(RNS) — After months of uncertainty surrounding her status, the president of Northern Seminary, a Baptist school near Chicago, has resigned.
“We are writing to share that Dr. Joy Moore and the Board of Trustees for Northern Seminary have come to an agreement regarding the conclusion of her time as President of Northern Seminary,” the school said in an announcement on Friday (Jan. 2).
Joy Moore, a well-known scholar and professor of biblical preaching, was named president of Northern in November 2024 and began work soon afterward. At the time, Moore was hailed for “her visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to theological education,” according to the official news release about her hiring.
But things began to unravel for Moore — Northern’s first Black president — before the school could hold a ceremony officially installing her in the new role, an event set for October 2025. During a fundraising dinner held the night before her installation, the chair of Northern’s board announced that Moore had resigned — a claim Moore disputed.
The school, based in Lisle, Illinois, also posted an announcement in October that Moore had resigned, but quickly deleted it, leaving confusion over who was in charge.
Leaders at the school — whose graduates included Harold Lindsell, one of the first editors of Christianity Today, and Kenneth Taylor, founder of Tyndale House, a Christian publishing company, and translator of “The Living Bible” — declined for months to answer questions about Moore’s status, saying that discussions between Moore and the board were ongoing.
In its January statement, the school blamed the confusion over Moore’s status on a “misunderstanding” during a board meeting prior to the fundraising dinner in October and said that trust had been lost between Moore and the board.
“During Dr. Moore’s tenure as President, however, it gradually became clear that there was a disconnect between the Board and Dr. Moore,” according to the statement. “Looking back, everyone involved acknowledges that there were missed opportunities for better communication of expectations and clarification of roles. Over time, this disconnect led to a loss of trust that both the President and the Board recognized needed to be addressed.”
Months of discussion eventually led to a mutual parting, according to the statement. The school also said it offered to refund donations made during the October fundraising dinner.
“The Board and Dr. Moore understand that this caused confusion and disappointment for some — especially for those at the Scholarship Dinner — and for that, they sincerely apologize. Northern has since contacted all who contributed that evening to offer the option of a refund for their scholarship donations,” according to the statement.
Ingrid Faro, professor of Old Testament at Northern, has been named interim president.
Moore is the second Northern president in a row to step down amid controversy. In 2023, then-president William Shiell resigned after being accused of bullying employees, which he denied.
Northern reported 223 total students, most of them part time, for the 2024-2025 academic year, according to data from the Association of Theological Schools.
