The Historical Society is a general ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) with a unique mandate to serve the three primary streams of the Stone-Campbell movement—Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and Churches of Christ—and our Board of Trustees is comprised of members from all three streams. Dr. James L. Gorman has served as a Trustee for six years and comes to the Historical Society from the two non-Disciples streams. Since January 2025, he has served as Chair of the DCHS Board.

Dr. Gorman currently serves as Associate Professor of the History of Christianity in the Graduate School of Theology at Abilene Christian University, in Abilene, Texas. There, he also directs the Center for Restoration Studies, which is one of the Historical Society’s primary collecting partners among Churches of Christ. His spouse, Dr. Heather Gorman, is a Professor of New Testament at ACU as well. Prior to coming to ACU, they both taught at Johnson University in Tennessee, which is affiliated with Christian Churches/Churches of Christ. 

Gorman’s research explores the history of Christianity, the Stone-Campbell Movement, race and Christianity in America, and biblical interpretation throughout American history. He’s written several books, including Among the Early Evangelicals: The Transatlantic Origins of the Stone-Campbell Movement (2017) and Reviving the Ancient Faith: The Story of Churches of Christ in America (2024; co-authored with Pepperdine emeritus professor Richard T. Hughes). He was also one of the editors of Slavery’s Long Shadow: Race and Reconciliation in American Christianity (2019). Gorman received a PhD in religion from Baylor University, an MDiv from Abilene Christian University, and a BS from Kentucky Christian University.

Reflecting on the contributions of Gorman to the DCHS Board, President and Historian Joel Brown said, “Jamey is such a blessing to our ministry at the Historical Society. He is as knowledgeable and passionate about Stone-Campbell history as anyone I know, and he leads our Board as Chair with humility and wisdom. Jamey and I met when we were both students at ACU, at different times studying with Church of Christ historian extraordinaire Doug Foster, and I could not think of anyone better suited to follow Doug at ACU than Jamey. He helps us live into our mission and our mandate to partner with the other streams of the movement, and I’m so grateful for his leadership on the Board.”

The Historical Society celebrates the leadership of Dr. Gorman on the Board of Trustees.