Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi
Associate Professor of Leadership and Formation
Director of the Vocational Formation Office
Contact Information
- Phone: (303) 765-3116
- Email: klizardy@iliff.edu
- Connect on LinkedIn
Education
- B.A., University of Colorado
- M.Div., Iliff School of Theology
- Ph.D., University of Colorado
My Philosophy on teaching is…
“Classrooms, whether virtual or in-person, function as alteres (altars) of teaching and learning. We each bring aspects of who we are — our identities, experiences, and wisdom — to place on the altar, which is not complete without each piece. In this regard, we cultivate a sacred and just space that is wholly unique to this time and this place.”— Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi
Bio
Joining the faculty in 2018, Dr. Lizardy-Hajbi oversees contextual education and teaches in the fields of leadership theory and praxis, congregational and community formation/change, practical theology, and applied research methods. In particular, her interests include organizational leadership, liberative theological and postcolonial approaches to ministry, church vitality and growth, young adult spirituality, and intersectional pedagogical practices.
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. She also serves on the Board of Commissioners for the Association of Theological Schools and the Committee on Teaching and Learning for the American Academy of Religion.
An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, her 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.
Representative courses include:
- Leadership and Organizational Development
- Decolonizing Congregational Leadership
- DMin Seminar: Foundations of Prophetic Leadership
- Research Methods and Ethics in Lived Religion
Publications
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 a number of articles and reports, including Latino Congregations: Trends from the Faith Communities Today (FACT) and Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations (EPIC) Studies.
