Perkins appoints Hannah Sutton-Adams as Visiting Assistant Professor of Spiritual Care
DALLAS (SMU) – Leighton K. Farrell Endowed Dean Bryan P. Stone of Perkins School of Theology at SMU has appointed Hannah Sutton-Adams as Visiting Assistant Professor of Spiritual Care, effective August 1, 2026.
“As Perkins continues building its program in chaplaincy and spiritual care studies, Hannah Sutton-Adams brings tremendous experience in trauma-informed spiritual care, theological education, and chaplaincy,” Dean Bryan P. Stone said. “Her scholarship and practical experience will help prepare students for faithful leadership in one of the most important and growing sectors of ministry."
Sutton-Adams' visiting appointment represents an important interim step as the Perkins faculty undertakes its search in the coming year for the newly established The Reverend Charles R. Millikan, D.Min., Endowed Chair in Spiritual Care. This new chair signals a significant strengthening of Perkins’ leadership in chaplaincy and spiritual care education and the collaborations it is building across healthcare and other chaplaincy settings.
“Perkins accompanied me as I learned to think critically and theologically, modeling what it means to engage unjust systems, such as the American healthcare industry, with courage and compassion rooted in the Christian faith tradition,” said Sutton-Adams. “I am grateful to serve as the Visiting Assistant Professor of Spiritual Care and to participate in Perkins’ legacy of empowering persons from around the globe for faithful leadership, ministry and scholarship in the growing field of spiritual care and beyond.”
Sutton-Adams is also a certified Godly Play Trainer whose scholarship explores how play-based spiritual formation can support children in clinical and chaplaincy settings. Her work connects children's spirituality with trauma-informed pastoral care, an area of growing importance for healthcare, congregational and educational ministries.
Sutton-Adams will teach courses including Ministry with Children, Theology and Trauma, and Chaplaincy Studies while helping expand Perkins' healthcare chaplaincy program and related partnerships.
As Perkins continues developing the Millikan Chair initiative, Sutton-Adams' teaching and scholarship will help shape the next generation of spiritual care leaders.
SMU Perkins School of Theology, founded in 1911, is one of five official University-related schools of theology of The United Methodist Church. Degree programs include the Master of Divinity, Master of Sacred Music, Master of Theological Studies, Master of Arts in Ministry, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Pastoral Music as well as the Ph.D., in cooperation with The Graduate Program in Religious Studies at SMU's Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.