The Rev'd Andrew Barnett ’12 MDiv, DMin named President of the Berkeley Divinity School Graduate Network

By Misty Krasawski ’26 MDiv | Monday, June 3, 2024
Andy Barnett

The Rev’d Andrew “Andy” K. Barnett ’12 MDiv, DMin is Senior Associate Rector at All Saints Episcopal Atlanta. Now, he also holds the title President of Berkeley Divinity School’s Graduate Network. After hosting his first Graduate Network Town Hall, Barnett noted the group had a desire to build community across generations, provide increased communications from current faculty and students, and develop more opportunities to gather in person. 

Everyone who has attended Berkeley for at least one term, or holds an honorary degree from the seminary, is considered part of the Berkeley Divinity School Graduate Network. The network’s goals are:

  • To provide a network of communication, fellowship, and support among graduates;
  • To support the mission of the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale financially, morally, and spiritually to ensure the continuing high level of theological education that has been the contribution of Berkeley to the Church since the foundation of the School in 1854;
  • To recruit and direct qualified potential students toward the seminary for their theological education, with a particular focus on increasing the diversity of the seminary;   
  • To honor the outstanding achievement of Berkeley students by the awarding of prizes;
  • To help encourage and mentor recent graduates in their new ministries;
  • To help organize, promote, and encourage postgraduate study and continuing education for the continuing professional/vocational development of graduates;
  • To represent the seminary in the wider Church.

Andy Barnett brings to his new role a broad range of experience. He served on President Obama’s Climate Action Project, was part of the Bishop’s delegation to several UN climate conferences, and developed environmental curriculum for the diocese of Los Angeles. His love of music led him to found the Theodicy Jazz Collective, a group focusing on the use of jazz music in the church. He sees this as offering a remarkable tool of evangelization as well as an invitation to worshipers to engage liturgy in a multicultural, liberative way. Barnett attended Oberlin College and Conservatory, Yale Divinity School, Yale School of the Environment, and Luther Seminary. At Luther Seminary, he earned a DMin in congregational mission and leadership. We are glad to have him at the helm of the Graduate Network in this new season.