Wilmore, KY — June 2, 2026 — Asbury Theological Seminary is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Kenneth J. Collins to the newly created Paul S. and Jean R. Amos Endowed Chair in Wesleyan Theology. The position was created alongside the upcoming Ph.D. in Theology with a focus on Wesley Studies, funded by a generous donation from The Paul S. and Jean R. Amos Family Foundation. 

Dr. Collins joined the faculty of Asbury Theological Seminary in 1995 and has recently served as Professor of Historical Theology and Wesley Studies. He is internationally recognized as a leading authority on John Wesley and Wesleyan theology, having lectured worldwide and contributed extensively to the field through widely published books and scholarly articles. In addition to his scholarly work, he serves as Director of the Wesleyan Studies Summer Seminar and the Wesleyan Holiness Pentecostal Studies Center at Asbury Theological Seminary. In 2008, Dr. Collins received the Professor of the Year Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Asbury Theological Seminary. 

“Dr. Ken Collins is a gift to Asbury Theological Seminary and to theological education writ large. The whole faculty celebrates his selection as the inaugural holder of the Paul S. and Jean R. Amos Chair in Wesleyan Theology. Dr. Collins is an exceptional scholar and professor whose contributions have shaped not only the standard of academic excellence at Asbury Seminary but also scholarship on John Wesley and Wesleyan theology worldwide. In addition to his academic expertise, his love for the Church and for the Lord Jesus is infectious. He is most deserving of this prestigious position,” said Dr. John Ragsdale, provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Asbury Theological Seminary.

“Wesleyan and Methodist scholars, pastors, and laypeople alike are greatly indebted to Dr. Collins’ significant body of work on John Wesley. Those who have been his students, as well as the congregations they have served, have benefited from his years of faithful teaching. This selection is a well-earned recognition of Dr. Collins and a propitious statement on the future of theological scholarship at Asbury Theological Seminary,” said Dr. David F. Watson, president of Asbury Theological Seminary.

For more information about Dr. Kenneth Collins, click here. 

For more information about Asbury Theological Seminary’s upcoming Ph.D. in Theology, please contact: theologyandformation@asburyseminary.edu

About Asbury Theological Seminary

Asbury Theological Seminary was founded in 1923 to prepare and send forth well-trained, sanctified, Spirit-filled, evangelistic ministers to spread scriptural holiness around the world. Today, thousands of Asbury Theological Seminary graduates flourish in every state, on every continent, and in every time zone, reaching the world through evangelism, missions, church planting, preaching, teaching, and counseling. Asbury Theological Seminary continues its mission in providing holistic ministerial preparation as an interdenominational institution with a flagship campus in Wilmore, Ky., and extension sites in Memphis, Orlando, Tampa, and Tulsa, and fully online degree programs. For more information, please visit asburyseminary.edu

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