McCormick Theological Seminary names the Rev. Dr. Maisha I. Handy as its 12th President

A progressive leader among American seminaries, Handy becomes McCormick’s first African American president

by McCormick Theological Seminary | Special to Presbyterian News Service

The Rev. Dr. Maisha I. Handy

CHICAGO — The Board of Trustees of McCormick Theological Seminary, one of the nation’s oldest seminaries rooted in the Presbyterian tradition, has named the Rev. Dr. Maisha I. Handy as its 12th President.

The Chicago native — who is a recognized and accomplished theologian, administrator and educator — will assume her new position as the institution’s first African American president and second female leader on September 3. This appointment follows her 24-year career at Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, where Handy served most recently as Interim President and Professor of Religion and Education of the historic institution.

At McCormick, Handy succeeds David H. Crawford, who retired on June 30 after serving as the seminary’s president since 2017. Crawford is credited with successfully leading McCormick through both the pandemic and a transformational period in its history.

“We are deeply grateful for David’s transformational leadership, intellectual rigor, and his commitment to faculty, staff, and community which has positioned McCormick for a sustainable future,” said Connie Lindsey, McCormick’s Trustee and Board Chair.

“We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Maisha Handy back to Chicago and now to McCormick, where she will continue our mission of nurturing the gifts of women and men for faithful Christian ministry and leadership in a challenging and complex world,” Lindsey said.

Trustee and incoming Board Chair the Rev. Amy Pagliarella said, “Dr. Handy is a visionary leader, a collaborative and compassionate minister, a proven educator, and an effective relationship builder. We are confident Dr. Handy’s tremendous experience and wide-ranging skillset will enable her to work together with our accomplished faculty to propel McCormick into its third century.”

Handy, a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is well respected among theologians, educators and academicians for her experience as an administrator, dean and pastor. At Lincoln University she earned a B.S. in Criminal Justice in 1989 and received a Master of Divinity with honors from Candler School of Theology, Emory University in 1994, and a Ph.D. from Emory University in 2002 — the first African American woman to receive the degree from the department. In 1999, Handy spent a year as a teaching assistant to Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa.

Since 2013, Handy has served as pastor for Rize Community Church, an inclusive Africentric Christian ministry located in the heart of Atlanta that is home to an intergenerational congregation of believers from all walks of life. As pastor for more than a decade, she is widely recognized in the church for her special focus on guiding young adults.

“It is with joy and excitement that I join the McCormick community as its 12th president,” said Handy. “McCormick’s mission as a seminary committed to justice and social impact aligns with my sense of vocation and purpose as a leader. Working collaboratively with the board, faculty, staff and students, we will walk together into the next phase of this great institution’s legacy in theological education.”

In addition to her proven track record of more than two decades of experience in theological education, Handy is a collaborative leader and social justice-oriented community builder whose values and commitments align with those of McCormick. At McCormick, Handy will inherit a community that will embrace and support her to advance the institution’s mission along with its notable reputation for community collaboration.

The Rev. Dr. Frank Yamada, Executive Director of the Association of Theological Schools and the Commission on Accrediting, noted that Handy’s creativity as an academic dean will help support and energize an innovative McCormick faculty that has significant opportunities in the seminary’s new location at Catholic Theological Union. He said, “She is the right leader for this time and place at McCormick Theological Seminary.” Yamada served as McCormick’s 10th president.

The state of McCormick is healthy, and the organization has become stronger through good financial discipline and staying mission focused. During Crawford’s tenure leading McCormick, he successfully placed the organization in a position for a sustainable future.

“We were ahead of the curve in theological education in our understanding of the economic impact of real estate for religious-affiliated institutions by selling our property, eliminating debt, and combining with longtime facility partners — the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and the Catholic Theological Union,” said Crawford. Among his other accomplishments, Crawford fostered and expanded a diverse, cross-cultural organization that has long been a historic priority for the institution, and firmly established McCormick’s presence and created goodwill in the community through the Theological Certificate program at Chicago’s Cook County Jail, the Center for Reparatory Justice, Transformation, and Remediation, and his leadership on the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago.

Until Handy officially joins McCormick, Dr. Annette Huizenga, McCormick’s Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs and Interim Dean of Faculty, will also serve as Acting President.

McCormick was assisted in its national search by executive search firm Isaacson, Miller.

About McCormick Theological Seminary

Founded in 1829, McCormick Theological Seminary is a private Presbyterian seminary in Chicago and a graduate institution of higher learning within a rich intellectual and theological tradition. It is one of 12 seminaries related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools of the United States and Canada and the Higher Learning Commission. Through academic excellence, critical reflection, and transforming witness, McCormick uniquely equips excellent Church leaders for faithful, inclusive, and liberating ministries in God’s world.

A progressive leader in the Reformed tradition, McCormick provides a transformative educational experience, ignited by the call for justice, which expands prophetic imagination grounded in real-world practice, inspires passionate advocates who accompany those on the margins, and empowers generations of leaders to serve the church and society with integrity, love and hope.