University President Richard Brodhead announced Thursday that the Rev. Dr. Luke A. Powery of Princeton Theological Seminary had been named the new dean of Duke Chapel.

 

The 38-year-old Powery succeeds the Rev. Dr. Samuel Wells, who has returned to England to become the vicar of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London.

 

Powery takes over September 1 and was selected from a field of more than 130 applicants. He has taught at Princeton Theological Seminary since 2006 and has written a book about the use of spirituals as a resource for preaching.

 

As dean of the chapel, Powery manages a staff of 25 and oversees worship, counseling and preaching.