{{Short description|American theologian (born 1961)}} '''David Emmanuel Goatley''' (born 1961) is an American theologian who has served as the President of [[Fuller Theological Seminary]] since 2023.
==Early life and education== Goatley studied at the [[University of Louisville]] where he earned a bachelor’s degree in guidance and counseling. He went on to earn a master of divinity degree in pastoral care and a Ph.D. in theology from [[Southern Baptist Theological Seminary]].<ref name=JBHE>{{cite news |title=David Emmanuel Goatley Will Be the Next President of Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, California |newspaper=The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education |date=September 19, 2022 |url=https://jbhe.com/2022/09/david-emmanuel-goatley-will-be-the-next-president-of-fuller-seminary-in-pasadena-california/ |access-date=3 February 2026}}</ref>
==Career and ministry== After being ordained as a minister in the [[National Baptist Convention, USA]] he served as pastor of the First Baptist Church of [[Campbellsville, Kentucky]]. Later he became the CEO of the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Society.<ref>{{cite news |last=Shimron |first=Yonat |title=Nation's Largest Interdenominational Seminary Picks First Black President |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=September 17, 2022 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2714988431}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hutson |first=Wendell |title=Black Clergy Group Commits $50 Million to Haiti |work=Chicago Defender |date=July 28, 2010 |page=23 |url=https://chicagodefender.com/black-clergy-group-commits-50-million-to-haiti/}}</ref> He was then appointed Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams Jr. Research Professor of Theology and Christian Ministry at [[Duke Divinity School]], where he also served as associate dean for academic and vocational formation and director of the Office of Black Church Studies.<ref>{{cite news |title=Six African American Faculty Members Taking on New Roles or Assignments |newspaper=The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education |date=October 12, 2018 |url=https://jbhe.com/2018/10/six-african-american-faculty-members-taking-on-new-roles-or-assignments/ |access-date=3 February 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=David Emmanuel Goatley |date=20 October 2017 |url=https://www.fuller.edu/president/ |publisher=[[Fuller Theological Seminary]] |access-date=13 June 2025}}</ref> He is Fuller's first Black president.<ref name=JBHE /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Blez |first1=Emily |title=Fuller Theological Seminary Names New President |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/2022/09/fuller-seminary-new-president-david-emmanuel-goatley/ |access-date=13 June 2025 |work=[[Christianity Today]] |date=12 September 2022}}</ref>
Under Goatley's leadership, Fuller considered revising its sexual standards to become more accepting of [[LGBTQ+]] students,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bharath |first1=Deepa |title=California evangelical seminary ponders changes that would make it more welcoming to LGBTQ students |url=https://apnews.com/article/evangelical-seminary-lgbtq-samesex-marriage-10f734487e3097055ae3052d75618f06 |access-date=13 June 2025 |work=[[AP News]] |date=26 May 2024}}</ref> before eventually affirming the "historic theological understanding of marriage".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Silliman |first1=Daniel |title=Fuller Seminary Reaffirms Historic LGBTQ Stance |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/05/fuller-seminary-reaffirm-lgbtq-sexuality-marriage-stance/ |access-date=13 June 2025 |work=[[Christianity Today]] |date=23 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Wingfield |first1=Mark |title=Fuller Seminary affirms 'historic theological understanding of marriage' |url=https://baptistnews.com/article/fuller-seminary-affirms-historic-theological-understanding-of-marriage/ |access-date=13 June 2025 |work=[[Baptist News Global]] |date=30 May 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Fuller Theological Seminary}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goatley, David}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Seminary presidents]] [[Category:University of Louisville alumni]] [[Category:Southern Baptist Theological Seminary alumni]] [[Category:Duke Divinity School faculty]] [[Category:Fuller Theological Seminary faculty]] [[Category:21st-century American Protestant theologians]] [[Category:African-American theologians]] [[Category:Baptist theologians from the United States]] [[Category:National Baptist Convention, USA ministers]] [[Category:1961 births]]