Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Davi Ribeiro Lin as Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology and Ministry and Dr. Nicholas Rowe as the Kenneth and Jean Hansen Associate Professor of Leadership. Both Dr. Ribeiro Lin and Dr. Rowe will carry full teaching responsibilities on the Hamilton campus. Dr. Rowe will also provide mentorship to the Michael E. Haynes Center for Black Christian Leadership student fellows.

“Dean Mateus de Campos, the Board of Trustees, and I are delighted by the addition of these two scholar practitioners to our faculty. We look forward to the ways in which they will enrich the community, academic, and spiritual life of our institution,” says President Scott W. Sunquist.

Dr. Ribeiro Lin comes to Gordon-Conwell with rich multidisciplinary experience. Having earned a PhD in Theology from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium and The Jesuit School of Philosophy and Theology, Brazil, his dissertation and forthcoming publication reflect his passion for the dialogue between theology and counseling psychology: Relational Confession as Therapy of the Heart? A Postmodern Dialogue Between Augustine of Hippo’s Confessions and Elementary Experience in Psychology (Langham Literature, 2023). In pastoral ministry, he integrates theology and counseling through discipleship, pastoral care, and preaching.

Dr. Ribeiro Lin also brings extensive multicultural experience to his work and teaching. He was raised in Brazil between Taiwanese and Brazilian cultures, as well as trained in Europe, North America, and South America. As he explains, his background has taught him how “grace and truth [are] to be cultivated in order to foster unity in diversity in family, church, and society.”

Most recently, he taught at Seminário Teológico Servo de Cristo in São Paulo, Brazil, and he served as Pastor Theologian of Comunidade Evangélica do Castelo in Belo Horizonte, Brazil for ten years. In addition to his ministry and academic experience, he has worked in a private counseling practice.

His first course at the seminary will be Introduction to Pastoral Counseling in the upcoming Spring 2023 semester.

Dr. Rowe, previously an Adjunct Professor at Gordon-Conwell, brings a wealth of cross-cultural experience to the seminary that spans academia, higher education leadership, and nonprofit consulting. He earned a PhD in History from Boston College, and he has held teaching positions in the history departments of Eastern Nazarene College and Gordon College—as well as lectureships with the Africa Peacebuilding Institute (Johannesburg, South Africa) and The Center for Justice and Peacebuilding. His areas of historical scholarship include African history, African American history, post-Colonial history, and peace studies.

In his leadership capacities, he utilizes the range of his theology, history, and cultural competencies. He served as Acting President of St Augustine College and as an ordained Lay Pastor of Every Nation Church during his many years in South Africa. Prior to joining Gordon-Conwell, he held the positions of Associate Vice President of Student and Global Engagement and Associate Professor of History at Gordon College.

“While known for his many gifts and his wealth of experience in Christian education, Dr. Rowe excels in his ability to build biblical, Christian community across denominational, racial, cultural, and gender lines. In a time of deep division, even within the Body of Christ, he lives the admonition to keep ‘the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,'” says Rev. David Wright, Gordon-Conwell Board member and Executive Director of the Black Ministerial Alliance/TenPoint.

Dr. Rowe joins the faculty this January to begin course development and support of the Michael E. Haynes Center for Black Christian Leadership. He will begin teaching in Fall 2023.