Amos Yong Concludes Successful Term as Dean of School of Mission & Theology

Dr. Amos Yong will conclude his term as dean of Fuller Theological Seminary’s School of Mission and Theology (SMT) effective 30 June 2023. He will continue his work as faculty in his role as professor of theology and mission where he has served since 2014 to continue his scholarly vocation of teaching, writing, and mentoring.

Since coming to Fuller nearly a decade ago, Dean Yong has also served as the director of the Center for Missiological Research, the dean of the School of Theology and the School of Intercultural Studies, and chief academic officer.

He was appointed as dean of both the School of Theology (SOT) and the School of Intercultural Studies (SIS) in 2019, and under his leadership, both schools were reconstituted into the School of Mission and Theology, which has allowed for greater coordination and integration of curriculum and degrees, supporting student needs and learning.

Chief Academic Officer Alexis Abernethy notes, “I have deeply appreciated this opportunity to work closely with Dean Yong. His thoroughness and attention to the details of the decanal role, his faithful service, his local and global commitments have been wonderful assets in his service as dean. His continued stellar scholarship even in the midst of his administrative responsibilities has been a model of the scholar-administrator. I will miss partnering with him in our administrative roles, but I am thankful that he will be continuing on the faculty to focus more fully on his scholarship and to continue to contribute to the life of the seminary.”

Fuller President David Emmanuel Goatley says, “Dean Yong is a gifted scholar and teacher who took on a significant leadership role in the integration of two schools into one. This was a tough job, and we are thankful for his faithfulness and thoughtfulness in a critical season of the seminary’s life. We are grateful for his love for the kingdom and his labor for this institution. We look forward to the fruits of his present and future publications and his greater time for teaching and mentoring students.”

Dr. Sebastian C. H. Kim, academic dean for the Korean Studies Center and Robert Wiley Professor of Renewal in Public Life, will become interim dean of the School of Mission and Theology effective 1 July 2023. An experienced scholar with global impact, Dr. Kim joined the Fuller Seminary faculty in 2017, coming from York St John University in the UK, where he held the chair in Theology and Public Life in the School of Humanities, Religion, and Philosophy for 12 years.

“We welcome Dr. Kim to this new role of institutional leadership as we continue to navigate the challenges to the church and theological education,” says Dr. Ted Cosse, chief operating officer and dean of the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. “His wisdom, experience, and spiritual gifts will help to sustain and strengthen our work to equip Christian leaders for the work that God calls them to do.”