Radical. Sustainable. Faithful. 2025–2026 Annual Report
State of the School Dear Friends of Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School: I often tell prospective students that Andover Newton as an embedded seminary within Yale Divinity School is “difficult to explain but easy to understand.” We are a tradition-specific seminary preparing students for congregational ministry within YDS, an ecumenical Christian divinity school that is itself part of Yale University. Of YDS’s approximately 300 students, about half are pursuing the Master of Divinity degree, and roughly 50 participate in Andover Newton’s educational program. Yet, our reach extends across YDS: all students are welcome in our courses, weekly worship, and programs that deepen their understanding of leadership in faith communities. Preparing people for meaningful, effective, and sustainable ministry requires both the best of traditional theological education and a willingness to innovate. The YDS MDiv provides an exceptional and flexible foundation. Andover Newton helps students use that flexibility intentionally—through courses in social innovation and nonprofit leadership at the Yale School of Management, travel seminars focused on building community, experiential learning, and our Colloquia, where students develop practical arts of ministry while cultivating habits of lifelong learning and collegiality. We also work to make this education financially sustainable. Through endowed scholarships, our students graduate free of seminary tuition debt, and we are making progress toward providing stipends to help cover living expenses as well. Our students learn from the entire YDS faculty, complemented by Andover Newton’s affiliated faculty and instructional team. This year we also welcomed Professor Braxton Shelley as our newest faculty partner. In October, he will be installed as the George Washington Williams Professor, occupying the chair Andover Newton endowed in honor of Newton’s first Black graduate. It is only the second professorship in Yale’s history named for an African American.
That brings me back to why Andover Newton can be difficult to explain but easy to understand. Our embedded institution model mirrors something fundamental about the church itself. People of faith belong simultaneously to congregations and to wider communities. Faith and life in the world are not —and ought not to be—walled off from one another. They are integrated. Ten years after Andover Newton relocated from Newton to New Haven, I can say with confidence: we are integrated. We are rooted in a remarkable history while fully participating in the life of YDS and Yale, drawing upon their extraordinary resources to prepare leaders for the changing needs of faith communities. Throughout this report, we share what that integration makes possible and the students, faculty, alumni/ae, congregations, donors, and friends who make our work possible. Our relationships beyond campus are essential to our relevance and to our mission of educating inspiring leaders for today’s faith communities. Thank you for your companionship in this work and on this journey of faith. Grace and Peace,
Sarah B. Drummond Founding Dean & Professor in the Practice Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School
The Year in Review Reflecting on 2025–2026, the year was one of connection, transition, and growth for Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School. Our theme, Radical. Sustainable. Faithful., captured that movement. We remained deeply rooted in the mission that has guided Andover Newton for generations while continuing to explore new ways to educate inspiring leaders for faith communities in a rapidly changing religious landscape. That commitment was visible across campus. In October, alumni/ae and friends returned to New Haven for Convocation and the opening of YDS’s Living Village, a milestone in which Andover Newton was both an institutional partner and an active participant. Students, alumni/ae, staff, and friends helped bless, celebrate, and inhabit a space that embodies the kind of sustainable future Andover Newton envisioned when it relocated to Yale a decade ago. The gathering also provided an opportunity to honor the Rev. Dr. Ned Allyn Parker (ANTS MDiv ’10) with the 2025 Spirit of the Hill Award. Our history found new expression there in January with the unveiling of a stained-glass mosaic honoring George Washington Williams, Newton Theological Institution’s first Black graduate. Created in part with glass from the historic Colby Chapel located in Newton, Massachussetts, the portrait connects Andover Newton’s past physically and symbolically with its life at Yale today. Williams’s legacy also lives forward through the George Washington Williams Endowed Faculty Chair, held by the Prof. Braxton D. Shelley.
Learning also moved well beyond the classroom. In January, sixteen students traveled with faculty, staff, and partners to Puerto Rico for the fourth Emmaus Encounters travel seminar–and the first to San Juan! Through worship, historical and cultural exploration, environmental reflection, service, and engagement with local communities, students considered what it means to build community across differences and to lead faithfully within complex social realities. The year was also one of meaningful transition. More than 150 alumni/ae, friends, and supporters gathered in April to celebrate the remarkable career of Prof. S. Mark Heim through the Simpson-Hewett Lecture on Religious Pluralism and a special retirement celebration that followed. The event announced the establishment of the S. Mark Heim Endowed Scholarship, which ensures that the commitment of Mark and his spouse, Melissa Lewis Heim, to theological education will continue indefinitely by supporting future generations of seminary students at Andover Newton. The year concluded where our mission ultimately points: toward the future leaders who will carry the work of clergy forward. In May, Andover Newton celebrated eleven graduates, welcoming them into an alumni/ae community whose ministries reach congregations and communities far beyond New Haven.
Taken together, these moments tell a larger story. Andover Newton enters its tenth year at Yale Divinity School not simply as an institution that relocated, but as one increasingly integrated into the life of around the Yale Sterling Divinity Quadrangle in New Haven. Andover Newton also remains deeply rooted and connected to the congregations, alumni/ae, partners, and communities beyond campus that give our mission purpose. In summary, throughout 2025– 2026, Andover Newton continued to honor its history, while also creating something new. We strengthened our relationships with students, alumni/ae, churches, and partners. We traveled, worshiped, learned, remembered, celebrated, and said farewell. And through it all, we continued the work Andover Newton has pursued for more than two centuries: preparing leaders capable of bringing faith, learning, love, and justice into the communities they are called to serve.
By the Numbers: 2025–2026
219 years in congregational education, training, and ministry
4,100+
living alumni/ae
311
students at YDS
50+ ANS–affiliated students
110
ANS at YDS graduates since 2019
By Denomination 25% not as-yet affiliated
10% Unitarian Universalist-affiliated 40% UCC-affiliated 25% Baptist-affiliated students represent 48% ANS communities of color
By Professional Focus 55% ministry
5% public sector
20% advanced study
5% higher education
10% social justice
5% non-profit
Shelley Appointed to New Chair In June 2025, Yale University appointed Braxton D. Shelley as the inaugural George Washington Williams Professor at Yale Divinity School, marking a significant moment in the histories of both Andover Newton Seminary and YDS. The appointment recognizes Shelley’s distinguished scholarship in Black sacred music and religious thought while establishing a permanent faculty chair honoring one of Andover Newton’s most consequential alumni. Shelley, a scholar of music and religion and an ordained minister in the Missionary Baptist tradition, serves on the faculties of Yale Divinity School, the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, and the Yale Department of Music. He is also faculty director of the Interdisciplinary Program in Music and the Black Church at the Institute of Sacred Music. Shelley’s work examines theological, musical, and cultural dimensions of Black religious life and the ways music shapes religious experience, community, and belief. The chair Shelley holds carries great historical significance for Andover Newton. George Washington Williams graduated from Newton Theological Institution in 1874 and became the school’s first African American graduate. A Baptist minister, historian, legislator, Civil War veteran, and critic of colonialism, Williams produced pioneering scholarship on African American history and later drew international attention to abuses committed under Belgian rule in the Congo. His life reflected an unusual integration of historical inquiry, public engagement, and religious vocation. The George Washington Williams Chair ensures that this history remains part of the intellectual life of Yale Divinity School. It is the first endowed faculty chair at YDS, and only the second at Yale University, to bear the name of an African American. Its establishment fulfills Andover Newton’s commitment, made through its permanent affiliation with Yale Divinity School, to support two faculty positions at YDS. Alongside the Samuel Abbot Chair, the Williams Chair represents an enduring investment in theological scholarship and education.
The appointment of Shelley as its inaugural holder gives particular resonance to that commitment. Williams and Shelley are separated by more than a century, and their scholarly fields and historical contexts are distinct. Yet both demonstrate the importance of rigorous scholarship for understanding Black religious experience and its relationship to the broader currents of American history and culture. Naming Shelley to the Williams Chair therefore does more than honor the past; it places that history in active conversation with contemporary scholarship. This appointment reflects Andover Newton’s theme, Radical. Sustainable. Faithful. It is rooted in our institutional history and connects our past to a permanent commitment to faculty scholarship today. In doing so, Shelley’s selection sustains Andover Newton’s educational mission within Yale Divinity School and affirms the continuing importance of rigorous intellectual inquiry in the formation of religious leaders. For Andover Newton, the George Washington Williams Chair is both an act of institutional memory and an investment in the future. With Braxton D. Shelley as its inaugural holder, the chair honors an important figure in the Seminary’s history while supporting a scholar whose work is expanding the study of music, theology, and Black religious life for a new generation of students and scholars.
Leadership for the Next Generation For more than two centuries, Andover Newton Seminary has understood that institutions endure not by standing still, but by remaining deeply rooted and radically open—grounded in a defining mission while continually discerning how best to carry that mission into a changing world. The Andover Newton Advisory Council embodies that balance. Its members bring experience from across the church, academy, professions, and communities Andover Newton serves, offering counsel and leadership as the Seminary works to educate inspiring leaders for faith communities today and for generations to come. During 2025–2026, that work included several important moments of transition. Andover Newton offered its gratitude to Rev. Dr. Willard W.C. Ashley, Marquita Brooks, Rev. Davida Foy Crabtree, Joe Pankowski, and David E. Smith, as they completed their terms or concluded their service on the Advisory Council. Their leadership helped steward Andover Newton through a significant chapter in its continuing story. At the same time, we welcomed Scott Baird, Cynthia Sibold, the Rev. David M. Stuart, and Maurice Tiner, adding new voices, experiences, and perspectives to the Advisory Council’s membership. This rhythm of gratitude and welcome reflects what it means for Andover Newton to be radical, sustainable, and faithful. Radical leadership is deeply rooted leadership. It draws upon more than 200 years of Andover Newton's history while remaining radically open to what God is doing now. The Advisory Council helps the institution ask new questions, engage new possibilities, and consider how its enduring commitment to faithful leadership can meet the needs of today’s faith communities. Sustainable leadership recognizes that the mission belongs not only to the present generation but also to those still to come. The continuing renewal of the Advisory Council ensures that wisdom is carried forward, new leadership is cultivated, and responsibility for the institution passes from one generation to another.
Advisory Council 2025–2026
Listed Alphabetically Karen Anderson The Rev. Dr. Willard W.C. Ashley Scott Baird Rowland Bates Bradley P. Bauer John Canning The Rev. Abner Cotto-Bonilla The Rev. Dr. Davida Foy Crabtree* James D. Dana, Jr. The Rev. Dr. Gregory G. Groover The Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Haggray The Rev. Dr. Charles L. Howard The Rev. Richard H. Huleatt Michael W. Kellogg The Rev. Laura Kisthardt** The Rev. Dr. David Mehl The Rev. Dr. F. Timothy Moore
The Rev. Tamara Moreland The Rev. Donald T. Ng Nancy E. Nienhuis Joseph M. Pankowski, Jr.* Diane S. Parrish Heather Raker The Rev. Nena D. Radtke Cynthia Sibold Judith Sizer David E. Smith* The Rev. David M. Stuart John Stachniewicz The Rev. Judith L. Swahnberg Maurice Tiner The Rev. Susan Page Townsley The Rev. Dr. Bernard Wilson *Completed/fulfilled term in 2025-2026 **Alumni/ae Board President
Convocation and Living Village Opening Andover Newton Seminary’s 2025 Alumni/ae Convocation offered a particularly tangible expression of what it means to be Radical. Sustainable. Faithful. From October 6–8, 45 alumni/ae and friends returned to Yale Divinity School for three days of celebration, learning, fellowship, and remembrance—while Andover Newton’s continuing partnership with YDS was on full display. Convocation began with a powerful symbol of sustainability: the dedication and blessing of YDS’s new Living Village. Andover Newton Associate Dean the Rev. JaQuan Beachem (MDiv ’21) and former ANTS Board Chair Dr. Nancy Taylor helped lead the blessing. Current students Eliana Cañas Parra, ArDonna Hamilton, Mike Ryan, and Drake Smith participated in the ribbon cutting, while Andrew Jamieson and Myles-Amir J. Riley helped provide music. The Living Village embodies a conviction that Andover Newton knows well—that preparing for the future sometimes requires imagining new ways of sustaining the institutions, communities, and resources entrusted to us. The celebration continued the next day with a reminder that being radical means remaining deeply rooted. At the YDS Alumni/ae Awards Luncheon, the Rev. Dr. Ned Allyn Parker (ANTS MDiv ’10) received Andover Newton’s Spirit of the Hill Award. Parker’s relationship with Andover Newton began almost as soon as his theological education did. Just weeks after beginning his Master of Divinity studies in Newton, he joined the institution’s admissions team. After moving to Seattle and serving on the pastoral staff of Seattle First Baptist Church, Parker returned to Andover Newton when the institution began the historic work of relocating from Newton to New Haven. Today, Parker serves as Interim Senior Pastor of First Church in Windsor, Connecticut.
The Spirit of the Hill Award connects Andover Newton’s historic “Hill” with the Seminary’s continuing life at Yale Divinity School—a reminder that roots do not prevent movement; they provide the grounding from which new growth becomes possible. In honoring Parker, Andover Newton celebrated not only a distinguished alumnus, but a commitment to service deeply rooted in the Spirit of the Hill— and faithfully carrying the institution’s mission forward. That spirit of openness and learning continued throughout Convocation, as Professor Gregory Mobley led a workshop on “Hebrew Bible and Nature,” which was followed by a State of the School reception and an address by Founding Dean Sarah B. Drummond. The celebration concluded with a particularly meaningful expression of faithfulness across generations as the Rev. Donald T. Ng (ANTS MDiv ’75) was recognized at the 50th Anniversary Alumni/ae Dinner. Ng’s presence offered a living reminder of the enduring purpose behind Andover Newton’s work: educating inspiring leaders for faith communities whose ministries extend far beyond their years of theological education.
A Legacy Illuminated On January 15, 2026, Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School unveiled a stained-glass mosaic honoring George Washington Williams, Newton Theological Institution’s first Black graduate, in Yale Divinity School’s Living Village. Created in part from glass preserved from the historic Colby Chapel in Newton, Massachusetts, the portrait offers a powerful connection between the institution’s past and its continuing life in New Haven. Williams graduated from Newton Theological Institution in 1874 and went on to a remarkable life of ministry, scholarship, public service, and advocacy. A soldier, pastor, historian, and statesman, he challenged the injustices of his time and demonstrated the capacity of faith, scholarship, and courageous leadership to shape both communities and the wider world. Connecticut artist Michael A. Skrtic of Glass Source Studios created the mosaic as a meditation on light. Installed in the Living Village—a building itself shaped by the interplay of water, earth, and light—the portrait refracts sunlight through colored glass, evoking the enduring witness and vitality of Williams’s legacy. That connection is more than symbolic. Glass used to form the sun, the halo surrounding Williams, and the cross was reclaimed from a window in the front door of Colby Chapel, Newton Theological Institution’s historic place of worship. Material from a sacred space central to generations of Andover Newton students now illuminates the likeness of one of the institution’s most consequential graduates in its new home at Yale Divinity School. Through the mosaic, Andover Newton’s history has found a new home in the Living Village. Rooted in the institution’s past while illuminating its future, the portrait ensures that George Washington Williams’s witness—and the community that formed him—will remain part of Andover Newton’s story.
Title: “George Washington Williams: A Legacy in Light” Artist: Michael A. Skrtic (United States, 1979); Glass Source Studios Date: January 15, 2026
Emmaus Encounters Expands to Puerto Rico In Luke 24:13–35, two travelers journey toward Emmaus disoriented by what has happened in Jerusalem. Along the way, through conversation, hospitality, Scripture, and the breaking of bread, confusion gives way to understanding, isolation to community, and despair to hope. This story represents the inspiration behind Emmaus Encounters: Building Community on the Road. At a time when climate crisis, economic uncertainty, and social polarization are reshaping communities, Andover Newton believes some of the most important preparation for ministry happens beyond the classroom. Emmaus Encounters brings students into communities where they learn by listening, building relationships, engaging difficult histories, and reflecting theologically on what they encounter. From 2022 through 2025, the program traveled to Oʻahu, Hawai‘i, where students explored the complicated legacy of Christian mission. They learned the story of “Henry” ʻŌpūkahaʻia, a Native Hawaiian scholar whose life helped inspire the nineteenth-century Protestant missionary movement to Hawai‘i. They visited sites connected to Hiram Bingham I, an early 19th Century graduate of both Yale and Andover, who founded a church and a school that still flourish today. Aided by generous support from the Brown Endowment, entrusted to Andover Newton by United Church Funds, as well as an ongoing campaign to endow Emmaus Encounters, students participated in these travels at no cost. In 2026, Andover Newton built upon that foundation by expanding Emmaus Encounters to Puerto Rico. In collaboration with American Baptist Home Mission Societies and local partners, students explored the island’s history, culture, ecology, and religious life through the legacy of Puerto Rican theologian and church leader Rev. Dr. Orlando Costas (1942–1987).
From historic San Juan and El Yunque National Forest to churches and community organizations, students learned alongside people whose work embodies resilience, justice, hospitality, and hope. The experience challenged students to consider what Christian leadership requires when communities face economic, environmental, historical, and social pressures. In Puerto Rico, the year’s theme became something students could experience rather than simply discuss: radical in confronting difficult histories and imagining new possibilities; sustainable in building relationships grounded in communities and their wisdom; and faithful in discerning how the Gospel calls leaders to accompany others with courage, humility, and hope. Emmaus Encounters will return to Puerto Rico in 2027 while also coming closer to Andover Newton’s historic home. As the United States marks its 250th anniversary and Andover Newton celebrates a decade at Yale Divinity School, An Emmaus Encounter on Commemoration and Community will bring students to greater Boston to explore how communities remember their histories— and how the stories they choose to tell shape who they understand themselves to be. From Hawai‘i to Puerto Rico and Boston, Emmaus Encounters continues a distinctly Andover Newton approach to theological education: rooted in faith, formed through encounter, and committed to building communities capable of navigating change.
Expanding the Emmaus Road 2018 Andover Newton welcomes Rev. George Scott from the Punahou School in Honolulu as a visiting instructor at YDS.
2019–2021 Partner relationships cultivated from afar during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022–2023 Exploratory pilot travel to Hawai‘i to lay the foundation and strengthen relationships.
2024 First Emmaus Encounters in Oʻahu, Hawai‘i and Andover Newton summer intern to Punahou School.
2025 Second Emmaus Encounters Hawai‘i and second Andover Newton summer intern to Punahou School.
2025–2026 Andover Newton and American Baptist Home Mission Societies began collaborating in support of an Emmaus Encounter in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
2026 Emmaus Encounters expands to Boston, commemorating Andover Newton’s 10th anniversary at YDS.
2027 Emmaus Encounters returns to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
From Encounter to Impact One, Emmaus Encounters participants complete the program able to lead a similar travel seminar immediately upon graduation, in their own postgraduate ministry settings. Two, community can be built not just between people and institutions, but across time, and thus, students learn how to help others reckon with their past. Three, there is incomparable value to learning how to cultivate and sustain community in a physical environment where there is both a complicated institutional history and a vibrant coalition of educational, cultural, and faith partners actively engaged in community building today. “The program created space to learn alongside communities, honoring their stories, traditions, and resilience. This experience shaped my continued education and ministry by reinforcing the importance of culturally grounded, community-centered learning. It affirmed my commitment to ministry that is attentive to history, identity, Nicqueva Haughton and lived experience.” Class of 2027 “The opportunities to lean on one another, grow in dialogue and connection, and encounter joy across community partners in Puerto Rico were unmatched. This trip brought up questions for me around the community development initiatives we visited with in Puerto Rico: how can being in proximity be a faithful and hopeful practice for sustainable justice-seeking ministry?”
Carolina Kirk Class of 2027
“One day at Happy Givers, a few of my peers and I went to deliver stoves to the homes of elderly community members. I was struck by their willingness to invite us into their space and the moments of hospitality we enjoyed because of this. I began reflecting on the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus. Homes, like our faith, are sacred and deeply personal places for many. Being invited into these spaces was an honor.”
Benji Suprice Class of 2027
A Legacy of Scholarship, Service, and Formation For decades, Professor S. Mark Heim has helped shape Andover Newton through his scholarship, teaching, mentorship, and commitment to the formation of religious leaders. In April, more than 150 alumni/ae, students, colleagues, and friends gathered at Yale Divinity School to celebrate that legacy as Heim prepared to retire from full-time faculty service—and to ensure that his influence will continue through generations of Andover Newton students. The April 16 celebration began in Marquand Chapel with the 2026 SimpsonHewett Lecture on Religious Pluralism, a subject central to Heim’s distinguished scholarly career. Francis X. Clooney of Harvard Divinity School delivered the lecture, followed by responses from Catherine Cornille of Boston College and John Thatamanil of Union Theological Seminary. Together, the scholars engaged questions at the heart of Heim’s work and reflected the kind of rigorous theological inquiry and engagement across religious difference that have characterized his career. The lecture was followed by a celebration of Heim’s ministry and scholarly legacy. An Andover Newton graduate himself, Heim earned his MDiv from Andover Newton Theological School in 1976 and later completed the Boston College– Andover Newton joint doctoral program in systematic theology. Over the course of his career, his scholarship has explored religious pluralism, comparative theology, atonement, ecumenism, and the relationship between theology and science. He also became an anchoring presence during one of the most significant transitions in Andover Newton’s history, relocating with the Seminary from Newton to New Haven and helping build its new life at Yale Divinity School.
Tributes from Founding Dean Sarah B. Drummond, Professor Gregory Mobley, Alumni/ae Board President Laura Kisthardt, Andover Newton Fellow Susan Murtha, and others reflected the relationships that have defined his ministry as a teacher, colleague, advisor, and member of the Andover Newton community. The celebration also looked toward the future with the formal announcement of the S. Mark Heim Endowed Scholarship. Established in his honor, the fund will provide scholarship support for deserving Andover Newton students, extending Heim’s commitment to theological education and ministerial formation to generations he may never teach himself. Andover Newton launched the fund with a goal of at least $50,000 to establish the endowment, and that goal was surpassed shortly after the event thanks to love and generosity from the Andover Newton community. In that sense, the occasion embodied the very continuity Andover Newton seeks to cultivate: honoring a tradition not simply by remembering it, but by carrying its values forward. Heim’s career has been radical in its willingness to engage theological difference, sustainable in the communities and institutions he has helped build, and faithful in its commitment to teaching, scholarship, and the formation of Christian leaders. As one chapter of Heim’s service to Andover Newton came to a close, another began. His name will remain connected not only to a remarkable body of scholarship and generations of students, but also to future seminarians whose education will be made possible through a scholarship created in his honor.
Celebrating the Class of 2026 On May 16, Andover Newton Seminary celebrated the Class of 2026, welcoming eleven new graduates into an alumni/ae community whose lives and ministries carry the Seminary’s mission into congregations and communities near and far. The celebration also recognized students whose leadership, preaching, and service distinguished their time at Andover Newton. Alexa Rollow received the Jonathan Edwards Award, presented by the Rev. Laura Kisthardt (MDiv ’20); Tasharah Person received the M. B. Copenhaver Preaching Award, announced by the Rev. JaQuan Beachem (ANS ’21); and ArDonna Hamilton was named the Hannah E. Kane Class Marshal, announced by 2025 recipient Trevian Smith (ANS ’25). The celebration continued at Yale Divinity School’s commencement ceremony on May 18, where Andrea Barton Reeves received the Rev. Frederick J. Streets Prize, awarded annually to a graduating student who has made a distinguished contribution to the advancement of social justice. Throughout the year, Andover Newton reflected on what it means to be Radical. Sustainable. Faithful. The Class of 2026 gives those words life. Rooted in a tradition more than two centuries old, these graduates leave Andover Newton prepared to respond creatively and courageously to a changing religious landscape, to build communities capable of sustaining faith and one another, and to remain faithful to the vocations that brought them here. As these eleven graduates begin their next chapters, they carry forward more than an education. They carry Andover Newton’s mission with them— rooted in a rich history, responsive to the needs of the present, and committed to shaping the future of faith communities.
Andrea Barton Reeves
Clifford Boss Chambliss III
ArDonna D’Nae Hamilton
Joan Elisa Orio Lavaki
Tasharah Yontea Person
Myles-Amir Jehova Riley
Alexa Rollow
Stephen Albert Stapleton
Freddie SwindalEndres
Ellyon Maurice Wells
Maia Shianne Williams
Sustainable by Design Sustainability at Andover Newton Seminary is about more than balancing a budget. It is about stewarding resources faithfully today while building the financial foundation necessary to educate inspiring leaders for faith communities for generations to come. In 2025–2026, that foundation grew stronger. Andover Newton recorded $897,093 in total giving, including both current-use and endowed support. Primary fundraising reached $853,728, exceeding the year’s $725,000 goal by nearly $129,000 and increasing 12.7% over the previous year. That philanthropic growth was matched by responsible financial stewardship. Andover Newton generated $1.33 million in operating revenue while holding expenses to approximately $1.17 million, resulting in a positive operating result of nearly $166,000. The Seminary ended the fiscal year with an operating reserve of $879,087, strengthening its ability to invest strategically in its mission while responding to future opportunities and challenges. Behind those numbers is an encouraging story of deepening relationships. Alumni/ae giving grew from $95,051 to $265,540, an increase of nearly 180 percent, while giving from members of the Advisory Council increased approximately 75 percent to $357,480. Support from churches also grew dramatically, rising from $34,243 to $95,926. Just as importantly, the number of supporting congregations increased from 24 to 33. Donors invested not only in Andover Newton’s work today, but also in its future. Annual Fund giving reached $341,598, while total current-use support increased 16 percent to $401,364.
Another $495,729 was contributed to endowed priorities, supporting scholarships, faculty, and programs including Emmaus Encounters. The year also demonstrated that Andover Newton’s relationships with its supporters are becoming deeper. Donor retention increased 15 percent, engagement grew 29 percent, and 91 new donors made gifts during the year. At the same time, the overall number of individual and alumni/ae donors declined— highlighting an important opportunity to pair this growing depth of commitment with broader participation in the years ahead. For an institution that has continually adapted across more than two centuries, financial sustainability is ultimately about mission. The generosity of donors, combined with careful stewardship of the resources entrusted to Andover Newton, ensures that the Seminary can remain radical in its vision, sustainable in its work, and faithful to its enduring mission.
FUNDRAISING 2024–2025
2025–2026
Annual Fund
$318,709
$341,598
Current Use Restricted
$27,343
$59,765
Total Current Use
$346,052
$401,364
Total Endowment
$484,656
$495,729
Churches Total Giving
$34,243
$95,926
Individuals Total Giving
$762,484
$775,717
Alumni/ae Total Giving
$95,051
$265,540
AC Members Total Giving
$204,448
$357,480
OPERATING FINANCIALS BUDGET
ACTUALS
Beginning Balance
$756,982
$712,656
Total Revenue
$1,317,317
$1,331,729
Total Expenses
$1,230,959
$1,165,842
Net Results
$86,357
$166,431
Ending Balance
$843,340
$879,087* *Includes fund transfers
Donor Honor Roll: 2025–2026 Individuals (A-D) Mr. Emmanuel K. Akyeampong Rev. Susie N. Allen Rev. Dr. Mark S. Anschutz Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Armstrong Rev. Dr. Jeffery S. Atwater Rev. Carol E. Atwood-Lyon Rev. David E. Avery Chap. and Ms. Lee A. Axtell Rev. Edward A. Bacon Dr. Paulanne Balch Rev. Peter R. Barclay Mr. and Rev. Gregory J. Barlow Ms. Sara K. Barron Ms. and Mr. Gail R. Barrows Rev. Jean P. Bass Mr. Rowland B. Bates and Mrs. Beth Mays Rev. Mary I. Beale Mr. John W. Becton Ms. Megan Bedford-Strohm Ms. Jane A. Beebe Mr. David W. Bell Mr. J. R. Bentley Ms. and Rev. Sarah H. Best-Castricum Ms. Jacqueline T. Birmingham Mrs. Kathi H. Blair and Mr. Bryce Blair Rev. Deborah J. Blood
Mr. Gerald Borchert Rev. Christopher W. Boyd Rev. Jami D. Boyle Rev. Joseph W. Bradley Rev. Robert O. Bradstreet Ms. Ellen Brady Dr. George S. Bratton Ms. Katherine Brearley Rev. Carol A. Brink Rev. David H. Brown Rev. Emily M. Bruce Rev. Thomas D. Busteed Prof. John Y. Campbell and Ms. Susanna Peyton Mr. John B. Canning and Mrs. Janet S. Canning Mr. Richard A. Carpenter Rev. Vicky L. Carpenter Rev. Deborah L. Carter Rev. Dr. Virginia H. Child Ms. Jessica Chin Dr. James A. Christopher Rev. David C. Clark and Rev. Adam Isbitsky Rev. Kathleen S. Clark Rev. David L. Clemens Mr. Francis X. Clooney Rev. Jeffrey R. Conlon Rev. Countess C. Cooper
Rev. Martin Copenhaver and Karen M. Copenhaver Rev. Ethel M. Corbin and Mr. Arnold S. Buxton Rev. Davida Foy Crabtree Rev. Dr. and Ms. James W. Crawford Mr. Charles R. Crawley Rev. and Mr. Betsey R. Crimmins Rev. Bette Anne Crowell and Rev. Joshua L. Crowell Rev. William R. Cunitz Dr. David J. Dalrymple Professor James D. Dana, Jr. and Dr. Kathryn E. Spier, Ph.D. Rev. and Rev. Mary Angela F. Davis Rev. and Rev. Nicholas G. Davis Mrs. Deb Lychak Deldotto Rev. Dr. Yvonne V. Delk Rev. Gary A. Delong Ms. and Mr. Toni J. DeLorenzo Rev. Ami S. Dion Rev. Donna A. DiSciullo Dr. Benjamin R. Doolittle and Dr. Christine Doolittle Rev. Dr. and Mrs. John Douhan Rev. Dr. Sarah B. Drummond and Mr. Daniel Drummond
Individuals (E-K) Rev. Dr. Beverley F. Edwards Rev. Donna Faith Eldredge Mr. and Ms. Lincoln Eldredge Ms. Lisa M. Eleck Mrs. Elizabeth M. Erickson and Mr. S. E. Erickson Ms. Courtney Esteves Mr. and Ms. Gerald D. Evans Professor William J. Everett Rev. James A. Ewen Rev. Norman J. Faramelli Rev. Amy C. Feldman Ms. John Fisk Ms. Kathleen S. Fitzgerald and Mr. Keith Stavely Rev. Paula J. Fletcher Rev. Rebecca M. Floyd and Mr. Alexander Marshall Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Richard L. Floyd Rev. and Ms. Douglas G. Fowler Mr. Phillip R. Friedeman Rev. Elizabeth E. Frigard Mr. Antonio L. Gansley-Ortiz Rev. and Mrs. Henry W. Gates Rev. Dr. William S. Geertz Rev. Randall L. Gehres Rev. Lorain Giles and Mr. William R. Giles
Prof. and Mr. Brita L. GillAustern Rev. Mary W. Gillespie Dr. and Mrs. Everett C. Goodwin Rev. Cleo D. Graham Rev. Douglas J. Green Mr. Chengyuan Guo Mr. Daniel D. Haacker Ms. Ali E. Hager Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Haggray Rev. Malcolm T. Hall Ms. Betty J. Hamilton Rev. Dr. Hugh B. Hamilton Rev. Robert C. Hamilton Rev. and Dr. Patricia G. Haresch Rev. Linda E. Harper Smith Rev. George A. Harvey Rev. Jill E. Harvey Rev. Thomas Hawkins Rev. Nancy E. Haynes Mr. David Heim Mrs. and Mr. Laurie Heim Dr. Melissa L. Heim and Dr. S. Mark Heim Mr. and Mrs. Peter Heim Ms. Sarah E. L. Heim Rev. Robert E. Henry
The donor honor roll recognizes those whose generosity supported Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School during the 2025– 2026 year. We are deeply grateful for your faith and support in our mission and for the many ways you help make this work possible.
Ms. Susan C. Henry Mr. Thomas C. Henry Rev. James E. Hinds Rev. Dr. and Mrs. David Y. Hirano Ms. Karen Hodges Dr. Donald G. Hodgson Rev. Dr. Beth F. Hoffman Dr. and Dr. Charles L. Hoffman Mr. Craig Hoffman and Mr. Albert G. Lauber, Jr., Esq. Dr. and Dr. Ellendale M. Hoffman Dr. and Mrs. William S. Holt Mr. Walter W. Hostetter Rev. Rick H. Huleatt Rev. Dr. Thomas A. Hunt Rev. and Ms. Joel F. Huntington Mr. and Mrs. Daniel E. Huntwork Mr. John Hupalo Rev. Meredith A. Hutchison Rev. Dr. William Carl Imes and Mrs. Judith Kaye Imes Ms. Jean W. Inglis Rev. and Ms. Tapley F. Irby, Jr. Rev. Michael G. Ireland Rev. Warren E. Jensen Rev. Dr. Jeffrey P. Johnson Rev. Richard A. Jones Rev. Dr. Katherine T. Kallis
Donor Honor Roll: 2025–2026 Individuals (K-O) Rep. Hannah E. Kane and Mr. James F. Kane Ms. Gwenette Ische Kangis Rev. David G. Kegler Rev. Carolyn H. Keilig Mr. and Mrs. Michael W. Kellogg Rev. Stephanie S. Kelsch Rev. Mark A. Kennedy Ms. Diane C. Kessler Rev. William Ketchum Rev. Dr. David A. Killian Pastor Keith A. King Mr. and Mrs. James Kisthardt Rev. Laura Kisthardt Ms. Nicole A. Klosterman Dr. and Mrs. Hugh C. Knapp Ms. Sarah H. Kohlenberg Mr. Merrill B. Kohlhofer Rev. Charles G. Krajewski Rev. Melissa Kreider Rev. Richard H. Kremer and Ms. Judith V. ButterworthKremer Rev. Deborah L. Labonte Rev. Reginald V. Lancaster Rev. Katherine Layzer Mr. Marshall E. Linden Ms. Andrea Lloyd
Rev. Robert K. Loesch Rev. Nancy L. Lois Rev. Jeffrey Long-Middleton Ms. Cynthia Lord Mr. and Ms. Dean A. Lundgren Rev. Robert B. Macfarlane Mr. William MacKay Prof. Thomas W. Maclachlan Rev. Dr. Bruce P. MacLeod Mr. and Mrs. Russell B. MacPherson Rev. Dr. Jonathan A. Malone Rev. and Mr. Donna K. Manocchio Mr. and Rev. Alexander Marshall Rev. David K. Martin Ms. Ruth Anne Martz and Mr. Stephen L. Majeski Rev. Dr. and Mr. Jessica A. McArdle Ms. Marilyn C. McCarthy Rev. Dr. Virginia A. McDaniel Ms. Nancy E. McKinney Rev. Dr. David E. Mehl and Dr. Lynne Seacord Ms. Lydia E. Mercado Rev. M. Elva Merry
Dr. Henry Millan Rev. and Ms. Lee J. Milligan Rev. Bobbie W. Miner Dr. and Mrs. J. R. Mishoe Ms. Molli R. Mitchell Mr. Gwanglip Moon Rev. F. T. Moore Rev. and Rev. Earle R. Morse Rev. and Rev. Pamela S. Morse Ms. Shelly Moses Mrs. and Mr. Jean Moore M. Muller Rev. and Mrs. Kevin S. Munroe Rev. Susan J. Murtha Mrs. Manuel A. Navia Mr. Jamal D. Neal Rev. Dr. Phil M. Negley Rev. Dr. C. R. Nelson Rev. Alan G. Newton Rev. Donald T. Ng Rev. Dr. Thomas Niblock Rev. Dr. Robert A. Noblett Rev. and Mr. Eileen O. Norrington Rev. Venessa O'Brien Rev. Roberto O. Ochoa Rev. Catherine M. O'Connell Mr. Peter C. Olsen Mr. and Mrs. David Otten Rev. Dr. Monica J. Ouellette
Individuals (P-Z) Rev. Dr. Scott R. Paeth Rev. Jonathan C. Page Rev. Dr. Ned Allyn Parker Mrs. Diane Parrish and Mr. Steve Parrish Rev. Dr. Ronald M. Patterson Ms. Lynette Peck Ms. Susanne Peck Mr. Howard M. Pelham Rev. Dr. and Mrs. George E. Peters Rev. Nanette Pitt and Rev. Dr. Steven T. Savides Rev. Diane M. Pomeroy Ms. Katharine M. Preston and Mr. John H. L. Bingham Mr. and Ms. Wayne K. Price Rev. Charles Purinton and Rev. Dr. Barbara Purinton Rev. Richard S. Putney Rev. Nena D. Radtke Mr. Donald Rahelich Mrs. Heather B. Raker and Mr. Todd D. Raker Rev. Dr. and Mrs. David P. Ransom Mr. George A. Rappolt Ms. Racquel R. Ray Rev. John H. Reynolds Rev. Jeffrey P. Rider and Ms. Lynn Eastman Rider
Rev. Ives M. Roberts Rev. Ellen M. Rohan Ball Mr. and Rev. David M. Rowell Mr. Stephen Russell and Mrs. Nancy Russell Dr. Barbara M. Sanborn Rev. Paul H. Sangree Ms. Pamela A. Sawyer Dr. Judith I. Scott and Rev. Robert A. Scott Dr. Elizabeth H. Searcy Rev. Dr. Carolyn J. Sharp and Dr. Leo A. Lensing Mr. Kenneth R. Shaw Rev. Deborah E. Shipp Rev. Donald L. Shuler Mr. William J. Sibold and Mrs. Cynthia Sibold Mr. George H. Sinclair Ms. Judith R. Sizer Ms. Betsy P. Skinner Rev. and Ms. James L. Smalley Dr. David C. Smith Mr. and Mrs. David E. Smith Rev. Dr. Davis L. Smith Rev. Richard O. Sparrow Ms. Lillian A. Steinmayer Rev. Sandra J. Stephenson
Andover Newton Seminary’s work is made possible by a community of alumni/ae, congregations, friends, and partners who believe and invest in the future of our mission. Donor generosity sustains students, strengthens programs, creates opportunities for learning and formation, and helps Andover Newton remain responsive to the changing needs of faith communities.
Ms. Lynne Stevens Mr. Peter A. Strobel Mr. Burton B. Stuart Mr. Dave M. Stuart Mr. David B. Stuart and Ms. Marcy Fall-Stuart Rev. Judith L. Swahnberg and Mr. Carl H. Novotny Rev. Stacy Swain Rev. Dr. Theodore N. Swanson Rev. Richard H. Taylor Rev. Jonathan C. Tetherly Dr. and Mrs. John R. Tharp Rev. William C. Thwing Rev. Dr. Allen D. Timm Rev. and Mr. Susan P. Townsley Rev. Sherry S. Tucker Rev. Susan J. Tyrrel Rev. Tyler Ung Pastor and Ms. Allen Vander Meulen Rev. Kate VanDerzee-Glidden Pastor Antonio Vargas Mr. and Mrs. David von Loesecke Rev. Judith Waible Rev. David G. Walker Rev. Kurt A. Walker Dr. Thomas B. Walter
Donor Honor Roll: 2025–2026 Churches, Congregations, and Foundations American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts American Baptist Home Missions Societies Amicable Congregational Church Bristol United Church of Christ Calvary Baptist Church of Cambridge Central Congregational Church of Providence Church Of Christ Congregational of Newington Community Foundation of Western Mass Edwards Church of Northampton Ellis Charitable Foundation Eugene B. Hamilton Trust First Baptist Church of Essex First Baptist Church of Malden First Church of Christ Congregational of Glastonbury First Church of Windsor First Congregational Church of Shrewsbury First Congregational Church of Norwich First Parish Church in Weston First Parish Congregational Church of Yarmouth Franklin S. & Mabel A. Hoyt Trust Gilead Congregational Church
Hingham Congregational Church Marion Hamilton Trust Montvale Congregational Church Mount Vernon Church of Boston Mount Vernon Congregational Church Nathanael M. Guptill Scholarship Fund National Association of Congregational Christian Churches Norfield Congregational Church Society Richard and Helen Brown Endowment for Church Leadership Roxbury Congregational Church Second Congregational Church of West Boxford South Congregational Church of Kennebunkport St. Paul's United Church of Christ Suttons Bay Congregational Church The Lester G. Provo Trust United Church Funds United Parish of Harrison and North Bridgton Women's Guild of Columbia Congregational Church
Every gift—regardless of size—is an expression of partnership in this work. We are deeply grateful for your confidence in our mission and for the many ways you help make this work possible.
Rooted: Looking Ahead to 2026–2027 The 2026–2027 academic year invites Andover Newton Seminary to explore what it means to be Rooted—in faith, history, community, and a mission that continues to shape theological education for a changing world. The year ahead will bring opportunities to deepen those roots through learning, celebration, and encounter. The HSP Fall Symposium on September 25 will gather the community for conversation and reflection, followed by the George Washington Williams Chair celebration on October 4, honoring an important legacy in Andover Newton’s history and the work of inaugural chairholder Braxton D. Shelley. Learning will once again extend beyond New Haven through Emmaus Encounters. Students will travel to Boston November 20–25 for An Emmaus Encounter on Commemoration and Community, followed by a return to Puerto Rico March 6–13. Together, these experiences reflect an Andover Newton that is deeply rooted while continuing to grow—grounded in its history and faith, strengthened by community, and open to where its mission leads next.
Pictured: Andover Newton Associate Dean of Community Development and Faith Formation, Rev. JaQuan K. Beachem (MDiv ’21), delivers the blessing before President of Yale University Maurie D. McInnis at the October 6, 2025, dedication of the Living Village.
Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School A: 409 Prospect Street; New Haven, CT 06511 P: 203.436.9970 E: andovernewton@yale.edu W: andovernewton.yale.edu Acknowledgments: Report by David C. Smith, Ph.D., Director of Institutional Advancement Photo Credits: Clifford Chambliss, III; Moriah Felder, (MDiv, ’19); Nicqueva Haughton; Caroline Kirk; and Blake Long