Timothy Tennent

Timothy C. Tennent (born September 24, 1959) is an American Methodist missiologist and expert on world Christianity. As of 2025, he is the Methodist Chair of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School where he oversees their Missions and World Christianity curriculum. He formerly served as President of Asbury Theological Seminary from 2009-2024. Prior to that he taught at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary from 1998-2009. He was first ordained and spent many years as a minister in the United Methodist Church. In 2023, he transferred his ministerial credentials to the Global Methodist Church. He is also a direct descendant of William Tennent, the founder of Log College, which was the precursor to Princeton University.

Education Tennent's education includes a B.A. from Oral Roberts University, an M.Div. from Gordon Conwell (1984), a Th.M. from Princeton Theological Seminary (1991), and a Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh's Centre for the Study of Christianity in the Non-Western World (1998), where his dissertation was on Indian theologian Brahmabandhab Upadhyay.

Tennent studied under Professor John Brockington, Dr James Cox, and Professor Andrew Walls, and his research focused on the rapidly growing churches outside the West. His Ph.D. dissertation was revised and published in 2000 under the title Building Christianity on Indian Foundations.

Tennent is also one of four graduates of a three-year mentoring in academic leadership program funded through a Lilly Endowment grant.

Career Tennent began his teaching career at Toccoa Falls College, where he was named Teacher of the Year in 1995. From 1998–2009, he served as professor of world missions and Indian studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts.

He was elected to his current post as president of Asbury Seminary on February 17, 2009, and his tenure began on July 1, 2009. Tennent succeeded Ellsworth Kalas as president of Asbury. He continues to serve as a visiting professor at the Luther W. New Jr. Theological College of Dehradun, India where he has taught each summer since 1988.

In November 2009, Tennent signed an ecumenical statement known as the Manhattan Declaration calling on evangelicals, Catholics and Orthodox not to comply with rules and laws permitting abortion, same-sex marriage and other matters that go against their religious consciences.

Theology Tennent has a Wesleyan-Arminian theology.

Published works Books

Articles & chapters