The Rev. Dr. Richard Allen Hyde

The Rev. Dr. Richard Allen Hyde is the pastor of San Carlos Community Church in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has pastored in various states and holds a Ph.D. in American Religion from the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, with master's degrees from Harvard and Union Theological Seminary. After a year at Kent, he graduated from Grinnell College. He has lectured at the State Department's Foreign Service Institute and contributes to Providence Magazine, focusing on the religious background of contemporary politics.  

Tell us about your career path since graduation.

I am currently the pastor of San Carlos Community Church in the San Francisco Bay Area. My ministry journey began as a chaplain at Dartmouth College, and I have pastored churches in Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine. 

I hold a Ph.D. in American Religion and Public Life from the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, along with master's degrees from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and Union Theological Seminary in New York. After spending my third year at the University of Kent, I graduated from Grinnell College in Iowa.

My lecturing experience includes positions in Washington, DC, at the School of Advanced International Studies, the State Department's Foreign Service Institute, and currently the University of Notre Dame's Washington Program.

As a contributor to Providence Magazine, I focus on the historical and religious background of contemporary politics and policy.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

A typical workday starts with a good cup of coffee, followed by reading the New York Times and Providence Magazine. I catch up on correspondence, consult a book or two, and work on my book about President Kennedy's theology. I get ideas for articles and write, choose Biblical passages for sermons and write some more. My day includes meetings with various people, either in person or by Zoom. I also take a break to swim in one of California's fine outdoor pools. On Sundays, I lead worship services.

Can you share a professional highlight from your career so far?

Giving benedictions at Dartmouth College Commencement. Also, lecturing at the State Department's Foreign Service Institute and for Notre Dame's Washington Program were significant milestones in my career. 

How did your time at Kent help you achieve your current career?

Just being in Canterbury was a thrill. Theology Professor W. Alexander Whitehouse's encouragement meant a lot to me. The dean who hired me at Dartmouth was a total Anglophile; we spent much of the job interview talking about being in England in the springtime. 

What advice would you give to our current/prospective students who are looking to get into the same line of work?

Read widely. Have adventures. Seek out differing perspectives. Wear your opinions lightly. 

Did you get involved in any extracurricular activities as a student?

I attended presentations by visiting lecturers, went to concerts, and briefly played with the basketball club. 

Do you have a favourite memory from your time at Kent?

Walking in the woods around campus in the spring where I would pause to read Keats.  I spent Christmas with a family in Bridge, the town just outside of Canterbury to the southeast.  I met them while hitch-hiking, which I don't think I would recommend any more.  They found out that my father had served in India with the US Air Force during the war and rather adopted me.  They too had lived in India; father of the family was a British Army doctor. 

Is there anything you would do differently if you could repeat your time at Kent? 

Take more courses in English history and literature. 

Are you still in touch with other Kent alumni or academics?

No, but I would like to be. I did read that Chris Cherry, my favourite philosopher professor passed away a few years ago. I corresponded for a while with Alex Whitehead. A few friends from Kent visited me in here in America, but that was before the internet and I have lost track of them.

What are your future ambitions?

Serving in the second Biden administration.