RALEIGH, N.C. – On Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, Dr. Mark Harden will begin his tenure as the dean of the Shaw University Divinity School. Harden completed his Ph.D. at Michigan State University in Family and Child Ecology; post-doctoral studies in Philosophical Theology and Ethics at Luther Seminary; M.A. from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Theological Studies; M.A. from Marygrove College in Pastoral Ministry; and a B.A. in Social Science concentrations from Oakland University. During his service in executive leadership, Harden earned certifications in leadership and management at Harvard University; the School of Fundraising, Indiana University; and Online Instructional Design and Teaching at the University of Wisconsin. He previously served in the roles of Executive Director of the Gospel Initiative in Littleton, Colorado, and as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the College at Pillar College in Newark, New Jersey.
Harden is an accomplished practitioner-scholar who has successfully developed and taught a variety of graduate and advanced degree programs in practical ministry. He is an ordained Baptist minister with over 20 years of combined experience in higher education. He said: “As the Dean of the Shaw University Divinity School, I am honored to continue its great legacy of producing well-rounded men and women who are grounded in their faith and confident to assume diverse roles in relevant and robust ministry, church leadership and service. I am deeply grateful to God and the leadership of Shaw University for empowering me to be a part of this prophetic movement.”
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.
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