Biography

John Wesley Taylor V is the seventh president of Andrews University, located in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Taylor became president of Andrews University on July 1, 2023.

Prior to joining Andrews University as its president, Taylor served as an associate director of Education at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, as well as an editor of College and University Dialogue and chair of the Board for The Journal of Adventist Education. He also served as the executive secretary of the Adventist Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities (AAA).

In this assignment, Taylor was liaison for higher education and advisor to the Inter-American Division, the Inter-European Division, the Middle East and North Africa Union Mission, the Chinese Union Mission, and the Northern Asia Pacific Division, as well as the South Pacific Division and the West Central-Africa Division. 

He has also served as a professor and dean of the School of Education & Psychology at Southern Adventist University and a professor, associate dean and director of doctoral programs and administrator of the Division of Online Learning at the School of Graduate Studies at the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies in the Philippines. He also served as a professor and founding dean of the Division of Graduate Studies at Montemorelos University in Mexico.

John Wesley Taylor V was born in Puerto Rico and has served as teacher and educational administrator in a dozen different countries. He holds bachelor’s degrees in health science and in religion, master’s degrees in educational administration and instructional technology, and doctorates in curriculum and instruction (Andrews University) and educational psychology and research (University of Virginia).

Over the years, Taylor has made presentations at international conferences, written articles in various professional publications, chaired master’s and doctoral theses and dissertations, and served at a national research center and on evaluation and accreditation teams. He is a frequent speaker at youth events and presenter at educational seminars and workshops. Areas of professional interest include the philosophy of Christian education, data-driven decision-making, quantitative and qualitative research methods, spiritual leadership, and strategies for high-level thinking and for nurturing faith.

Taylor’s wife, Miriam (Wells), works as a community development coordinator and event planner for Hope Channel, Inc., and holds a master’s degree from Salford University.

His daughter, Carolyn, holds a master’s degree from the University of Colorado Denver and works as a principal software engineer in COlorado. His son, John, holds a DPT from Andrews University and works for Adventist Health in California.

Taylor’s son John was the third generation to have graduated from Andrews University. Taylor’s father, John Wesley Taylor IV, holds an MDiv from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University.

“I have a vision for Andrews University,” says Taylor. “That vision is for our Andrews University to be mission-focused, to exemplify exceptional excellence in academics and services, be nimble in process and program, and be committed—committed to God and His word, to the philosophy of Adventist education, to our University’s heritage and values, to create a warm and supportive setting for faculty and staff, and to serve its students and constituents well.”

“By God’s grace, I endeavor to lead with empathy and compassion, with a clear sense of purpose and with integrity,” adds Taylor.