Montreat College is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Justin Hardin as its next Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Professor of Biblical Studies. Hardin brings more than two decades of distinguished academic leadership, teaching, and administrative experience across Christian higher education to his new role, which will begin July 1, 2026.
Hardin currently serves at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, where he has held strategic roles since June 2022, including Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, and Professor of Biblical Studies.
Prior to Ouachita, he spent eight years at Palm Beach Atlantic University serving as Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies in the School of Ministry. From 2008 to 2014, Hardin held the senior New Testament teaching post at Wycliffe Hall of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England, where he served as Director of Studies and Tutor in New Testament and was a Member of the Faculty of Theology and Religion.
Hardin also previously taught at Oklahoma Baptist University as the R. Strickland Assistant Professor in Bible and at the University of Cambridge, where he instructed students in New Testament Greek during the final year of his doctoral research.
“I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Hardin to Montreat College,” President Paul J. Maurer shared. “He is a deeply respected scholar, a gifted administrator, and a strong leader whose wide range of experience will be a great addition to our academic community.”
Hardin holds a Ph.D. and M.Phil. in Theology from the University of Cambridge, a Master of Divinity from Beeson Divinity School at Samford University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies and History from Ouachita Baptist University.
His teaching excellence has been recognized through notable honors, including the Most Innovative Teacher in the Humanities Division at the University of Oxford in 2012, an award chosen from more than 330 student nominations.
“Montreat College is a special place where academic rigor and Christian formation are equally important,” Hardin said. “As my wife, Jill, and I prayed and reflected on Montreat’s story and vision, we sensed the Lord nudging us toward this community. I’m grateful for the opportunity, and I look forward to working alongside our faculty, staff, and students as we live out the college’s Christ-centered mission together.”
Hardin’s work will build upon the excellent work and forward-moving progress of the college’s current Provost, Dr. Mark Hijleh. Hijleh previously announced his plans to retire at the end of the academic year, his fifth, and he will continue to serve as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs until Hardin begins his appointment.