The alums of Yale Divinity School are pastors, scholars, activists, educators, the heads of numerous ecclesiastical and secular organizations, and more—all exemplifying the YDS mission of service to church and world. As we mark the Bicentennial of YDS, we celebrate our graduates and their impact on the communities they serve.
We have started our notable alums site in 2023 with a selection of alumni leaders and award honorees. We invite our YDS alum community to submit the stories of additional notable alums via our webform. The Communications and Alumni Offices will select which stories are posted on this website and will perform edits as necessary.
Be sure to bookmark this page to check back for additional noteable alum biographies over the course of the spring semester.
For questions about this project, please be in touch with the Alum office at divinity.alumni@yale.edu
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Herron Gaston ’14 M.Div., ’15 S.T.M. | In 2022, Rev. Dr. Herron Gaston was elected to the Connecticut State Senate from the 23 rd District. In this role, he serves as Senate... |
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Delois M. Brown Daniels ’80 M.Div. | Rev. Dr. Delois M. Daniels is a passionate woman of faith, a dynamic preacher, an advocate for diversity, inclusion, and interfaith dialogue, and a promoter... |
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William H. Willimon ’71 M.Div. | The Rev. Dr. William H. Willimon is Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry at Duke Divinity School. A Bishop in the United Methodist Church,... |
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Nancy S. Taylor ’81 M.Div. | Nancy S. Taylor served for 17 years as the 20th Senior Minister and Chief Executive Officer of historic Old South Church in Boston. The dual... |
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Stanley Hauerwas ’65 B.D.,’68 Ph.D. | Stanley Hauerwas is the Gilbert T. Rowe Professor Emeritus of Divinity and Law at Duke University. He taught at Duke Divinity School for 29 years,... |
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David E. Price ’64 B.D., ’66 M.A., ’69 Ph.D. | Congressman David E. Price represented North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives for over 30 years. Price served on the... |
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Otis Moss III, ’95 M.Div. | Otis Moss III is pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, the largest congregation in the UCC. Prior to joining Trinity, which describes... |
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Barbara Brown Taylor ’76 M.Div. | Barbara Brown Taylor is a best-selling author, teacher, and Episcopal priest. Her first memoir, Leaving Church , won an Author of the Year award from... |
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Kathy Turner ’69 M.Div. | Kathy Turner is a pioneering leader in the movement to train spiritual care practitioners for hospitals, parishes, and other settings and is the first woman... |
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Anne Stanback ’85 M.A.R | Anne Stanback has spent 30 years working for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights, including her work as the founding Executive Director of Love... |
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Robert K. Massie IV, ’82 M.Div. | Robert Massie IV is Executive Director of Sustainable Solutions Lab, an organization committed to promoting security, prosperity, and justice by focusing on climate change and... |
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David H. Kelsey ’58 B.D.,’60 M.A.,’64 Ph.D. | David H. Kelsey is the Luther A. Weigle Professor Emeritus of Theology at Yale Divinity School. Kelsey graduated from Yale with a Bachelor of Divinity... |
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Charles King ’83 M.Div. ’89 J.D. | Charles King is a founder and the CEO of Housing Works, Inc. a community-based, nonprofit organization that provides housing, health care, mental health, chemical dependency... |
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The Most Rev. Michael Curry, ’78 M.Div. | The Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry is Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church. At the church’s 78th General Convention in June 2015, he... |
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Judy Fentress-Williams ’90 M.Div., ’99 Ph.D. | Dr. Judy Fentress-Williams is Professor of Old Testament at Virginia Theological Seminary. She is a widely published author, primarily exploring a literary approach that celebrates... |
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David Bartlett ’67 B.D., ’72 Ph.D. | David L. Bartlett was the J. Edward and Ruth Cox Lantz Professor Emeritus of Christian Communication at Yale Divinity School and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of... |
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Rena Weller Karefa-Smart ’45 B.D. | The first Black woman to graduate from YDS, Rena Karefa-Smart was a champion for global ecumenism over the course of her long and distinguished career... |
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Sharon Watkins ’84 M.Div. | Sharon Watkins currently serves as the Pastor of Bethany Memorial Church in Bethany, W.Va. Previously, she was General Minister and President of the Christian Church... |
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Alison Cunningham ’84 M.Div. | Alison Cunningham is the inaugural Director of Formation at Yale Divinity School. She provides resources, training, and support for students who discover a vocational direction... |
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Stephen G. Ray, Jr., ’93 M.Div., ’00 Ph.D. | Rev. Dr. Stephen G. Ray Jr. is the former President of Chicago Theological Seminary. In addition, he is the President of the Society for the... |