Lexington Theological Seminary has named Rev. Dr. Jonathan Barnes as the new Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean, effective Aug. 1, 2025.
Dr. Barnes, who was promoted from Associate Dean and Coordinator of Student Academic Services, joined LTS in 2019 as a contingent faculty member. Since then, he has also served as Program Director for the Pathways for Tomorrow grant and as affiliate faculty in church history and mission.
“I am honored and excited to step into this role at LTS, a community deeply committed to academic excellence and the preparation of faithful leaders to serve the church and the world,” said Dr. Barnes. “I am committed to continue growing the diverse pathways we offer students seeking high-quality theological education. Training for ministry today needs to be both globally informed and contextually relevant, and I look forward to building connections with national and international partners who share our vision for a just and faithful world.”
In his new role, Dr. Barnes will serve as a member of the President’s leadership team and lead and support the Seminary’s faculty in their teaching, research, and service. He assumes the role from Rev. Dr. Loida I. Martell, who plans to retire in July after eight years at LTS. The Seminary partnered with Kentucky-based consulting firm Ashley|Rountree and Associates in the search for her successor.
“I am deeply grateful for the many ways in which Dr. Martell supported our faculty and students, and she will be missed,” said Dr. Charisse L. Gillett, President of LTS and search committee chair. “I am also excited about the incoming leadership of Dr. Barnes as our new Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean. His experience as a church leader, educator, missionary, and pastor integrates many aspects of the Seminary’s educational options.”
Before joining 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. Prior to 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, 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.
In addition to numerous journal articles, Barnes authored Power and Partnership: A History of the Protestant Mission Movement and was co-editor of Restoring Dignity, Nourishing Hope: Developing Mutuality in Mission.
“We have a visionary president, a retiring dean that has been a transformational leader, a gifted and dedicated faculty and staff, an incredibly supportive and engaged board, and students who are called and committed to serving the church and the world,” said Dr. Barnes. “Working collaboratively, we will continue to grow, driven by our collective vision for where this institution is and where it needs to be.”