Campbell Divinity names Peter Donlon new Director of Church Relations & Development

BUIES CREEK — The Campbell University Divinity School has named Peter Donlon, a 2006 graduate of the school, its new Director of Church Relations and Development.
“After researching and eventually touring divinity schools in North Carolina, I found that Campbell was the best option for me,” said Donlon, who earned a Master of Divinity degree from Campbell Divinity. “I was looking for a program that would challenge me both personally and theologically, as well as prepare me to effectively serve in the community. When the recent opportunity arose to serve in the director of church relations and development role, I sensed it was time to give back to the school that had served me so richly.”
Campbell Divinity Dean Andrew H. Wakefield said: “We are so pleased to welcome Peter Donlon as the new Director of Church Relations and Development. He brings a wealth of experience from the hospitality industry, chaplaincy, urban ministry, and the Salvation Army; but even more important he brings a profound gift for listening and building relationships, along with a deep love for the church and for Campbell.”
Donlon spent 20 years in hospitality management with Marriott International before enrolling at Campbell Divinity. After earning his divinity degree, he served as a chaplain at WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh, North Carolina, for three years and as the director of programs at Urban Ministries of Durham, North Carolina, for four years.
At Urban Ministries, he created and directed programs for a large agency engaged in homeless services and served on the Executive Committee of the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness.
Most recently, before joining the Campbell Divinity staff on July 27, Donlon was a major gifts officer in The Salvation Army of Wake County’s Marketing and Development Department and the director of its Project CATCH program.
As director of Project CATCH (Community Action Targeting Children who are Homeless), Donlon developed a system of care for 12 homeless services agencies in Wake County, supervised a professional case management team, and facilitated numerous initiatives across Wake County serving the homeless.
“We are blessed to have Peter on our staff, and we know he will be a blessing to the churches and ministries with whom we partner,” Wakefield said.
Donlon replaces Irma Duke, who retired from the position at the end of the academic year.
“I am looking forward to the opportunity to both encourage new students on their journeys and to further the mission of the Campbell University Divinity School though my development support,” Donlon said.