Dean of the School of Ministry

About the role

The Dean reports to the Provost and serves on the University’s senior academic leadership team. The Dean is responsible for all aspects of the School’s academic life and culture and will cast a compelling vision that aligns with the University’s overall mission and continue to strengthen the School of Ministry as the heart of PBA’s spiritual and intellectual formation.

Key responsibilities

• Lead faculty recruitment, development, and evaluation, cultivating scholar-teacher-practitioners who unite rigorous scholarship with a pastoral heart by hiring well, mentoring wisely, and evaluating with consistency and care.
• Steward strategic planning, accreditation, and academic quality, sustaining ATS accreditation and curricular quality across residential and online programs from the baccalaureate through the doctorate.
• Work with university leadership to build strong public and private partnerships to fund ministry scholarships in the wake of federal means testing for student loans.
• Direct curricular innovation, enrollment strategy, and financial stewardship, advancing student outcomes and program health (academic and fiscal) across the School’s undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral offerings.
• Continue to innovate with grant support and prepare pastors who can lead well.
• Champion faculty scholarship as a missional calling, advancing both the academic reputation of the School and the spiritual influence of its faculty, staff, and students in service to the Church and the academy.
• Cultivate church, denominational, and ministry partnerships, connecting students to vocational formation and the School to the wider body of Christ. Identify ministerial and academic leaders to cultivate a community of mentoring.
• Partner with colleagues in enrollment, marketing, and advancement to fuel sustainable growth and strengthen the operational excellence that supports the success of the School and provide vibrant pastoral leaders needed globally today.
• Represent the School externally to the Church and the academy, engaging pastors, donors, alumni, and ministry partners committed to excellence in Christian theological education in a changing world.

Strategic leadership priorities

• Cast a compelling vision that unites the biblical, theological, and practical disciplines, fostering meaningful integration across the School while respecting the depth of each field and forming students in both conviction and character.
• Cultivate a culture of faculty excellence and collegiality.
• Champion faculty scholarship as a missional calling that serves both the academy and the Church.
• Steward ATS accreditation and program health across residential and online formats, from the baccalaureate through the doctorate.
• Cultivate church, denominational, and ministry partnerships that deepen vocational formation and extend the School’s witness.
• Lead with authenticity, transparency, and a clear eye toward building trust across the School and the University.
• Partner with enrollment, marketing, and advancement to fuel sustainable growth, bringing systems thinking and executional follow-through to align resources, space, and workload to strategy.
• Represent the School as a thoughtful public voice and institutional ambassador to the Church and the academy, engaging donors, alumni, and strategic partners.

Qualifications

• Earned Ph.D. or terminal degree in a biblical, theological, or religious-studies discipline, with a record of scholarship sufficient for appointment as full professor; an M.Div. is strongly preferred.
• Prior leadership experience at the dean, associate dean, or department chair level.
• Demonstrated success leading faculty, managing budgets, and overseeing academic and financial operations.
• Experience with accreditation (ATS familiarity a plus), faculty governance, academic innovation, and institutional complexity.
• Capable of leading vibrant teams of faculty, staff, and students.
• Experience with grant development, donor cultivation, or external partnership development.

Personal characteristics

• A mature and deeply rooted Christian faith in alignment with the mission, vision, values, and commitments of PBA.
• Deep experience and maturity as a Christian leader in both ministry and the academy.
• A demonstrated commitment to integrating faith, scholarship, and ministry practice.
• Relational intelligence, emotional maturity, and institutional humility.
• An authentic and compelling communicator who leads with transparency and builds trust.
• A builder and shepherd with a high view of academic calling, collegial culture, and the Church.

Applications and Nominations

Palm Beach Atlantic University invites applications, nominations, and expressions of interest for this opportunity to lead the spiritual heart of a rising Christian university. All conversations and submissions will be handled with complete discretion. Please send a CV and a letter describing your faith commitment, leadership approach, and qualifications for the role, addressed to the School of Ministry Dean Search Committee. Nominations, expressions of interest, and applications should be submitted to PBADeanSearch@pba.edu. The priority application date is October 1, 2026. Learn More Here: Dean of the School of Ministry