Nancy Lynne Westfield, serving on the Drew faculty since 1999, is an ordained deacon in the United Methodist Church. Dr. Westfield earned the B.A. from Murray State University (Ky.) and the M.A. from Scarritt Graduate School (Tenn.). She completed the Ph.D. at The Union Institute (Ohio). Dr. Westfield’s teaching and research interests include: womanist studies, imagination, experiential pedagogies, spirituality and mysticism.

Dr. Westfield’s scholarship includes the authoring of four books: All Quite Beautiful (1996, a children’s book), Dear Sisters: A Womanist Practice of Hospitality (2001), Black Church Studies: An Introduction (2007), Being Black/Teaching Black: Politics and Pedagogy in Religious Studies (2008) – as well as numerous articles. Lynne is a published poet and creative writer, avid gardener, southern cook and world traveler. Her leadership in the field of Christian Education has included serving on local church staffs, as well as extensive experience as a consultant and preacher across the U.S., as well as Japan, Ghana, Israel, and the Carribbean.