Dr. Kent Millard Elected President
DAYTON, OHIO, August 22, 2016 — Mr. James Tharp, President of the Board of Trustees of United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, announced today that Dr. Kent Millard has been elected by the Board of Trustees as the new President of the Seminary.
United Theological Seminary educates about 400 seminary students annually, making it the fourth largest of the thirteen United Methodist theological schools in the United States. United is known nationwide for its innovative, pioneering distance learning programs, which both enable theological students to receive part of their seminary education through interactive online classes and provide a robust residential seminary educational experience for future pastors and church leaders.
The core values of United Theological Seminary are to teach the historic Christian faith, cultivate holiness through the practice of spiritual disciplines and to educate pastors for the renewal of the Church.
With United’s strong emphasis on equipping faithful and fruitful church leaders for effective ministry, United attracts a diverse student body. Thirty-six percent of United’s students are African American. Students from 43 different denominations and 15 different countries represent a wide variety of Christ-centered theological perspectives.
Dr. Kent Millard served 18 years at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, which is a 6,500 member congregation. Dr. Millard has served as Interim President at United since January 2016, following the eight year presidential term of Dr. Wendy Deichmann.
Mr. Tharp announced at the recent Board of Trustees meeting that United experienced a very successful year under Dr. Millard’s leadership, as a result of the generous gifts from trustees, alumni/ae and friends of the seminary.
United Methodist bishops George W. Bashore from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, J. Michael Lowry from Ft. Worth, Texas, Gregory V. Palmer from Worthington, Ohio, and Mark J. Webb from Syracuse, New York, are trustees of United and issued the following statement:
“We celebrate the significant contribution that United Theological Seminary is making to the Church of Jesus Christ and specifically The United Methodist Church. With a clear mission, strong core values, along with a strengthening financial position, United is poised to lead the way in the training of Christian leaders for the renewal of the Church. We are grateful to and offer our prayers for the faculty, staff and administration as they work alongside the outstanding leadership of President Kent Millard.”
