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Shonda Jones

Executive Vice President and Academic Dean and Professor of the Practice of Intercultural Leadership

Biography

The Rev. Dr. Shonda R. Jones is a distinguished scholar-practitioner and transformative leader in higher education, currently serving as the Executive Vice President, Dean, and Professor of the Practice of Intercultural Leadership at Brite Divinity School. With over twenty-five years of experience, Dr. Jones is recognized for her ability to navigate the evolving landscape of graduate theological education through innovative pedagogy, strategic institutional leadership, and a deep commitment to social equity.

Strategic Academic Leadership
Dr. Jones’s work bridges rigorous academic standards with market-responsive innovation. Prior to her leadership at Brite, she served as the Assistant Dean of Academic Programs at the Wake Forest University School of Professional Studies. In this role, she provided strategic oversight for a diverse portfolio of graduate degrees—including AI Strategy and Innovation, Health Administration, and Public Policy—while managing faculty, program advisory boards, and institutional partnerships. Her executive experience also includes senior leadership roles academic and student affairs, and strategic initiatives and integrative learning.

Scholarly Inquiry, Congregational and Public Health Advocacy
A spiritual and intellectual catalyst, Dr. Jones’s research examines the intersection of faith, health, and intercultural leadership. She notably served as the Principal Investigator for the Faith COMPASS Center, leading a nearly $10 million public health initiative to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Southern United States. Her work focuses on:

- Health Equity: Building the capacity of faith communities to address health disparities among African American and LGBTQ+ populations.
- Womanist Frameworks: Employing womanist methodologies to center the experiences of Black women and promote flourishing within oppressive systems.
- Intercultural Competency: Developing liberative frameworks and intercultural leadership capacities to help leaders navigate diverse global contexts.
Dr. Jones is an Ordained Elder in the Horizon Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Degrees:

  • Ed.D., Educational Leadership, Policy, and Technology Studies, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa AL

  • M.Div., Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth TX,

  • B.A., Texas Christian University, Fort Worth TX

Courses Taught:

  • Multicultural Contexts for Ministry: Egypt

  • Jews, Christians, and Muslims in the Holy Land

  • Art of Ministry: Intercultural Development

  • Community Leadership Toolkit

  • Race and Reconciliation

  • Religion, Race, and Reconciliation: South Africa

  • Financial Leadership for Ministry

  • Pastoral Leadership in the Black Church

  • Intercultural Learning in Intentional Communities

  • Korea: Conflicts, Reconciliation, and Peacemaking

  • Contextual Education

Professional Affiliations:

  • American Academy of Religion

  • Society for the Study of Black Religion

Published Writing:

  1. Transforming Service: Reflections of Student Services Professionals in Theological Education, Shonda R. Jones and Pamela R. Lightsey, editors. Pickwick Publications (2020).

  2. “Graduate Theological School Choice: A Case for Multiplicity,” In Transforming Service: Reflections of Student Services Professionals in Theological Education, Pickwick Publications (2020).

  3. England, K., & Jones, S. (2014). “Indiana.” In J.N. Friedel, J. Killacky, E. Miller, & S. Katsinas (Eds.), Fifty State Systems of Community Colleges: Mission, Governance, Funding & Accountability. Johnson City, TN: The Overmountain Press.