Dr. Kenneth Barnes Appointed to Lead Gordon-Conwell’s Transition Committee as Project Manager - Gordon Conwell

Dr. Kenneth Barnes Appointed to Lead Gordon-Conwell’s Transition Committee as Project Manager

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary is pleased to announce the appointment of alumnus and faculty member Dr. Kenneth Barnes to the role of Project Manager for the previously announced relocation of our main campus from Hamilton to Metro Boston. In this role, Dr. Barnes will lead the transition committee, oversee the sale of the Hamilton campus, assess Boston-area campus options, and work with Gordon-Conwell leadership to facilitate the purchase or lease of those options deemed to best align with the mission of the seminary. Prior to his role as Mockler-Phillips Professor of Workplace Theology and Business Ethics at Gordon-Conwell, Dr. Barnes led an illustrious career in the fields of international business and project management, where he oversaw the delivery of complex, turnkey projects for governments, businesses, and universities all over the world.

“Gordon-Conwell has been such a special place to me for so long—first as a master’s student and now as a faculty member,” said Dr. Barnes. “I view it as a blessing from God to be able to leverage my past experience in management to help lead the seminary towards this exciting new beginning. Above all, I will be focused on finding the right space to serve the seminary and our community—a space that is accessible to all, flexible, aligned with the Gordon-Conwell mission, and conducive to a shared community life that connects to the incredible diversity of social and church life in New England.”

Early in Dr. Barnes’s career, which eventually spanned several decades and six continents, he felt a call to ministry and theological studies. His call led him to Gordon-Conwell where he earned a Master of Arts in Theological Studies in Old Testament in 1989. Over the ensuing years, Dr. Barnes continued to serve in the marketplace, the church, and the academy, earning two additional master’s degrees and a doctorate in the process. Concurrent with his corporate work, Dr. Barnes has pastored churches and mentored and tutored graduate students through organizations such as the Oxford Character Project, the Oxford Graduate Christian Union, Trinity Forum, and the Veritas Forum—always nurturing the integration of faith, work, and economics.

“It’s providential that someone with Dr. Barnes’ extraordinary expertise and deep commitment to Gordon-Conwell’s mission is at hand when the seminary needs him for our Pivot,” said President Scott Sunquist. “When we discussed his taking on this role, he told me he felt God calling him to serve the seminary in this way—just as he felt the calling to also serve in ministry and the academy after decades of success as a corporate executive. I am heartened that he will be guiding the seminary throughout this journey, where he will combine his professional expertise with an insider’s understanding of the unique needs of our students, our faculty, and the local church.”


Learn more about this pivot towards a new beginning:

Visit www.gcts.edu/pivot for FAQs, videos, and more.