Columbia Theological Seminary names its 11th president

The Rev. Dr. Victor Aloyo ‘conveys an excitement that embodies hope’

by Columbia Theological Seminary | Special to Presbyterian News Service

The Rev. Dr. Victor Aloyo

DECATUR, Georgia ­—  Columbia Theological Seminary’s presidential search committee and board of trustees are pleased to announce Rev. Dr. Victor Aloyo will become Columbia’s 11^th president effective August 1.

“Victor Aloyo brings a passion for God’s work in the church and the world that resonates with Columbia’s deep commitment to preparing leaders. His experience in congregational ministry equips him to understand the hopes and challenges for local pastors, and his experience at Princeton Seminary prepares him for leadership in theological education,” said the Rev. Dr. Millie Snyder, search committee chair, executive pastor at Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Columbia Seminary Board of Trustees member. “I believe Victor Aloyo will lead Columbia to embody God’s vision for our future. Victor conveys an excitement that embodies hope for the role Columbia will have in the church, in the community, and in the world.”

Currently, Aloyo is the associate dean of institutional diversity and community engagement at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he is the chief strategist on matters related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Under his leadership, Princeton Seminary developed a Diversity Action Blueprint as a resource for the seminary to establish goals, objectives, and assessment criteria to strengthen multicultural relations across departmental lines, and he initiated and led the seminary’s campus-wide antiracism formational platforms focusing on matters of race, power, privilege, stereotypes, and justice.

In addition, through a collaborative effort with a cohort of community leaders and organizers, faith leaders, seminary faculty and students, and administration from area colleges and universities, Aloyo prepared a Community Engagement Blueprint identifying a “place-based” model for community engagement to support a sustainable approach to urban ministry.

Aloyo is also the organizing and lead pastor of La Iglesia Presbiteriana Nuevas Fronteras, a multicultural community of faith in North Plainfield, New Jersey, composed of families from 22 countries from across the globe. Aloyo and the church developed a “teaching church” model that witnessed the flourishing of 12 candidates to the ministry and created a field education platform for 62 seminarians during his tenure.

“I am drawn to Columbia Theological Seminary because I believe with its long and rich history it is positioned to serve a vital purpose of leading the theological academy by preparing people for innovative, creative and substantive leadership,” Aloyo said. “My call to ministry embraces important principles of adaptive leadership, innovation in strategic planning, trust-building, equitable distribution of resources, and access to education.”

“With the collaboration of trustees, students, faculty, administrators, alumni, community organizers, faith leaders, and donors, I intend to serve to equip the saints for ministry,” Aloyo said. “The vision statement recently approved excites me and it speaks to my passion for continuing to explore and model how God intersects our common call at all levels of the teaching-learning-serving paradigm.”

Aloyo is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Presbyterian Foundation, Family Promise, the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico, the Muhlenberg Foundation, and Convener of the Covenant Architects Network.

He received his bachelor of arts in religious studies and sociology from the College of New Rochelle, an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Pennsylvania. His dissertation focused on navigating diversity and inclusion within a framework of social justice.

“Victor Aloyo’s pastoral presence and his experience with DEI and leading multicultural communities of faith will help Columbia realize its vision of becoming a community of belonging,” said the Rev. Dr. Jane Fahey, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “He has the skills and experience necessary to guide Columbia toward its third century.”

Go here to learn more.

Columbia Theological Seminary, an educational institution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), commits to educate, equip, and nurture students to become a new generation of pastoral leaders for the church and the world; to become a community that embodies welcome, hospitality, justice, and belonging; to build partnerships that bring vibrant spiritual, cultural, and academic exchanges; and to embrace boldness, enabling us to learn, teach, serve, and live joyfully.