Dr. April Moreton (MACE, 1997), who has served in Christian higher education as a fundraiser and adjunct instructor for over twenty-five years, now serves as the Vice President for Advancement at DTS. In addition to her DTS degree, April holds an undergraduate degree in music from Texas Christian University and a PhD from the University of North Texas. She and her husband, Sam (MABS, 1993), have been married for thirty-three years, and they have four children: Asher, Ava (and her husband, Isaac), Brock, and Scarlett. Their family enjoys hiking, music, and good Tex-Mex. They all love their two Maine Coon cats, which, according to April, are the best dogs they’ve ever owned.
April grew up in Longview, Texas, where she attended Pine Cove, a Christian summer camp. During college, when she returned to Pine Cove to work as a summer staffer, she met Sam. After Sam wrapped up his DTS degree, they got married. April started her DTS degree the following January, commuting to campus from Tyler, Texas, for the first two years. That’s when she started drinking coffee and taking naps in the library.
April and Sam knew that whatever they did, they would be serving in full-time ministry. Having grown up in a tradition that stressed experience, her time at DTS was deeply transformative; she grew in her knowledge of the Scriptures and in her ability to study God’s Word. She enjoyed the pace and intensity of her studies, which filled the gaps in her biblical and theological knowledge and firmly grounded her in the truth. Sometimes, when she started a class, she thought This might be a class I won’t enjoy, but it never happened. She enjoyed them all: Dr. Oscar Lopez (ThM, 1975; ThD, 1993) and his emphasis on God’s sovereignty, Prof Howard Hendricks (ThM, 1950) and his endless list of observations, and Dr. Doug Cecil (ThM, 1984; DMin, 1991) and the clarity he brought to the gospel. She witnessed Dr. Reg Grant (ThM, 1981; ThD, 1988) diffuse escalating tempers with extraordinary humility and an unwavering commitment to the truth, qualities necessary for a teacher of creative writers learning to receive feedback. When April hears particular songs, she still thinks about Dr. Glenn Kreider (ThM, 1990; PhD, 2001) and the culture he brought to the classroom. She also met some of her dearest friends. One day, she and three other women, all having their daily lunch in the student center, started eating together. After graduation, they continued meeting for years. Once a month, they enjoyed an extended four-hour breakfast at La Madeline’s, sharing updates and encouraging one another through deep conversations. They are still growing together today.
Around this same timeframe, April’s love for college students blossomed. Toward the end of her degree, she met with her advisor, Mike Lawson (ThM, 1969). When Mike asked who she was hoping to serve, April replied, “College students.” She was thinking he’d recommend Cru or something like that. Mike’s response shocked her. “You need a PhD.” April was terrified at the prospect. She was a first-generation college student about to graduate with her graduate degree, and Mike was telling her to pursue another degree. With Mike’s support, along with Ken Gangel’s tremendous encouragement and preparation, April started positioning herself for higher education. She interned with Ken, who coached her on everything from writing a syllabus to delivering a commencement speech. They worked on Bibliotheca Sacra book reviews and even published together after April’s graduation. Ken was also a dear friend. April recalls Ken remarking that he didn’t enjoy being a college president because he didn’t like asking for money. April silently shared the thought, but that’s exactly what she wound up doing.
April started her doctoral work at the University of North Texas in 1997. For her dissertation, she studied the career paths of female chief academic officers, looking at those women specifically within the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). At the time, there were fewer than twenty women. They all agreed to participate in April’s doctoral work. Dr. Jim Thames (ThM, 1985) served on her committee. Toward the end of her doctorate and after three miscarriages, the Lord intervened. April walked across the stage, six months pregnant with their miracle baby, Asher. She wasn’t sure how the Lord was going to work everything out—the new doctorate, her desire to work outside the home, and being a mother, especially as she wanted to do everything well. April decided to work part-time, which, while it came with challenges and heartaches, was the perfect choice for their family.
April’s love for college students led her into higher education, where she quickly discovered another love—connecting others with meaningful opportunities to give generously. Shortly after graduation, their family moved to Arkansas, where Sam served as the Outdoor Ministries Director for New Life Ranch. During a board meeting, Sam mentioned that April was out of town, participating in a women’s leadership development event with the CCCU. One of the board members, who served as the vice president for advancement at John Brown University, overheard and recruited April for the university. April stepped into her role as Director of Leadership and Gifts and never looked back. In fundraising, she found an opportunity to invite others into a story. She knew that she herself could never have received her own education without the generosity of others. This was what God had been preparing her to do. She enjoyed teaching and the life of the mind, but it lacked some excitement. Advancement offered pace and energy, which suited her, while still being related to the academy. It involved people, events, talking about students and alumni, and occasional opportunities to teach. April thrived, and their whole family grew during those seventeen years in Arkansas; Sam and April welcomed three more babies into their home, two being born there and one adopted from China.
April loves advancement—the pace, high engagement, challenges, and pressure. She especially loves the people part. It’s also filled with celebrations—celebrations for new buildings, scholarships, and givers—and the opportunity to say thank you. It has its challenges too. April meets the challenges fundraising offers, determined to pay close attention as she exercises her intuition, patience, and listening skills. Sometimes people look at fundraising and think, I don’t want to do that. It’s not fun. According to April, however, it is. She says, “Fundraising is about telling a story that inspires someone to give generously.” In her role, she shares what’s happening. She tells givers about students and alumni—what they’re doing and how they’re making an impact. She also invites givers to participate in that same impact, that same story that God is weaving, through their own generosity.
Today, April gets to invite others to give generously, welcoming them into the story that God is weaving through DTS. When April stepped back on campus to serve with the advancement team, it felt surreal. For her, it’s been one continuous pinch-yourself moment since January 20, 2026. As she tells the seminary’s story, she constantly reminds herself that the story and what God does with it is entirely his work. It is God’s job to move in the hearts of givers. It is her job to be faithful, depend on the Lord, and do the work God has given her—tell His story.
Morgan Dau (ThM, 2023) is an administrative assistant for the Alumni and Career Services Office at Dallas Theological Seminary and a PhD student and writer. She and her husband, An, along with their black cat, call Dallas home.