“He is an exquisitely trained scholar, an eloquent proclaimer of the Gospel, a thoughtful analyst of culture, and a graceful and prolific author,” said John Buchanan, editor of the Christian Century . “His election as the next president of Princeton Seminary is very good news.”

The Rev. M. Craig Barnes, a professor of pastoral theology and the pastor of a large Pittsburgh congregation, has been named the seventh president of Princeton Theological Seminary.

A 1981 graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, Barnes has also served as a trustee of the seminary. He is currently the Robert Meneilly Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Leadership at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and the pastor of the 1,100-member Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh

Barnes will begin in his role as president and professor of pastoral ministry on January 1. He will succeed the Reverend Dr. Iain Torrance, who has served as president of Princeton Theological Seminary since 2004 and announced his intention to retire from this role last year.

Barnes earned his doctorate in American Church History from the University of Chicago. He has previously served pastorates at the First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs, Christ Presbyterian Church in Madison, Wisconsin, and the National Presbyterian Church in Washington DC. He is the author of eight books and serves as a columnist for The Christian Century. Barnes is a frequent lecturer and preacher at conferences, in congregations and at academic gatherings across America, and his writing and academic work emphasize the theological formation of pastors to lead the church in changing times.

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