[1]BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP)–J. Bradley Creed, associate provost at Samford University for the past year and a former Baylor University professor and dean, has been named provost at Samford.
He assumed duties as Samford’s chief academic officer June 1, succeeding acting provost Joe O. Lewis, who retired at the end of May.
Samford President Thomas E. Corts described Creed as “among the best and brightest of a new generation of Baptist educational leaders” when Creed joined Samford in June 2001.
“He has served admirably this year, assisting Dr. Lewis and me and learning Samford distinctives,” Corts said in announcing Creed’s appointment as provost of the Baptist-related university in Birmingham, Ala.
Creed served eight years as associate dean, dean and professor of Christian history at Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary in Waco, Texas. During his tenure as associate dean (1993-96) and dean (1996-2000), enrollment increased at the newly opened seminary from 48 to 247.
“These times challenge institutions that seek to be strong academically and to be just as strong in their moral and spiritual emphasis,” Corts said in a Samford news release. “Dr. Creed can provide effective leadership for Samford.”
[2]Creed, of Jacksonville, Texas, earned a bachelor’s degree at Baylor and M.Div. and Ph.D. degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He has also studied in Harvard University’s management development program and in language studies at Academia Hispano Americano in Mexico.
A church historian, Creed is a frequent contributor to such publications as Christianity Today and has written chapters in several books on Baptist history and life.
He was pastor of First Baptist Church, Natchitoches, La., from 1988-93 and served as an adjunct professor at Northwestern (La.) State University. He was also a teaching fellow at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Lewis, Samford’s former associate provost, became acting provost in the spring of 2000 when former Provost James Netherton was named president of Carson-Newman College in Tennessee. Lewis joined Samford in 1992 as associate provost for academic administration from Georgetown (Ky.) College, where he had been vice president for academic affairs.
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