Virginia Theological Seminary appoints two new faculty members

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Virginia Theological Seminary is pleased to announce the appointment of Kyle Lambelet, Ph.D., and Colin Donnelly, Ph.D., to its faculty.

Dr. Lambelet has been appointed Associate Professor of Ethics and Director of the St. Nicholas Center for Faith and Justice. Dr. Donnelly will be Assistant Professor of Church History.

Both appointments bring a wealth of experience and expertise to VTS. Dr. Lambelet is currently Assistant Professor in the Practice of Theology and Ethics, and Director of the Program in Formation Communities at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. His teaching and scholarship focus on the areas of moral and political theology, community organizing, and environmental ethics. 

Dr. Donnelly earned a Ph.D. from the University of Durham in 2023, writing his dissertation on doctrinal deviance and political radicalism in the early English Reformation. He is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher in Early Modern History at the University of Limerick, working on the social history of conflict and deviance at universities in the Holy Roman Empire between 1500 and 1800.

The VTS Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Lambelet and Dr. Donnelly following a rigorous search process. They will take up their positions in the summer of 2024.

The Seminary will also welcome the Rev. Kevin Vandiver, Ph.D., as the Martha Horne Visiting Professor for the 2024-25 academic year. Dr Vandiver is Senior Pastor at Lutheran Church of the Reformation in Washington D.C. and holds a Ph.D. in Practical Theology with a specialty in Homiletics from Princeton Theological Seminary. He will teach homiletic electives at VTS and support the Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration programming in the spring. 

In addition to the new appointments, the Seminary is also excited to announce that the Rev. Altagracia Perez-Bullard, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Practical Theology at VTS, will take on the additional role of Associate Dean of Multicultural Ministries when the current holder of this position, the Rev. Joseph Thompson, Ph.D., becomes Seminary Librarian on August 1, 2024.

The Rev. Melody Knowles, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Old Testament, said: “We’re delighted to welcome new faculty colleagues deeply committed to theological education and formation, and excited to support them as they engage theological questions within the highest standards of academic inquiry.”