Rev. Dr. Nancy Pittman currently serves as Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dean, and Stephen J. England Associate Professor of the Practice of Ministry at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After joining the faculty at Phillips in 2005 and, among other duties, directing the Doctor of Ministry Program, Dr. Pittman became Dean in 2013.
Dr. Pittman’s previous experience includes serving for six and a half years on the faculty of Tainan Theological College and Seminary, a school related to the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan. While there, she taught biblical Greek (in Taiwanese) and introductory courses on the synoptic gospels. Her appointment in Taiwan was supported by Global Ministries, the common international work of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ. Upon returning to the United States in 2001, Dr. Pittman served as pastor of First Christian Church in Tehlequah, Oklahoma. Reflecting on her service as Dean as well as previous experience in academia and the larger church, Dr. Pittman said “Serving as dean at Phillips places me at the intersection of academic theological work and the life of our churches. It is my privilege to work with faculty and students who are striving to teach and learn all that is needed to be effective religious leaders for this century.”
In addition to numerous sermons in books and journals, Dr. Pittman has recently published New Proclamation, Series A, Easter through Christ the King, 2011 (Augsburg Fortress Press, 2011). She has also contributed to the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology in the area of preaching and hymns, written homiletical essays for Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Year C, Volume II (Westminster John Knox Press, 2010) and “Ties That Bind Too Tightly: A Reflection on Relinquishment and Self-Differentiation in Women’s Leadership” in A Passion for Christian Unity: Essays in Honor of William Tabbernee (Chalice Press, 2009). Dr. Pittman continues to engage in research in the Book of Revelation and the Gospel of John, particularly as they relate to current images of community, ministerial leadership in the 21stcentury, and women in pastoral leadership.
Dr. Pittman received a Bachelor of Arts from Texas Christian University, a Master of Divinity from Brite Divinity School, and a PhD in New Testament Studies from Southern Methodist University. She is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), an accredited spiritual director, and a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, Spiritual Directors International, the Association for Doctor of Ministry Education, and the Forrest-Moss Institute.
On July 1, 2018, Dr. Pittman will become Interim President at PTS as the current president, Dr. Gary Peluso-Verdend, steps away for a sabbatical year before returning to PTS in 2019 in a new role.