Faculty Spotlight: Jacob Hicks

Jacob Hicks, Ph.D., serves as a full-time, online Instructor of Theology in the College of Theology at Grand Canyon University (GCU). He earned his M.Div. in Christian Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2011 and his Ph.D. from Florida State University in American Religious History in 2017. At Grand Canyon University, he teaches Christian Worldview courses and will teach Church History courses.

Tell us a little about yourself.

Before coming to GCU, I served as a Young Adults Minister at a church in Raleigh, North Carolina for about a year and I have done some preaching and other fill-in pastoral duties at various churches in North Carolina and Florida. I gained college teaching experience while I was a Ph.D. student at FSU. I am excited to serve the Lord and everyone at GCU! Go Lopes!

Apart from teaching and researching, I enjoy spending time with my wife, reading nonfiction, cheering on my favorite football teams, the Florida State Seminoles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, all things Star Trek, eating various types of chocolate and traveling to places I’ve never been.

What do you enjoy most about your ministry in the College of Theology?

In GCU’s College of Theology, I get the awesome opportunity to be able to teach Christian students how their faith applies to all areas of their lives. I seek to foster their growth in Christ and equip them to articulate and defend the Christian worldview to the outside world. For my non-Christian students, I introduce them to the glorious God that we serve and explain why the Christian worldview is so compelling and unmatched in how it addresses and solves humanity’s sins and problems.

If you could offer a word of advice to theology students, what would you say?

While I was in Bible college and seminary, I thoroughly enjoyed learning the Church history, biblical studies, pastoral theology and other content that my professors assigned me. I never felt like I had to “make myself” learn about Jesus. The biggest struggle for me was to devote myself to personal time with the Lord every day through prayer and reading Scripture that was not homework or term paper related. So, I would encourage any theology students to work hard and study hard, of course, but not to neglect the spiritual growth and daily one-on-one time with the Lord that renews us and strengthens us for the tasks that he’s called us to.

At Grand Canyon University, our faculty is committed to the success of all students. To learn more about our College of Theology, please visit our website or use the Request More Information button on this page.