Presidential gavel passed from Jones to Duncan
Pamela James Jones called the Board of Trustees meeting to order on April 25, 2026, before handing the gavel to the new president, Patricia Duncan. Expressions of gratitude for Jones's leadership followed, as well as for that of outgoing Vice President, Gaylord Yu, and incoming Vice President, Alexis Vaughan.
Pam Jones first came to the Disciples Divinity House as an ecumenical resident when she began the MDiv program at the Divinity School. Already a graduate of Spellman College with a JD degree, she would go on to earn a PhD in the History of Christianity at the Divinity School and to teach at Central Michigan University. She joined the Board of Trustees and, in 2012, its Executive Committee. She and her spouse, Dr. Theodore Jones, a neonatal specialist, joined students and trustees in exchanges with theological students in Heidelberg, Germany. From 2022-25, she served as President, contributing to the theological education fellows initiative, increased scholarship support, and renovation plans.
Tish Duncan, an alumna and MDiv and PhD graduate, is Associate Professor of Religion at Texas Christian University (TCU), a vibrant religion department. She is an expert in the New Testament and in diverse genres of early Christian literature. She is committed to pedagogy and teaching (see below on her April 27 forum). She has served on the Scholarship Committee of the Board of Trustees, most recently as its chair.
DDH is grateful for the clarity, dedication, and imagination that both Pam Jones and Tish Duncan have brought to the Board of Trustees. Their remarkable commitment has strengthened the Board and will continue to guide it as faces new possibilities and challenges.