Thank You, Rev. Dr. Ken McFayden: A Legacy of Integrating Leadership in Pastoral Formation

Richmond, VA (March 12, 2025)—Union Presbyterian Seminary announces the retirement of the Rev. Dr. Kenneth J. McFayden, vice president of academic affairs, academic dean, and professor of practical theology, at the end of this academic year. Over his 25-year tenure on UPSem’s faculty, McFayden has substantially impacted the Seminary’s academic and theological community for generations.

“Ken McFayden’s impact has been deep and far-reaching, positively shaping UPSem over the decades in every role he has inhabited,” said President Jacq Lapsley, who recently announced McFayden’s upcoming retirement. “Truly, he has helped build the Church in the world through his wisdom, expertise, and impactful leadership. On a personal note, I will miss him, his deep institutional knowledge, and his winsome collegiality. I wish him all the best in his next life adventure.”

According to Steve Allred, member of UPSem’s board of trustees and chair of the Academic Affairs Committee, “Ken McFayden has put the needs of the institution first, making it more effective. The success of McFayden’s ten years’ service as academic dean is reflected in the reaffirmation of Union’s accreditation. Receiving expansive praise from both the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) is unprecedented.” Allred added, “We will miss Ken’s expertise, support, insights, organizational skills, and his willingness to be available for a helpful conversation. He has spent countless hours on the Charlotte campus ensuring that our vision of one seminary with two campuses is fulfilled.”

McFayden’s contributions extend beyond his roles as professor of practical theology and academic dean. He became dean of the Leadership Institute in 2009, having served as its director since 2000. McFayden also held a faculty role as director of the Doctor of Ministry program from 2000 to 2012, and as professor of ministry and leadership development from 2000 through 2022.

A graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, with a Ph.D. in the psychology of religion, McFayden is an author and academic with a pastor’s insight. His work includes Strategic Leadership for a Change: Facing Our Losses, Finding Our Future (The Alban Institute, 2009).

Prior to joining UPSem’s faculty in March 2000, he served as executive director of North Central Career Development Center in New Brighton, Minnesota, from 1994 to 2000. Previously, he served as a hospital chaplain in Louisville, Kentucky, from 1991 to 1994, after being ordained in 1986 and serving four years as an associate pastor in Alliance, Ohio. To learn more about McFayden’s achievements, publications, and leadership roles, see his complete CV online.

A 1986 Doctor of Ministry alum, McFayden has devoted much of his professional career to his alma mater, Union Presbyterian Seminary. He is a respected writer, keynote speaker, facilitator, and advisor, both in the UPSem community and beyond. He provided leadership with strategic planning to two UPSem presidents. At the Seminary, he also led the envisioning and development of a Master of Arts in public theology and served on numerous search committees. McFayden was often called on to speak on leadership and change in various settings. He conducted numerous workshops and consultations for clergy and lay professionals in the theory and practice of leadership, and in team development, strategic planning, and conflict management. As Allred noted, “The beneficiaries of McFayden’s commitment are more competent pastoral and educational leaders, trained in leadership theory and critical engagement with the theological and cultural traditions where they serve.”

A case in point of how McFayden has worked to build a bridge between seminary and congregations in nurturing leaders of the Church is the annual Kittye Susan Trent Symposium for Newly Ordained Ministers. In 2006, McFayden and two pastors and alums, George Anderson (D.Min. ‘85) and Ed McLeod, Jr. (D.Min. ‘85), created an opportunity for newly ordained ministers, who were invited into the program to spend a week at Second Presbyterian Church in Roanoke, Virginia. The annual symposium includes over 25 seminars taught by experienced pastors, laypeople, and McFayden, each with a focus on practical areas of ministry that are critical to ministers fresh in their calls.  As a co-director, McFayden helped educate and equip the pastors and create a supportive community among peers. Anderson notes, “Almost all the 122 ministers who have gone through the program would say that the symposium not only helped them get off to a good start but also gave them the tools needed to remain in ministry over a long career.”

McFayden’s affiliations are wide: from the Association of Partners in Christian Educators (president, 2018, and other leadership roles from 2015-2020) to the American Academy of Religion, the Association of Theological Schools, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, and The Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, McFayden has provided energy and intellect to organizations throughout the wider religious community.

As an ordained minister of the Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA) since 1986 and current member of the Presbytery of New Hope, McFayden embodies the integration of faith and leadership. His work has inspired many to live out their faith. UPSem celebrates Ken McFayden’s lasting and positive impact on the community, the Seminary, theological education broadly, congregations, mid-councils, and Christ’s Church.

# # #

Contact: Barb Dodd
Director of Communications
bdodd@upsem.edu
(804) 278-4279 direct