Introducing Our New Leadership Fellow Mentor - Rev. Dr. Christy Newton

Rev. Christy Newton, Ph.D., is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) who has served Disciples of Christ and United Church of Christ congregations in Arkansas and California for over 25 years. She has also worked in Church Relations with students and congregations at Chapman University. Currently, she serves as Executive Director of the Disciples Seminary Foundation, supporting the theological formation of students at seminaries across the Western U.S. Additionally, she leads retreats and teaches a variety of seminary courses in social ethics, pastoral leadership, spirituality, globalization, and culture.

Christy is an alumna of Texas Christian University, Nanzan University (Nagoya, Japan), Monash University (Melbourne, Australia), Pacific School of Religion, and the Graduate Theological Union, where she earned her Ph.D. in the interdisciplinary study of theology, globalization, and material culture.

Her ministry and teaching focus on the tangible work of justice, dynamically translating a prophetic gospel message into languages that diverse communities can understand, and using the arts to open up the transformative possibilities of the spirit. She is energized by practical and public theologies that emphasize hospitality, justice, and compassion, and she is inspired to help individuals and communities sustain their prophetic voices in a challenging and polarized world.