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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Norma Cook Everist ’76 M.Div. | Rev. Dr. Norma Everist is the Distinguished Professor of Church and Ministry, Emerita, at Wartburg Theological Seminary. Her theological discipline is Ecclesiology. She taught at... |
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Margaret Kamitsuka ’88 M.A.R., ’94 M.Phil, ’99 Ph.D. | Dr. Margaret Kamitsuka is the Francis W. and Lydia L. Davis Professor Emeritus of Religion at Oberlin College, where she taught courses in gender and... |
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George E. Rupp ’67 B.D. | George Rupp is the Chair of the International Baccalaureate Organization and Adjunct Professor of Religion, Public Health, and International Affairs at Columbia University as well... |
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Mike Kinman '96 | Rev. Mike Kinman serves as the Tenth Rector of All Saints Church in Pasadena California. As Rector, Rev. Kinman leads All Saints in living into... |
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Stephen Bauman ’79 M.Div. | In 1987, the Rev. Dr. Stephen Bauman became Senior Minister of Christ Church, United Methodist, in New York City, an iconic urban church near internal... |
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Shelley Best ’00 M.Div. | Rev. Dr. Shelley D. Best is a “soulpreneur,” visual artist, author, and the Senior Pastor of Redeemer’s A.M.E. Zion Church of Plainville, Conn. She previously... |
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Blair A.R. Nelsen ’19 M.A.R. | Blair A. R. Nelsen is a leader in the field of spiritual ecology. She currently serves as Executive Director of the eco-spiritual nonprofit Waterspirit and... |
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Cheryl K. Cornish ’83 M.Div. | Rev. Cheryl K. Cornish has served as Senior Pastor of First Congregational Church in Memphis, Tenn., since 1988. Cheryl served Ebenezer UCC in Augusta, Missouri,... |
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Craig T. Robinson ’11 M.Div. | The Rev. Craig T. Robinson, Jr., is the pastor of St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church in Chicago. Prior to St. James, Rev. Robinson was... |
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Will D. Campbell ’52 B.D. | Upon graduation from Yale Divinity School, Rev. Will Campbell became pastor of the Taylor Southern Baptist Church in Taylor, La., and the Director of Religious... |
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George Handzo ’73 M.Div. | The Rev. George F. Handzo, Director of Health Services Research and Quality at the Spiritual Care Association oversees projects devoted to the strategic assessment, planning,... |
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José Oyanguren ’94 M.A.R. | José Oyanguren is the founder and Headmaster of St. Augustine Preparatory School in Managua, Nicaragua. Started in 2001, St. Augustine’s is a private, Catholic, co-educational... |
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Robert Paulen '67 B.D. | Rev. Bob Paulen served as an Elder in the Baltimore-Washington Conference in the United Methodist Church for 37 years. During his ministry, he led his... |
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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... |