The Very Rev. Dr. Michael W. DeLashmutt
Senior Vice President of General Theological Seminary and Dean of the Chapel of the Good Shepherd

Study: “Executive Turnover in Theological Education. 2025.

The Very Rev. Dr. Michael W. DeLashmutt was appointed Senior Vice President of General Theological Seminary and Dean of the Chapel of the Good Shepherd in November 2022. He previously served as Acting Dean and President of General Seminary (2021–2022) and as Vice President and Dean for Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Theology (2016–2021). 

During his tenure as Acting Dean and President, Dean DeLashmutt played a pivotal role in the Seminary’s “Strategic and Faithful Partnerships” initiative, which culminated in the Affiliation with Virginia Theological Seminary and the launch of General’s innovative Hybrid MDiv program. 

Dr. DeLashmutt has devoted his career to theological education, with over a decade of senior leadership experience in seminaries and colleges in both the United States and the United Kingdom. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK) and a recognized scholar whose interdisciplinary research has explored subjects ranging from the philosophy of Paul Ricoeur to the intersections of theology, information technology, and popular culture. His early research focused on ministry formation in the Church of England, with a particular emphasis on alternative pathways for ordination training for bi-vocational and non-stipendiary clergy.

Dr. Jodi L. Porter, Director of Education for Ministry Innovation, Acadia Divinity School.

Study: “New Methodologies and Practical Examples Emerging from ATS Member Schools.” 2026.

Dr. Jodi L. Porter is Director of Education for Ministry Innovation at Acadia Divinity College (ADC) in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. She serves as project director for the ADC Futuring Lab, Adjunct Faculty, and Educationalist for a collaborative project among theological schools led by NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community. She holds an Ed.D. from Vanderbilt University, an M.Th. from the University of Oxford, and a B.A. from William Jewell College.

Rev. Dr. Yara González-Justiniano, Assistant Professor of Religion, Psychology, and Culture, Vanderbilt University

Study: “Hoping and Future Casting in Theological Higher Education’s Discourse and Practice in the United States and Canada.” 2026.

Rev. Dr. Yara González-Justiniano is Assistant Professor of Religion, Psychology, and Culture with emphasis on Latinx Studies and affiliated faculty of the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies at Vanderbilt University. She is a practical theologian and minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Her educational journey of interdisciplinarity informs the ways in which she approaches theological studies. Her most recent publication, Centering Hope as a Sustainable Decolonial Practice: Esperanza en Práctica (2022), wrestles with answering the question of what does hope look like amid socioeconomic crisis. Her interdisciplinary approach to this inquiry is grounded in ethnographic research to identify practices that foster hope and sustain the collective.