The faculty of Lexington Theological Seminary welcomes Rev. Dr. Jonathan S. Barnes as the 19th Dean.
Rev. Dr. Jonathan S. Barnes was installed as the 19th and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Lexington Theological Seminary on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026.
Dr. Barnes’ call was extended in recognition of his commitment to the Church and ministry, his scholarly competence, his deep Christian faith, his rich experience in the global church and in theological education, and his personal warmth and integrity.
“The Vice President of Academic Affairs at LTS carries the weight right here in the middle of our institution for our faculty, staff, and students,” said LTS President Dr. Charisse L. Gillett. “He is the one who builds that community and nurtures and cultivates the curriculum. He has inherited the legacy of individuals who have served in this office. God has prepared him for this moment, and he is well able to be installed as our 19th Dean.”
“I am grateful and proud but also humbled to be serving LTS,” said Dr Barnes. “We have a talented, dedicated faulty and staff, and it is truly a privilege to serve alongside them. The students are the reason we do what we do,” he added. “I am thankful to be part of [their] journey as [they] seek to respond to God’s call to serve.”
In his address, Dr. Barnes spoke about his love of maps and their importance. “Maps are important because they help us understand and conceptualize what happened,” he said. “Part of our calling as people of faith is to constantly and continually remap the way we see the world, the mission of God in the world and our place in it. LTS is challenged to do some remapping ourselves but [we have] wise, experienced mapmakers.”
Dr. Barnes joined LTS in 2019 as a contingent faculty member. He also served as Program Director for the Pathways for Tomorrow grant and was promoted to Associate Dean and Coordinator of Student Academic Services. Prior to serving at LTS, Dr. Barnes was director for higher education and communications at Higher Education and Leadership Ministries (HELM) with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Indianapolis, IN. Before that, he spent 13 years with Indianapolis-based Global Ministries, including international mission and education roles in South Africa and Mozambique. Dr. Barnes also served as country representative to South Africa, Lesotho, and eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) through the Mennonite Central Committee in South Africa. He has taught at Ricatla United Theological Seminary in Mozambique; the University of Indianapolis; Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis; and Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, TX.
A graduate of Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina, Dr. Barnes earned a Master of Divinity degree from Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond (VA) and holds a PhD. from the Theology and Development program at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. He will also serve as associate professor of church history and mission.
You can watch a video of the installation ceremony here.