Interim Chair · Class of 26
Dr. Robert Cornwall is a retired Disciples of Christ minister, church historian, theologian, and author. He retired as pastor of Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Troy, Michigan, in July 2021 and was named Minister Emeritus in June 2025. He is the former Board Chair of Christian Unity and Interfaith Ministries and serves as Co-Chair of the Evangelical Lutheran–Disciples of Christ Bilateral Dialogue.
Cornwall is the author of more than twenty books, including Eating With Jesus (Cascade Books, 2025), Second Thoughts about Hell, co-authored with Ronald J. Allen (Westminster John Knox Press, 2025), and Second Thoughts about the Second Coming, also with Allen (Westminster John Knox Press, 2023). He has contributed to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and written for journals including Church History and Christian Century.
He holds a Ph.D. in Historical Theology and an M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary and a B.S. from Bushnell University. He also serves as a chaplain for the Troy Police Department.