This summer, we were privileged to welcome Dr. Dustin Benac, Mr. Nathan Gibbs, and Dr. Rory Jones to the OEL team in new roles that will expand our work and enhance our existing offerings. We think you'll enjoy getting to know these new colleagues as much as we have.

Dr. Dustin Benac

Clinical Assistant Professor, Director of the Program for the Future Church

Dr. Dustin D. Benac serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor and the Director and co-founder of the Program for the Future Church. As an educator, scholar, and organizational strategist, Dr. Benac works at the intersection of philanthropy, practical theology, and organizational studies to explore the conditions that allow individuals and communities to respond to uncertainty amid shifting organizational environments. His teaching, writing, speaking, and service works to pilot a new interdisciplinary field at these intersections and foster the organizational environments for faith-based organizations to adapt to a shifting organizational landscape.

Dustin is the author or editor of three books and more than four dozen articles and essays. His books include Adaptive Church: Collaboration and Community in a Changing World, Pathways to Belonging, and Crisis and Care: Meditations on Faith and Philanthropy. He is currently working on two additional books that provide theological and practical responses to contemporary questions of belonging and loneliness. Since coming to Baylor in 2020, Dustin has secured more than $3,000,000 in grants and external funding to advance research and programs at Baylor. He currently serves as the PI for the $1 million “Future Church Project” grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., and the Co-PI for the $1.76 million “Tapestry of Care” Project from the John Templeton Foundation. 

Dustin earned is BA from Whitworth University and received his MDiv and ThD Duke University. He is married to Casey Benac, a licensed professional counselor who has thirteen years of experience working with adults and adolescents within private practice, non-profit organizations and other counseling environments. They have three children, Cade, Ellie, and Ames. Outside of his work and service at Baylor, Dustin enjoys running, fly fishing, coaching youth soccer, reading, writing, and exploring wilderness areas.

You can find Dustin’s full academic and professional CV here.

Mr. Nathan Gibbs

Program Manager of the Program for the Future Church

Nathan Gibbs serves as the program manager for the Program for the Future Church (PFFC) at Truett Seminary. As program manager, Nathan manages the day-to-day operations of the program and oversees grant-related work such as financial management, deliverable tracking, and reporting. Nathan is also responsible for planning various PFFC events to help build a collaborative community that pilots solutions for emerging and pressing challenges facing the Church. Nathan graduated from Baylor University with both a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration, as well as a Master of Divinity from George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Prior to serving in this role, Nathan worked in the manufacturing industry as a planning and procurement specialist.

Nathan attends DaySpring Baptist church where his wife, Kingsley, serves as the minister to youth. In his free time, Nathan is an avid tennis player, hiker, and coffee enthusiast.

Dr. Rory Jones

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow

Dr. Rory Jones is a Postdoctoral Research Associate with the Program for the Future Church (PFFC). In this role, he supports the PFFC’s mission by advancing grant-funded research and training at the intersection of congregations, mental health, and leadership development. Rory works on initiatives such as “Tapestry of Care,” focusing on the analysis, writing, and dissemination of research and the development of curriculum that equips faith leaders to navigate changing contexts for ministry. 

Rory holds a PhD in Sociology from Baylor and a Master of Divinity from George W. Truett Theological Seminary. His research, which focuses on emerging adult faith formation and spiritual practices, informs his current work in building resilient communities of faith. Outside of work, Rory enjoys teaching, watching and playing sports, and time with his wife Elise, a graduate of Baylor’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work with a background in nonprofit community organizing, and their precocious toddler Phoebe.