![Ke'Von Singleton Headshot](/sites/g/files/omnuum5526/files/styles/hwp_21_9__1920x825/public/2026-05/051326_Ke%27Von_3.jpg?h=8ff44ac4&itok=Ol3Z3u0H) # From DivEx to MDiv: Ke'Von Singleton, MDiv '26, on Finding Pathways of Leadership at HDS After three years of formational academic work and ministry experience at HDS, Ke’Von Singleton is poised to lead and serve in a variety of sectors—religious, academic, corporate, and beyond. May 19, 2026 [ Tyler Sprouse ](/people/tyler-sprouse) When he walks across the Commencement stage later in May, Ke’Von Singleton, MDiv ’26, will leave Harvard Divinity School (HDS) ready to lead and serve. Though the possibilities are many, Singleton moves toward a life of leadership shaped by the experiences he had in the classroom and in the field during his time at HDS. ## Cultivating a Higher Calling Growing up in the Pentecostal tradition in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, Singleton showed signs of leadership potential and a passion for ministry, which did not go unnoticed by those closest to him. “If you ask my childhood pastor and others from my community, they will tell you I was a bootleg preacher, someone who was proclaiming the gospel without the official credentials to do so,” said Singleton. Enrolling at Morehouse College as an Africana Studies major, Singleton began to develop an interest in the academy, though he still felt a sense of a higher calling, one that would be clarified through an experience of significant loss. During his sophomore year at Morehouse, his father died. Seated at his father’s hospital bed, Singleton found clarity. “In some ways, I felt I had been running from the calling I sensed over my life,” said Singleton. “I remember praying in that moment, asking God to grant me peace if I stopped running. And then, as I accepted it there in prayer next to my father, I felt peace. I’ve been at peace ever since.” Soon after Singleton entered public ministry and began researching graduate programs in theological education. One of his mentors recommended the [Divinity Explorations (DivEx)](https://www.hds.harvard.edu/admissions-aid/divex-program) program at HDS—a three-day, on-campus immersive introduction to the School and its programs. “When I came here for DivEx, I knew I had to be here,” said Singleton. “I felt that same sense of peace, and I believed that HDS was where my education, along with my calling, could be cultivated.” ## Combining Experiential and Classroom Learning Arriving on campus in the fall of 2023, it was the first time Singleton had been in a multireligious academic environment. Although he initially struggled, he found the religiously diverse community both a source of inspiration and an opportunity to explore his own faith. “During that first semester, I struggled a little bit because we weren’t solely talking about my Christian context,” he said. “But this was good for me. It taught me how to have conversations with people—how to deepen and intertwine my faith without explicitly mentioning it.” HDS has allowed me to mix and match what I'm learning in class with what I'm actually experiencing in ministry. This has made me a better minister and a better student." Ke'Von Singleton, MDiv '26 Over the course of his three years at the School, Singleton found his field education and classroom experiences mutually reinforcing. As executive pastor of the Western Avenue Baptist Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he first was a field education intern, he has navigated pastoral challenges with the help of insights from his HDS course work. [Stephanie Sears’s](https://www.hds.harvard.edu/people/stephanie-sears) class, “Spiritual Care and Counseling,” provided Singleton with a more nuanced approach to caring for grieving parishioners; “Preaching and Worship in the Black Church Tradition” with [Teddy Hickman-Maynard](https://www.hds.harvard.edu/people/teddy-hickman-maynard) helped him hone his homiletic craft; and “Racial Liberalism and the Ethics of Law and Justice” with [Terrence Johnson](https://www.hds.harvard.edu/people/terrence-l-johnson) empowered him to hold ongoing conversations with the City of Cambridge about equity and inclusion for Black and brown communities. Studying Black Womanist theology with [Kelly Brown Douglas](https://www.hds.harvard.edu/people/kelly-brown-douglas) was also determinative for Singleton. “HDS has allowed me to mix and match what I’m learning in class with what I’m actually experiencing in ministry,” said Singleton. “This has made me a better minister and a better student.” ## Looking Ahead: Leading and Serving in Black Institutions Among the many post-Commencement goals for Singleton is to pursue a PhD and continue to build on the research foundation he began at HDS under the guidance of his advisor, [Ahmad Greene-Hayes](https://www.hds.harvard.edu/people/ahmad-greene-hayes), who encouraged him to write about the first Black woman bishop in America, Mary Magdalena Tate. “Professor Greene-Hayes is the reason I’m applying to PhD programs,” said Singleton. “He empowered me to focus on my home tradition, Pentecostalism. He helped me see that this is a story that needs to be told.” In addition to further research and continuing to serve his parishioners at Western Avenue Baptist Church, Singleton’s vision for future impact has a broad scope. He wants to expand his work as international young adult director for the House of God Church, helping provide access to theological education. He also plans to lead in the nonprofit and corporate worlds, as well as someday running for public office in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. No matter what comes next, Singleton is focused on leading and serving in Black institutions. “I’m excited to continue thinking about how Black institutions, particularly Black church institutions, can become sites of resilience,” said Singleton. “I want to be a leader who helps these institutions reimagine and reignite the idea of civil rights, to help them return to that legacy.” *Banner photo by Alex Bayer* See also:- [ Ministry ](/discover-stories-about/ministry) - [ Student Activities and Interviews ](/discover-stories-about/student-activities-and-interviews) - [ Christianity ](/featured-topics/christianity) - [ Public Service ](/topic-tags/public-service)