We are delighted to welcome Dr. Michael Voigts to the community as Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation on the Kentucky Campus. Dr. Voigts has taught as an affiliate professor at Asbury Seminary since 2008 and will join the community in this new role on July 1, 2017.

“I am delighted that Dr. Mike Voigts will be joining the ministry of Asbury Theological Seminary,” President Timothy Tennent said. “His breadth of experience as a teacher, pastor, researcher, author and mentor brings enormous strength to our faculty team and an added resource for our students. We are truly blessed by God to have someone with his background helping us to fulfill our 2023 Strategic Plan.”

Dr. Voigts experienced his call to preach when he was 10 years old and has been in pastoral ministry since 1993. Currently, he pastors at Centenary United Methodist Church (UMC) in Danville, Ky. He also serves as a mentor and second reader for more than 10 Asbury Seminary Doctor of Ministry students. He currently teaches courses in spiritual formation, church history, and United Methodist doctrine and polity.

He is the author of several articles and one book, Letters of Ascent: Spiritual Direction in the Letters of Bernard of Clairvaux. After completing his M.Div. and D.Min. from Asbury Theological Seminary in 1993 and 2004, he pursued his Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Brunel University/London School of Theology. His thesis explored “Regere Animas in the Letters of Bernard of Clairvaux: A Methodology for Twelfth-Century Ecclesiastical Reform.”

“We are very pleased and grateful that Dr. Voigts is joining our team and helping our students live out our mission of ‘the whole Bible for the whole world,’” Dr. Doug Matthews, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, said. “His passion, skill set, vision, love for students and gift for encouraging others all set him apart to train our students to make a global impact.”

Dr. Voigts has served as pastor in the Central Texas Conference of the UMC, Associate Pastor at St. Luke UMC, Senior Pastor at Wilmore UMC and Senior Pastor at Centenary UMC before coming to Asbury Seminary. He has received several awards, including the Outstanding Rural Pastor Award from the Texas Council of Churches and the Five Star Pastor Award from the Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church.

When not in the pulpit or classroom, Dr. Voigts enjoys writing, amateur photography, the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien (he reads The Lord of the Rings annually), and is a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan. He usually has at least one cup of coffee nearby at all times.