Dr. Keith A. Jenkins began as the third president of Houston Graduate School of Theology on June 1, 2003.

A third generation Texan and native Houstonian, Dr. Jenkins graduated from Waltrip High School in 1971. He received a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in Religion and English from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, in 1975, and a Master of Divinity summa cum laude from Duke Divinity School in 1978. After serving as pastor of several churches in East Texas and the Houston area, he began graduate studies at Rice University, completing M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Victorian Literature. He has lectured and published material on both Charlotte Bronte and Charles Dickens and their use of biblical material in their fiction. He is also an expert on The Da Vinci Code, traveling throughout Texas to lecture on the book and the film.

Dr. Jenkins is an ordained Elder in the Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church with over thirty years of ministry experience in the local church, campus ministry, and higher education. He served as Chaplain, then Academic Dean at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, Texas; Executive Vice-President at Tennessee Wesleyan College in Athens; and Chaplain at Berry College in Rome, Georgia. 

Immediately prior to his election, he served for five years as the Senior Associate Pastor at John Wesley United Methodist Church in the Champions area of Houston, where he and his family still reside.

Dr. Jenkins is married to Barbara Parker Jenkins of El Campo, Texas, who is also a graduate of Southwestern University and Duke Divinity School. They have two children: Allen, a 2006 graduate of Southwestern, and Emily, who is currently attending UT Austin and will graduate sometime around 2010. Beau (yellow lab) and Jasper (orange & white tabby) round out the family.

Dr. Jenkins spends his free time reading in his favorite chair (the "catcher's mitt"), napping in his hammock, and pursuing his passion for movies.

Children's Sermon at John Wesley.

Can you spot Dr. J in this picture from a Costa Rica Mission Trip with John Wesley UMC in August 2001?

Dr. J completes his "pilgrimage" to the original Starbucks at Pikes Place Market in Seattle.

Dr. J making himself useful during the move from Midtown.

Click here for an archive of some of Dr. Jenkins' speeches/lectures.