Dr. Gregory Howard Appointed New Dean of Shaw University Divinity School

RALEIGH, N.C. – On Monday (May 16), Shaw University Divinity School announced the Reverend Doctor Gregory M. Howard is the new Dean of the Shaw Divinity School. He previously served in the role of Assistant Dean and as Associate Professor of Practical Ministry and Black Church Studies.

Dr. Howard is a native of Lancaster, Virginia. Howard has served as Interim Dean and Associate Professor of Homiletics and Practical Theology at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. He also served there as the developer and Director of the John W. Kinney Center for Transformative Theology and Embodied Faith. Howard is the most recent past President of the Baptist General Convention of Virginia and a former Board of Trustee member of Virginia Union University. In addition to Howard’s academic experience, he also has 20 years of pastoral experience.

“Serving as Dean of the Shaw University Divinity School is a great honor, and I look forward to serving alongside our executive leadership, faculty, staff, students, alums, faith leaders, and state, regional, and national conventions to further advance our mission of delivering stellar and substantive theological education that will equip our emerging scholar-practitioners to more effectively serve Christ throughout the global society,” Howard said.

Howard holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management and Development (Bluefield College), Master of Divinity (Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University), Executive MBA (Virginia Union University), and a Doctorate in Preaching (Aquinas Institute of Theology at St. Louis University). He is the author of “Black Sacred Rhetoric: The Gospel According Religious Folk Talk” and “Voices Crying Out in the Wilderness: Theological Reflections Where Context Matters.” Civically, he is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. 

Shaw University President Dr. Paulette Dillard said, “Congratulations to Dr. Gregory Howard on being appointed Dean of our esteemed Divinity School. His strong leadership and years of experience will enhance our faculty leadership and provide strong mentorship for our Divinity School students.”   

With a rich heritage that is rooted in the Baptist Church, Shaw University Divinity School prepares students for their calling as Christian leaders through theological study, practical knowledge applicable to church ministries, and spiritual practices. Shaw University, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, is the first historically Black institution of higher education founded in North Carolina and is among the oldest in the nation. The University was founded in 1865 by Henry Martin Tupper. Dr. Paulette Dillard currently serves as the University’s 18th President. For more information, visit: www.shawu.edu