Assistant Professor/YTI/EGG Director
Office Location: Fine Arts Room 127
Office Phone: (386) 481-2772, Cell (386) 566-6052
Email: governord@cookman.edu
Degrees
Dr. Deborah Henson-Governor, assistant professor known as Dr. Dee to her students and is a Bethune-Cookman University (BCU) 50 year alumnae. She completed her Doctorate of Education from Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, and her Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida. While in seminary she served as an assistant pastor of Christ United Methodist Church, Holly Hill for two years.
After graduating her pastoral ministry continued with assisting with the youth group and the Covenant United Methodist Academy of Fine Arts. She moved on to volunteer as a chaplain for Florida Memorial Hospital now Advent Health. During her first seven years she served as the Director of Continuing Education, retention specialist, and associate director of the Trio Program. She now brings to the School of Religion (SOR), now a department experience in teaching Understanding Faith for the past eight years, Christian theology, Christian doctrines, and now a course on Death and Immortality.
She has facilitated faculty workshops for the Center for Teaching Excellence in Teaching and Learning. She assisted in writing a Lilly Endowment Grant for $599,098 funded November 2015 and refunded until 2025 for the Youth Theological Institute’s (YTI) Exploring Gifts and Graces (EGG). She has served as the YTI/EGG Counselor Project Coordinator and is now the Director for the Lilly Endowment, Inc. grant. She is and has served as a missionary in Haiti, Monserrat, Brazil, and Kenya, Africa on six different occassions.
Her son Shaun is a BCU Wildcat and daughter Na’Shea is a FAMU Rattler and she enjoys spending time with her granddaughter Che’. While living in Indiana she held many leadership positions such as Basileus of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and a member of the Eastern Stars in Anderson, and while living in Lawrence, served as a member of Lawrence United Methodist Church, the Chamber of Commerce and Kiwanis International of Indiana. She rendered service as a founding member with former member Claudia Gilliard and present director Mary Aurtrey of the NAFE-WIN organization. Also while living in Indiana she was the CEO of Consultants of Educational Opportunities.
She is a retired educator of Ball State University and an ordained minister. A former Executive Director for Junior Achievement of Volusia and Flagler Counties, she has also served as Director of Continuing Education for Ball State University and Bethune-Cookman University. She serves St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Daytona Beach,Florida. Her membership and active service includes ECW, LEM, Altar Guile, Lay reader, and the Emmaus Walk Reunion group. As a Wildcat, she has served at B-CU for over twenty years.
Hail Wildcats!
My research interests are in the missions area. I have had the opportunity To serve as a in the country of Haiti missionary in the in Haiti, The island of Monserrate, the country of Brazil and Kenya Africa six different times to start a clinic without any in meiru an outskirt of Nairobi . I have had the opportunity to be blessed to serve our great University as the director of the School of Religion Youth Theology Institute known as Exploring gifts and graces program a member of B.J.Moore Center Advisory Board, and the Bethune-Cookman University Women’s Advisory Board.
Dr. Deborah (Dee) Henson-Governor rendered service as a presenter and held a workshop at the beginning of August 2023 for the Residence Assistants Character Development and Workplace Integrity. Dr. Henson-Governor continued her service to the university with the support of a Lilly Matching Grant of over $300,000 hundred thousand dollars funded for programming to the Department of Religion, Philosophy and Christian Ministry. Dr. Alice Wood served as the PI. The department was able to offer a summer program for High School juniors and seniors with Dr. Henson-Governor serving for the fourth year as Director for the Youth Theology Institute and Exploring Gifts and Graces (EGG). Last year out of thirty-six (36) students who attended the University five (5) students decided to call B-CU their home and did attend. This year 48 students were recruited and 38 attended the Exploring Gifts and Graces (EGG) Summer Program. Many of the students gave their life to Christ and one was baptized! Praise God! Please view the attached video. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AJ-HKo3SKDqzf9JqYD_Knd8MMxc8e7ew/view?ts=63778dce