Steve Reed

Biography

Steven Reed is a native of Nashville, Tennessee, attending Vanderbilt University and completing collegiate studies at Western Kentucky University, earning a B.A. in Religious Studies. Drawn to a life of Christian service he entered Lexington Theological Seminary and while in seminary served as pastor in one of the oldest and historical Disciples of Christ (DOC) churches in Kentucky. At the same time he also began working on an area of great interest in hospital chaplaincy (C.P.E.) in a major medical center and teaching hospital. This interest in hospital chaplaincy shaped further interest in pursuing course work and training in pastoral counseling as part of his journey in ministry.

Upon graduation from seminary with a Masters of Divinity (M. Div.) he was ordained with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). In following career interests in ministry he elected to continue post-graduate study in residency training in hospital chaplaincy and later a pastoral counseling program in an accredited pastoral counseling center (AAPC) in Virginia. After completing a couple of years in that training and mentoring program, he returned to the pastorate, serving churches in Virginia and North Carolina. It was during this period of pastoring a rural church in North Carolina that an opportunity was extended to teach a course in “Religion and Culture.” The teaching opportunity became a significant point of change by igniting a passion for teaching religion. This brought together all the training and experiences of academics, church, hospital and pastoral counseling in grappling within an academic setting the many facets of life and culture through a religious and biblical lens.

This new emerging direction brought many of the “ministry” pieces together. This lead him to return to Nashville and initially accept a temporary position in church administration with oversight in religious education, while actively teaching religious studies with area colleges / universities. These opportunities move him to earn a Master of Education (M.Ed.) from Belmont University, followed closely by a Doctorate of Ministry (D. Min.) from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Dr. Reed joined Belmont as an administrator in 2001 and became a regular adjunct in Belmont’s College of Theology and Christian Ministry. In 2021, Dr. Reed retired from the administration side at Belmont to be full-time lecturer in College of Theology and Christian Ministry. He continues to be very passionate about teaching and sharing with new students insights and “understandings” in studying the Bible, and with seasoned students, bringing into the classroom focused biblical studies, with the addition of practical experiences in the church, chaplaincy and pastoral counseling.