Kristina I Lizardy-Hajbi

Rev. Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi, Ph.D. (she/her/ella) is Associate Professor of Leadership and Formation and Director of the Vocational Formation Office at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado. In addition, she coordinates the Certificate in Latinx Studies for the Iliff/DU Joint PhD in Religion. Dr. Lizardy-Hajbi’s teaching and research interests include organizational leadership, liberative and decolonial approaches to ministry, intersectional and contextual pedagogical practices, and applied research methods.

Dr. Lizardy-Hajbi is the author of Unraveling Religious Leadership: Power, Authority, and Decoloniality (Fortress Press, 2024) and co-editor of Explore: Vocational Discovery in Ministry (Rowman & Littlefield, 2022). In addition, she is the author of numerous articles and reports, including Latino Congregations: Trends from the Faith Communities Today (FACT) and Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations (EPIC) Studies.

Dr. Lizardy-Hajbi is currently the co-president of the Academy of Religious Leadership and a regional advisor for the Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations (EPIC) National Research Project through the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. She also serves on the Board of Commissioners for the Association of Theological Schools and on the Committee on Teaching and Learning for the American Academy of Religion.

An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, Dr. Lizardy-Hajbi’s ministry has included denominational leadership and research, intercultural and interreligious student affairs in undergraduate higher education, hospital chaplaincy, and Christian education and faith formation.

Dr. Lizardy-Hajbi delights in journeying alongside students as they nurture capacities for practical-prophetic leadership within their respective communities and contexts.