Leading PhD student Tyler Heston Wolf to Drew Theological School and Christ Church NYC
June 2026 – Drew Theological School PhD student Tyler Heston Wolf has landed a visionary position at Christ Church NYC where he serves as the Minister for Spiritual Formation LGBTQIA+ Development.
Wolf’s journeys to Christ Church and Drew are deeply intertwined, shaped by what he describes as a series of callings that gradually came into focus.
Originally from Tennessee, Wolf’s academic and professional path has taken him from seminary in Texas to ministry in Kansas City and, ultimately, to New York City, where he now serves at Christ Church while pursuing a PhD in Bible and Cultures at Drew.
“New York was the first move I made that was really centered on where I wanted to be,” said Wolf. “As soon as I knew I wanted to do work at the intersection of religion and queer studies, it was either California or New York. New York became the goal.”
After being admitted to Drew’s PhD program in 2023, Wolf and his husband spent months trying to determine whether a move to New York would be financially feasible. The uncertainty led him to consider deferring his admission. As he logged onto Drew’s website to complete the paperwork, he noticed the Theological School’s job board.
It was there he found the posting for the position at Christ Church NYC.
Within two weeks, he was interviewing. By the fall, he and his husband had relocated to New York and Wolf started the PhD program at Drew the following semester. “Our dream of a timeline ended up working out,” he said.
Today, Wolf’s role at Christ Church combines spiritual formation and LGBTQIA+ ministry, a unique structure that has allowed him to help reimagine programming across the church while building an inclusive and expansive ministry that is deeply integrated into congregational life.
Since arriving, Wolf has helped launch retreats, small groups, Bible studies, and midweek worship gatherings. He has also expanded Christ Church’s public-facing LGBTQIA+ ministry through events such as the newly realized Illuminate services, creating opportunities for conversations and experiences that blend faith, identity, art, and community, inside the walls of the church and beyond.
Looking ahead, Wolf hopes to expand the Illuminate initiative by partnering with other churches throughout New York City to host events, welcome guest speakers, and foster deeper community connections.
Wolf says his work is informed by both his ministry experience and his doctoral studies.
“One of the things I think is important about my work is that it’s integrated,” he said. “How I do spiritual formation is integrally connected to my queerness, but also the epistemological work that I’m doing in my PhD program.”
At Drew, Wolf found a program uniquely suited to his scholarly interests. When exploring doctoral programs, he was drawn to the work of Drew faculty members whose scholarship challenged traditional approaches to biblical studies and theology.
“It really was the people,” he said of his decision to attend Drew. “This is a program that’s going to launch me to do better work in the world. It’s been really incredible to see how it has integrated with my work—my teaching in the church does not feel very different from my teaching at school. They’ve really sharpened each other in an important way.”
As he enters the dissertation phase of his studies, Wolf’s research is leaning towards exploring Judas’ identity. “I’m interested in studying Judas as a biblical and cultural figure around whom a lot of queer dynamics coalesce,” he explained.
Although balancing a full-time ministry position with doctoral studies can be demanding, Wolf says the Drew community has made the experience both intellectually challenging and rewarding.
“Drew’s incredible,” he said. “It’s such a nourishing place. It’s a great training ground and has been so much richer than I thought it would be.”
