
Bible scholars John Meade and Peter Gurry to join MBTS faculty
By Michaela Classen/MBTS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary announced the addition of John D. Meade and Peter J. Gurry to full-time faculty. Serving as professor of Old Testament and associate professor of New Testament, respectively, Meade and Gurry will join the seminary community on the Kansas City campus beginning in the fall 2025 semester.

“No theological institution rises higher than the caliber of its faculty, and with the additions of John Meade and Peter Gurry to our already first-class faculty, it is a tremendous step forward and well positions Midwestern Seminary for years to come,” said MBTS President Jason Allen. “In God’s kind providence, He has assembled a new and supremely gifted generation of scholars on this campus. I cannot be more proud of the men and women who teach here, and no more grateful for the additions of Meade and Gurry. …
“At the very heart of a theological institution is its biblical studies department. The opportunity to add these two young, gifted, and proven faculty members to our already sterling biblical studies department was simply too good to pass up,” Allen continued. “We are genuinely grateful to God for His ongoing blessing on Midwestern Seminary, for the incredible men and women called to serve here. John Meade and Peter Gurry represent so much of what a president looks for when adding faculty to a theological institution. They are men of character, devoted churchmen, exemplary husbands and fathers, accomplished scholars with even higher ceilings. Both are driven to serve the local church and to train those who will serve the local church. Most especially, Meade and Gurry’s ongoing efforts to explain and defend the inerrant Scriptures has already made a major contribution to the 21st-century church. I look forward to seeing their influence grow and their strengthening of the Church extend and expand for years to come.”
As leading scholars in text criticism and the history of the canon, Meade and Gurry currently serve at Phoenix Seminary where they teach courses in Old and New Testament, biblical Greek and Hebrew and biblical theology. They also co-direct the Text & Canon Institute.
In 2022, Meade and Gurry coauthored “Scribes and Scripture: The Amazing Story of How We Got the Bible.”The book has undergone multiple printings and garnered various accolades, being named a finalist in the Bible Reference category for the 2023 Christian Book Awards.
The presence of Gurry and Meade on Midwestern Seminary’s faculty highlights the institution’s commitment to equipping students to know, teach, and defend God’s Word for the benefit of the Church.
“A commitment to biblical studies and biblical languages has long served as the core of the Midwestern Seminary curriculum,” said Provost Jason Duesing. “The addition of John Meade and Peter Gurry signals, all the more, the continuation of that commitment. Training men and women to trust in the truthfulness of Scripture and study it in the original languages is the foundation of our vision to send out a new generation of leaders and missionaries for the Church.”
Tennessee Baptist Mission Board announces staff changes
By Chris Turner/Baptist and Reflector
FRANKLIN, Tenn. – The Tennessee Baptist Mission Board (TBMB) has announced a new wave of staffing changes as part of its ongoing restructuring efforts. These changes are aimed at aligning the organization with the ministry priorities established by Tennessee Baptists.
The recent adjustments include a mix of new hires and reassigned roles among current staff members. Much of the reorganization is tied to the Acts 2:17 Initiative, a multiyear, statewide project that focused on equipping churches with resources to thrive in their ministries.
The restructuring included the elimination of 13 positions — 10 of which resulted from resignations or retirements.
“We continue the process of aligning our TBMB staff with the priorities set forth at the 2024 Tennessee Baptist Convention,” said Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the TBMB. “I believe we’ve created a strong team that will move us forward in our mission to strengthen and multiply gospel leaders, evangelistic disciples, and healthy churches. These areas encompass a wide range of ministries, from children’s programs and Vacation Bible School to missions and compassion initiatives.”
The announcement follows personnel changes that were revealed two weeks ago, which included some layoffs of long-term staff members. Davis noted that these decisions were made to “reallocate resources toward roles needed to support the initiative’s mission.”
“Our reality is to strategically and effectively engage the vision we believe God has set for Tennessee Baptists,” Davis explained in a recent column, “we must reduce our current TBMB staffing by approximately 15 percent. It may sound counterintuitive, but this is a case of multiplication by subtraction. Once these transitions are complete, the number of people involved in assisting churches will grow.”
The restructured model places a greater emphasis on creating a statewide network of ministry coaches and practitioners who can provide localized and contextualized value to churches with diverse needs, Davis said.
“I believe the network will be a game changer,” he added. “Our goal is for this network of ministry consultants to be established and active by mid-2025.”
While the chart highlights additions and updates to staff responsibilities, several existing ministry leaders will continue in their current roles. These include Beth Moore (compassion ministry), Wes Jones (Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief) and Vickie Anderson (Woman’s Missionary Union).
According to Davis, the response to the initial reorganization announcements has been “overwhelmingly positive,” and the focus now shifts to enabling staff and churches to implement these initiatives.
“I want to thank everyone who has reached out to offer words of encouragement, counsel, and to ask clarifying questions,” Davis said. “Your wisdom and counsel are a blessing to our mission. I believe we are heading in a strong direction – one that aligns with the mandate given to us by Tennessee Baptists and helps us become a collaborative network of spiritually healthy churches reaching Tennessee and beyond for Christ.”