MILL VALLEY, Calif. (BP)–Chris Turner, co-pastor of North Spokane (Wash.) Community Church the last two years, has been named director of recruitment and admissions at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, Calif., effective July 27.
Turner, who has spent about seven years in student and campus ministry leadership positions with Northwest Baptist Convention campus ministries, replaces Linda Ford, who has resigned to pursue doctoral studies this fall.
“We are delighted with the kind of quality Christian leaders who continue joining our seminary family and its vision of shaping effective Christian leaders for the churches of tomorrow,” said seminary President William O. Crews. “Chris brings the insights of successful ministry experiences both on university campuses and in church planting settings. We anticipate continued growth and development of our student body in the coming years of Chris’ ministry.”
Turner is in the dissertation stage of a leadership development doctorate in higher education administration at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash., where he received several academic scholarship awards. Turner has earned the master of divinity and master of religious education degrees at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, and a bachelor of science at Lander University, Greenwood, S.C.
During his doctoral studies at Washington State, Turner has served as an instructor for group and individual leadership. While studying at Southwestern, he was an assistant in the seminary’s admissions and registrar office.
Prior to serving as co-pastor at the North Spokane church, Turner was the Spokane-area Baptist student minister, where the ministry grew from an annual program budget of $500 to $25,000.
Turner also has served as Baptist student minister for the Dallas Baptist Association from 1989-91 and as youth and children’s minister for the Siloam Baptist Church, Ninety Six, S.C., from 1985-87.
He and his wife, Tracy, have two sons, Spencer, 8, and Casey, 2.
“I am a bit overwhelmed, but simultaneously very excited about the opportunity to be a part of the Golden Gate Seminary family,” Turner said. “It is quite obvious that Linda Ford’s departure will leave a void, but she has left a very capable staff with whom I greatly anticipate working. Tracy and I are excited about God’s leadership in our lives that would brings us to Golden Gate.”
