Dr. Brad Voyles brings mind for truth, heart for God to executive role
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. — The board of trustees of Covenant College recently voted to appoint Reformed Theological Seminary alumnus Dr. Brad Voyles (MDiv ’00) as its next president. Since July 2023, he has served as Covenant’s interim president.
After earning a B.A. in biological sciences at DePauw University and an M.S.Ed. in educational administration at Southern Illinois University, Dr. Voyles enrolled in 1996 at RTS Jackson, intending to become a college pastor.
“I had a pastor who was an RTS alumnus who encouraged me to attend,” said Dr. Voyles. “I was brand new to Reformed theology and doing a lot of reading. I still remember first seeing the ‘a mind for truth, a heart for God’ tagline and how that resonated with me. It still does—right theology ought always lead to a fervent doxology.
“Ralph Davis was my advisor and also the person who instilled in me a love for the Old Testament. I’m indebted to him for this. He remains to this day one of my favorite preachers, and I still use his commentaries. I also remember being very appreciative of Ligon Duncan’s covenant theology course and how it was formative for my understanding of Reformed theology.”
Before completing MDiv studies at RTS, Dr. Voyles would take a resident director position at Belhaven College—now Belhaven University—in Jackson. He eventually became Belhaven’s dean of student life.
Dr. Voyles joined Covenant College in 2005 as vice president of student development and dean of students and has since provided leadership in several areas there. In 2014, he earned an Ed.D. in higher education leadership and policy from Vanderbilt University.
Though RTS’ MDiv curriculum is designed to prepare students for pastoral ministry, Dr. Voyles sees his time in the program as preparation for ministry in higher education: “It shaped in me a world and life view that was instrumental in how I view all my callings. My time at RTS rooted my theology in seeing all work as worship and gave me solid grounding for the work of leadership as service and ministry.”
Dr. Voyles ultimately hopes to bring much of what he learned at RTS to his new post as Covenant’s chief executive.
“Covenant and RTS are similar in many ways,” he said. “We view the Word of God as inerrant and central to all we do, we have a high view of the sufficiency and supremacy of Jesus Christ, and we are both ultimately sending agencies. I want Covenant to remain mission-faithful, holding firm to the authority of Scripture, to sound biblical theology, and to proclaiming the gospel and its implications for all of life so that our graduates may live as outposts for the kingdom in all of their callings.”