SALISBURY — Dr. Vincent W. Howell has been appointed director of the doctor of ministry (D. Min.) program at Hood Theological Seminary effective Jan. 1.

The program provides a post-master of divinity educational experience in which Christian maturity and ministerial preparation take place together and to prepare for the church people committed to the witness of the gospel in whatever sphere of ministry or service God calls them.

He succeeds Dr. Jim Wadford, who is retiring after 13 years, effective Dec. 31. Howell will continue to provide leadership of The Congregational Faith & Learning Center (TCFLC) at Hood. The goal of TCFLC is to provide training and faith engagement directly to congregations in the community by being a place to “educate, empower and equip” congregations to thrive.

Howell was ordained as an elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AME Zion) Church nearly 36 years ago. He served as a pastor in the AME Zion Church and United Methodist Church (UMC for the past 10 years) before retiring from pastoral ministry. His ministry in the UMC included appointments to both district and conference leadership teams in the Upper New York Conference and serving as a design team member and workshop facilitator for the racial healing and reconciliation cohort initiative in the Western North Carolina
Conference. He received a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology (manufacturing) from North Carolina A&T State University in 1975 and a master’s in organizational management (human development) from Salve Regina University in 1981. He completed a diploma in Biblical, Theological, and Ministerial Studies from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in 1986. Howell completed the executive program at Rochester Institute of Technology College of Business in 1990. He also has received a master’s certificate from George Washington University in project management in 2005. His doctor of ministry (D.Min.) is from Ecumenical Theological Seminary, Detroit (2013). His dissertation topic was “Applying Project Management in the Church.”

Howell’s research interest is church leadership and strategic planning. He is author of four books. His most recent books are “MBA QuickBooks for Ministers” (Judson Press, 2019, co-authored with his son) and “Managing Projects in Ministry” (Judson Press, 2017). He has taught as an adjunct professor of management at Elmira College, Elmira, N.Y., and as an adjunct instructor for the School of Christian Leadership, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity in Rochester, N.Y. He was also a workshop instructor for the Center for Congregations, Indianapolis.

With a noted technology career that resulted in Howell’s election to the SME College of Fellows, he has worked nationally and internationally on technology, engineering, computer systems and electronics with various companies before retiring from Corning, Inc. He holds two patents, has published numerous professional and technical papers, and has a number of special awards. He is married to his college sweetheart, Carolyn, and they have two adult children.