Dr. James A. Hyde, retired professor in the University of Louisville School of Medicine, will serve as the interim director of Louisville Seminary’s Marriage and Family Therapy program (MAMFT), beginning November 17. His appointment to the position follows the departure of Sheri Ferguson, who resigned her position just prior to the start of the 2003-2004 academic year.
Hyde began teaching in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Louisville in 1986. During his years on the faculty he garnered 12 grants from several foundations and groups in support of training programs and new courses for the school. In 2000, graduating psychiatric residents of the University of Louisville recognized this highly respected teacher with the “Golden Apple” or Best Teaching Award. For eight years he also taught at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he initiated one of the first seminary courses in the country on the pastoral care of persons with AIDS and their loved ones.
His extensive experience as pastor, chaplain, and therapist, including 35 years of clinical experience, led Louisville Seminary to invite him to join the adjunct faculty and clinical supervision teams. As interim director of the Seminary’s nationally recognized
MAMFT program, he will continue in both responsibilities.
An ordained Southern Baptist minister, Hyde received degrees from Samford University (BA) and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv; ThM). His doctoral degrees are from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (DMin) in Wake Forest, N.C., and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned the PhD in the psychology of religion. Hyde is certified and licensed as: Supervisor in the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT); Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC), and Clinical Member of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE). He is licensed by the Kentucky Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and the Kentucky Board of Certification for Fee-based Pastoral Counselors.
Hyde has published extensively in the field with more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and chapters to his credit. His research has included marriage and family therapy, spirituality and healing, AIDS group psychotherapy, and supervision of psychotherapy. He has also directed several counseling centers and programs during his distinguished career. Currently he serves on the board of the Wayne Oates Institute, the AIDS Interfaith Ministry of Louisville, the Louisville Pastoral Counseling Consortium, which he founded in 1997, the University Hospital Ethics Committee at the University of Louisville, and the Judicial Ethics Panel of AAPC.
The Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy program is one of four accredited, seminary-based programs in the United States. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC), which has ranked Louisville Seminary’s program as one of the top in the nation.
Composed of courses in theology and biblical studies, training in marriage and family therapy, at least 500 hours of client contact, and 100 hours of supervision, the MAMFT program also houses the Louisville Seminary Counseling Ministry, a training ground for MFT students, offering professional and affordable therapy to the Louisville community. Rev. Jay Close is responsible for practicum placements in the Counseling Ministry program, which has become a vital resource to pastors, congregations, and individuals throughout the Louisville area.