Jan Johannes Lubbe (born 4 September 1964 in Kuruman, South Africa) received his tertiary education at the then University of the Orange Free State (now UFS) (1982–1990), obtaining degrees in theology and philosophy (cum laude). As part of his doctoral research on the reception of Abraham Kuyper in South Africa he spent time at the Universities of Stellenbosch (1992–1993, 1995–1996), Apeldoorn (Netherlands) (1993–1994) and the Free University in Amsterdam and Kampen, Netherlands (1994, 1998, 2005, 2017, 2023), as well as at numerous archives in South Africa and abroad.
He has been a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church Berg-en-Dal in Bloemfontein since 1997 and has served the broader ecclesiastical community in numerous leadership roles. He is the moderator of the Free State Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) and chairperson of the Curatorium of the DRC Free State. He also serves as chairperson of the management committee of the DRC Free State Archive and Document Centre, and of the Boards of Hospice Bloemfontein and Siesta Old Age Home.
Before entering the ministry Jan worked as a lecturer at the Universities of the Free State (1990) and Stellenbosch (1995–1996), and again, since 2003, on a part time basis in the Department of Church History and Polity at UFS. In this capacity he was named best lecturer in the faculty (2011) and received the Award: Excellence in Teaching and Learning from the UFS Prestige Forum. This year (2023) he is responsible for teaching modules in the History of Christianity (Reformation, BDiv III) and the PgDip (South African Church History and Current Affairs). His research in the fields of church history, history of theology, liturgy and spirituality resulted the publication of two books, nine chapters in co-authored publications, twelve articles in accredited scientific journals and several papers at national and international conferences. As a regular columnist he has published more than 100 contributions regarding church and society, ethics and the public role of theology in Volksblad and Kerkbode over the past ten years.
Jan is married to Hanneke, the founder and manager of Hospice Bloemfontein. He is the father of Foster Lubbe (an engineer in Leuven, Belgium), Hannelore Joubert, a medical representative (married to Daniel), and the stepfather of Greta.