Bexley Hall Welcomes New President, Dean

The Board of Trustees of Bexley Hall Seminary announced the appointment of Dr. Robert E. Reber as President Pro-Tem and the Rev. William Doubleday as Interim Dean. “We are delighted to have the leadership of these gifted colleagues as Bexley Hall explores new ways to meet the changing needs of seminary education,” said the Rev. Canon Carl Gerdau, chairman of the board. “They have proven track records of excellence in theological education and will carry on Bexley Hall’s long tradition of a keen focus on spiritual formation.”
Reber and Doubleday will build upon the work of the Very Rev. John Kevern, who has served as dean of Bexley Hall for 17 years. Dean Kevern submitted his resignation, effective July 31, and the board is honoring him with a terminal sabbatical. The board also plans a special farewell event for this fall.

Dr. Reber and Dean Doubleday bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to Bexley Hall. Dr. Reber has consulted and published widely on lifelong learning and linking faith to daily life. A graduate of The Ohio State University, Boston University, and the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, Switzerland, Dr. Reber has served in key leadership positions across the country. Early in his career, he served as associate secretary for the Council of Churches in Wilmington, Del., and as an associate professor for adult education and as interim dean at Scarritt College in Nashville, Tenn. He served as dean of Auburn Theological Seminary in New York from 1985 to 2001. He was a founding director of the Center for Applied Christian Leadership at Methodist Theological Seminary in Delaware, Ohio. Reber attends St. John’s Episcopal Church in Worthington, Ohio. He and his wife, Wendy Wilson Reber, are the parents of two grown children.

Dean Doubleday has served at Bexley Hall as associate dean and professor of pastoral theology since 2006. Ordained in 1980 in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, he is a graduate of Amherst College and Episcopal Divinity School. He taught for nearly 20 years at The General Theological Seminary in New York. His areas of expertise include pastoral theology, continuing education, congregational development and pastoral care. A five-time deputy to General Convention, Dean Doubleday also is active in the wider church, having led 13 teaching missions in Southern Africa. He has led numerous retreats in churches, dioceses and healthcare settings throughout the world on topics as varied as the AIDS crisis, clergy wellness and local clergy and lay leadership training. Dean Doubleday will represent Bexley Hall at this year’s 75th General Convention.

The new leadership at Bexley Hall is part of the strategic planning and visioning by the Board of Trustees. Both Dr. Reber and Dean Doubleday are fully engaged in the changing landscape of seminary education and expect to pursue new partnerships with dioceses and centers for theological education. Both are committed to strengthening the unique relationship with Trinity Lutheran Seminary as a dynamic example of how The Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America can live into its call to Common Mission. Founded in 1824, Bexley Hall Seminary has had a presence on the Trinity campus since 1999.