Rev. Neal D. Presa, Ph.D appointed Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship, & Vice President of Student Affairs and Vocational Outreach
December 7, 2022
New Brunswick Theological Seminary is exceptionally pleased to announce that on December 15, 2022, Dr. Neal Presa will become Vice President of Student Affairs and Vocational Outreach, and Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship.
As Vice President of Student Affairs and Vocational Outreach, Dr. Presa will provide senior leadership and management of Student Affairs, including Admissions and Student Services. Dr. Presa will join the administrative council, as he leads and engages the NBTS community in strategic planning and the promotion of creative ideas that enable and equip the work of Student Affairs.
As Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship, Dr. Presa will serve as a member of the NBTS faculty. He will join Dr. Suzanne Duchesne as a subject expert in the field of preaching and worship, and they both will teach Master and Doctoral courses. Additionally, Dr. Presa will serve as the pedagogical leader for the Doctor of Ministry concentration in Transformational Preaching.
NBTS President, Rev. Micah L. McCreary, PhD said, “The seminary thrives on the talent and commitment of our faculty, staff, and senior administrators. Dr. Presa has excelled as Visiting Professor of Preaching and Worship, and as pedagogical lead for our Doctor of Ministry concentration in Transformational Preaching. I am thus very honored that he will continue in these endeavors as an Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship. I am also encouraged and honored that Rev. Dr. Presa will be joining our senior administration team as Vice President of Student Affairs and Vocational Outreach. Dr. Presa brings systemic and visionary leadership to the post and I look forward to the service and stewardship he will provide for these critical areas of administration. He is a gift to our students, leadership team, and institution.”
Rev. Beth Tanner, PhD, Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs and The Rev. Dr. Norman and Mrs. Mary Kansfield Professor of Old Testament Studies said, “Dr. Presa has a long and distinguished career as a gifted administrator, pastor, and professor. These roles make him uniquely qualified to serve as the Vice President of Student Affairs and Vocational Outreach. His expertise will provide the students with excellent advice, resources, and learning as they navigate seminary and the church today. The seminary will be enriched by his expertise and his commitment to a global people of God.”
Dr. Presa said, “New Brunswick Theological Seminary is a remarkable community of teachers and learners committed to the Gospel by thinking critically, acting justly, and leading faithfully. It is with great pleasure and joy that I accept this invitation to further deepen my engagement with the Seminary by spearheading efforts to connect with prospective students as they discern the leading of the Spirit, listen to their stories, and share the story of NBTS with them, while at the same time ensuring that all students have the support they need to flourish in their degree and certificate programs. A big plus of this dual appointment is that as a regular member of this stellar faculty community, I have the privilege and blessing of serving alongside such fine colleagues and committed scholars, and continue to mentor both masters and doctoral students in the classroom, particularly in the fields of preaching/homiletics and worship/liturgics.”
Prior to these appointments effective December 15th, Dr. Presa has been serving since summer 2022 as NBTS’s interim Associate Vice President for Admissions and Recruitment, Associate Director of Doctoral Studies, and Visiting Associate Professor of Preaching.
Dr. Presa is the author/editor of nine books and 100 chapters/essays/book reviews, with three forthcoming books under contract, including Worship, Justice & Joy: A Liturgical Pilgrimage (Cascade, 2023). He is a Fellow of The Center for Pastor Theologians and has held or currently holds affiliate/visiting professorships with Fuller Theological Seminary, Union Theological Seminary (Philippines), International Theological Seminary (West Covina, California), University of the Free State (Bloemfontein, SA), North-West University (Potschefstroom, SA), and Stellenbosch University.
A teaching elder/minister member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Dr. Presa served for two decades as a congregational pastor in New Jersey and California. In 2012, he was elected the Moderator of the 220th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the highest elected official of the 1.9-million member denomination’s national governing council. He is the immediate past Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Presbyterian Foundation. A committed ecumenist, Dr. Presa was elected by the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) this past summer to serve on its governing body, the 150-member Central Committee, which subsequently elected him to its 25-member Executive Committee as the Moderator of the Finance Policy Committee from 2022-2030. Additionally he is the Co-Vice Chair of the Third Round of Bilateral Dialogues between The Episcopal Church and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for the term of 2019-2024, and previously served for five. years on the Executive Committee of both the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the World Communion of Reformed Churches having led its Caribbean and North American Area Council.
Dr. Presa holds the Ph.D. and M.Phil. in liturgics, ecumenics, and homiletics from Drew University, the Th.M. in pastoral theology from Princeton Theological Seminary, the M.Div. from San Francisco Theological Seminary, and the B.A. in political science (w/ highest honors) and history (w/ honors) from the University of California, Davis. He is a candidate for the MBA from Missouri State University, having completed the Graduate Certificate in Project Management.
Read more about Dr. Presa here: https://nbts.edu/faculty-directory/neal-d-presa/