Rev. Dr. Sharon Betsworth Joins Saint Paul as the Next Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean

We are excited to announce that Rev. Dr. Sharon Betsworth has accepted an appointment as the next Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean at Saint Paul School of Theology. She will assume her new responsibilities on July 1, 2022.

Rev. Dr. Betsworth has been a member of the faculty of Oklahoma City University since 2007 and the Director of the Wimberly School of Religion since 2009. She has also taught for Saint Paul School of Theology since 2009. Rev. Dr. Betsworth is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church with her clergy membership in the Iowa Conference. She received a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary, a Master of Theology in New Testament from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. She has taught a variety of courses in biblical studies including New Testament Greek, Gospel of Luke, Gospels and Acts, and Pauline Letters. Her research focuses on children in the Gospels and the ancient world. Rev. Dr. Betsworth’s first book examined daughters in the Gospel of Mark, and her second book, Children in Early Christian Narratives, was published in 2015. In 2019, she edited the T&T Clark Handbook of Children in the Bible and Biblical World with Dr. Julie Faith Parker. When not pursuing scholarly interests, she enjoys cooking, hiking, and walking with her spouse, Tom, and their Labrador, Greta.

Rev. Dr. Betsworth brings to Saint Paul School of Theology an admirable record of scholarly attainment and teaching experience. Moreover, her deep ties to the United Methodist Church perfectly complement the mission of our Seminary.