VUU - Key Persons

He is a strong advocate for student-driven policies and the inclusiveness of students and faculty in developing and implementing the university's strategic plan. He is also a strong believer in the importance and significance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and works to ensure their viable sustainability. With more than two decades of experience in higher education, Dr. Lucas' success includes fundraising, strategic planning, and the engagement and retention of students in challenging educational experiences. Dr. Lucas earned a bachelor's degree from Morehouse College, a master's degree in teaching (History) from Tufts University, an Executive MBA from Stetson University, and a Master of Divinity (Church History) from Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University. He earned his doctoral degree in education from Fordham University. He is a transcendent leader who has chosen education as his form of advocating for social justice. As such, he is active with several advisory councils and organizations including Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Prince Hall Free Masonry, and 100 Black Men. As a leader in the research of HBCUs, Dr. Lucas is the editor-in-chief of a series of publications on HBCUs for Information Age Publishing. He is also a senior research fellow with the Southern Education Foundation. In 2019, his latest book was published titled Not For Ourselves Alone: Legacies of Two Pioneers of Black Higher Education in the United States.

DR. HARRY SIMMONS

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Member of the Faculty and Staff
Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care

Dr. Howard-John Wesley

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Pastor

DR. JAMES HENRY HARRIS

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Member of the Faculty and Staff
Distinguished Professor of Pastoral Theology & Homiletics

DR. JESSICA YOUNG BROWN

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Member of the Faculty and Staff
Asst. Professor of Counseling

Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr.

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President Emeritus / Livingstone College

DR. JOHN GUNS

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Dean

DR. JOHN W. KINNEY

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Member of the Faculty and Staff
Distinguished Professor of Theology

DR. LAKISHA R. LOCKHART

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Member of the Faculty and Staff
Asst. Professor of Practical Theology

Dr. Lucille M. Brown

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Retired Superintendent

DR. MICHAEL BROWDER

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Member of the Faculty and Staff
Asst. Professor of Church History

DR. NATHANIEL WEST

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Member of the Faculty and Staff
Director of Formation & Chair of M.a. in Christian Education Program

Dr. Pamela Kiecker Royall

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Head of Research

DR. PATRICIA GOULD-CHAMP

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Member of the Faculty and Staff
Assistant Professor of Practical Theology

DR. PAUL D. FLOWERS, SR.

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Director of Doctor of Ministry Program

DR. RAY MCKENZIE

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Member of the Faculty and Staff
Instructor of Practical Theology

DR. ROBERT WAFAWANAKA

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Member of the Faculty and Staff
Associate Professor of Biblical Studies & Old Testament

Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor

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Advisory Council

Dr. Sylvester Smith

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Member of the Faculty and Staff
Assistant Professor of Ethics & Chair of M.Div Program

Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson - Chairman

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Chairman of the Board

DR. YUNG SUK KIM

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Member of the Faculty and Staff
Professor of New Testament & Early Christianity
Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology

Yung Suk Kim is Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University. Dr. Kim is committed to transformative teaching, indomitable scholarship, and effective public service. He has a passion for human transformation, rooted in self-knowledge and self-criticism. Traveling to many Latin American countries during his business career, he learned a great deal about cultural diversity and the need for human solidarity. What does it mean to live in this world with each other (i.e., the meaning of the Other, which resonates with Emmanuel Levinas' "the face of the other," Paul Ricoeur's "inter-subjective narrative identity," and Jacques Derrida's "relationless relation")? How can we do theology in our thoughts and deeds, while moving pointedly away from individualism? And how can we read biblical stories with each other when we differ? Dr. Kim received a PhD in New Testament study from Vanderbilt University and an M.Div from McCormick Theological Seminary. He was a recipient of the Lilly Theological Scholars Grant for research on John's Gospel in the context of pluralism. He also received a research fellowship from Wabash Center for research on the Bible and transformation. Dr. Kim received a presidential citation for outstanding service and unselfish commitment from the VUU. In 2019, he received the Scott & Stringfellow Outstanding Professor Award from the VUU. Dr. Kim is the author of more than 16 books, including Christ's Body in Corinth: The Politics of a Metaphor (Fortress, 2008) and Toward Decentering the New Testament (Cascade, 2018, co-authored with Mitzi J. Smith). This is the first introductory text to the New Testament written by an African American woman biblical scholar (Mitzi J. Smith) and an Asian-American male biblical scholar. He also edited 1-2 Corinthians: Texts @ Contexts Series (Fortress, 2013). His most recent book is How to Read Paul: A Brief Introduction to his Theology, Writings, and World (Fortress, 2021).