NEW YORK, June 25, 2026 – The General Theological Seminary (GTS) is pleased to announce the appointment of five additional faculty members through joint appointments with Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS). The new faculty members, who bring expertise in areas including church music, ethics, and preaching, reflect the growing collaboration between the two seminaries under their Affiliation Agreement.
Marty Wheeler Burnett, D.Min., Professor of Church Music; the Rev. Ruthanna Hooke, Ph.D., Professor of Homiletics; and Kyle Lambelet, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Ethics, have all been appointed to the GTS faculty for three-year terms.
In addition, the Rev. Joseph Thompson, Ph.D., Seminary Librarian, and John Allan Knight, J.D., Ph.D., Director of Faculty Research, have been appointed to the GTS faculty ex officio.
These appointments increase the size of the GTS faculty to 12, augmenting the work of the four faculty members who teach exclusively at GTS and the three who already hold joint appointments. The expanded faculty reflects the continued development of the Affiliation Agreement, providing GTS students with access to a broader range of expertise while maintaining General’s distinctive approach to theological education and formation.
GTS and VTS entered into an Affiliation Agreement in November 2022, under which the two seminaries operate as separate institutions with their own distinct identities, traditions, and ethos. They maintain independent governance, finances, and accreditation, but share a senior management team. In addition, VTS provides services for GTS, including library and research support, as well as admissions and academic administration.
GTS is also pleased to announce that the Rev. Michael DeLashmutt, Ph.D., Dean of the Chapel of the Good Shepherd; and the Rev. April Stace, Ph.D., Director of Contextual Ministry, have both been granted tenure and promoted to Associate Professor. Tenure track appointments were re-introduced at the seminary following the Affiliation Agreement with VTS.
The Rev. Melody Knowles, Ph.D., Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Old Testament, said: “With these joint appointments, the exemplary programming at GTS continues to expand and deepen with more courses in required and elective areas. In addition to providing more options for students, the appointments strengthen the faculty body as a whole.
“It is always a wonderful moment when colleagues achieve tenure to mark their serious and committed work of teaching and scholarship over decades of service. The unanimous votes of the Board to promote Dr. Stace and Dr. DeLashmutt as Associate Professors came in response to the recommendation of review committees made up of faculty from both VTS and GTS, external peer reviewers, as well as student representatives, and was fittingly marked by rousing applause at commencement.”
