to earn a master of divinity from Duke Divinity School. He later received his PhD in theology and ethics at Marquette University. In 2016, he returned to his roots and began teaching at AU.

Since joining the School of Theology and Christian Ministry faculty, Willowby has taught ethics and theology courses for undergraduate and seminary students, as well as an introduction to the Bible. In these courses, he hopes to encourage students to examine doctrines and ethical texts in light of their implications for all aspects of personal and professional life.

“I am pleased that Dr. Willowby has agreed to serve as our next dean of the School of Theology and Christian Ministry, following the very capable leadership of Dr. MaryAnn Hawkins, who is retiring at the end of this school year,” said President John Pistole. “Willowby not only has deep Church of God roots, but rich, real-world experiences.”

Prior to teaching at AU, Willowby was a Church of God pastor for seven years. He currently serves as the historian for the Church of God, a position that Pistole believes will give Willowby “great context and perspective for where the Church of God has been, where it is now, and where it could be headed, all of which will help him lead the School of Theology and Christian Ministry ‘for such a time as this.’”

Anderson University is on a mission to educate students for lives of faith and service, offering more than sixty undergraduate majors, thirty three-year degrees, twenty NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports, alongside adult and graduate programs. The private, liberal arts institution is fully accredited and recognized among top colleges for its business, computer science, cybersecurity, dance, engineering, nursing, and teacher education programs. Anderson University was established in 1917 in Anderson, Indiana, by the Church of God.