The Rev. Dr. Khalia J. Williams

The Rev. Dr. Khalia J. Williams began serving as Interim University Chaplain and Dean of Religious Life on August 11, 2026. She also works as Associate Dean of Worship and Spiritual Formation and Professor in the Practice of Worship at Emory’s Candler School of Theology.

Williams earned her MA in Theological Studies from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, and her PhD in Liturgical Studies, with a focus on theology and worship, from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. She is an ordained minister with affiliation in both the Baptist tradition and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

A native of Los Angeles, Williams is a scholar, educator, and practitioner whose work explores the intersections of worship, spiritual formation, embodiment, and the sacred arts. She is the author and editor of several works in liturgical theology and worship and lectures widely on practices that cultivate meaningful spiritual life within congregations and communities. She also directs the Sacred Arts Collective, a Lilly Endowment-funded initiative exploring the role of the arts in nurturing the spiritual lives of children and their communities. Williams serves on the board of Disciples Home Missions of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and as an associate minister at Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta.

Education

• PhD |Graduate Theological Union
• MA |Columbia Theological Seminary 
• MBA | Nova Southeastern University 
• BS | Florida Memorial University