WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP)–Five new faculty members, three seminary and two college, will be stepping behind lecterns this fall at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
The additional faculty should help meet the growing seminary student demand in the areas of preaching, ethics and systematic theology, seminary officials said. On the college level, the faculty ranks will increase by two, providing more classes in biblical exposition, systematic theology and missions.
Seminary officials are expecting an enrollment this fall of more than 1,600 students. Last year’s fall enrollment was 1,353. Southeastern’s 1997 fall convocation services Aug. 19 celebrated the seminary’s 46th year in theological education. Jerry Vines, co-pastor of First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, Fla., delivered the convocation address on the Wake Forest, N.C., campus.
Here’s a look at the new full-time faculty teaching this fall at Southeastern:
— Stephen Nelson Rummage, a 1993 Southeastern graduate, will serve as instructor of preaching at both the college and seminary level. Rummage, who is currently working on a Ph.D. in preaching at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, returns to Southeastern after serving as instructor of pastoral ministries during the 1996-97 academic year at New Orleans Seminary’s School of Christian Training.
Rummage, 28, was pastor of Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, Covington, La., for three years before resigning to fill the teaching post at Southeastern.
Rummage pastored Cedar Rock First Baptist Church, Castalia, N.C., for more than two years before going to the Louisiana pastorate.
Rummage received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he earned a bachelor of arts in communication studies and public relations with a minor in English. He completed his undergraduate degree in three years graduating magna cum laude.
He and his wife, Michele, have one child, Joshua Nelson, born on July 21.
— Kenneth T. Magnuson, who recently completed his doctoral dissertation in theology and Christian ethics at the University of Cambridge, England, will serve as instructor of Christian ethics.
Magnuson, 35, worked at Bethel Theological Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., as a teaching and research assistant in theology and ethics for two years before going to Cambridge in 1993 to pursue his doctoral studies.
Schooled in the biblical languages of Hebrew and Greek, Magnuson earned a master of divinity in pastoral studies and theology from Bethel Theological Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., graduating magna cum laude in 1992.
A former program instructor at a group home for mentally retarded adults, Magnuson earned a bachelor of arts degree in anthropology and biblical studies at Bethel College, St. Paul, Minn.
Magnuson and wife Katherine have three children: Karl, 7; Haaken, 4; and Hannah, 1.
— Josef Solc, who received his master of divinity and doctor of philosophy in systematic theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, has been named assistant professor of theology and missions at Southeastern Baptist Theological College.
Solc, 54, comes to Southeastern after serving as pastor for 17 years at Hulen Street Baptist Church, Fort Worth, Texas. Since 1990, Solc has served as president of the Josef Solc Evangelistic Association ministering in local high schools and Baptist churches in his native Czech Republic. He has also preached internationally as an evangelist in South America, Europe and Australia.
Before going to the Hulen Street church as pastor, Solc had a radio ministry for a year preaching regularly on the Trans World Radio in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
The son of a Baptist pastor in the Czech Republic, Solc played professional ice hockey for his country from 1962 to 1968. When the Communist seized control of the Czech Republic in 1968, the country’s official ideology rejected the existence of God. The Communist government revoked Solc’s father’s license to preach and prevented Solc from attending the seminary in Prague.
Solc left his native country in 1968 to attend a seminary in Switzerland and later transferred to Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla., on a tennis scholarship. After graduating from Oral Roberts University, Solc enrolled at Southwestern Seminary.
Solc and his wife, Joy Cheryl, have three children: Joy, 17; Maria Adrienne, 14; and Josef Benjamin, 10.
— Greg Harris, who taught from 1989 to 1996 at Washington Bible College in Lanham, Md., as assistant professor of Bible and theology, joins the Southeastern faculty as instructor of Biblical exposition. Harris has taught courses as an adjunct professor at Southeastern since 1995.
Harris, 41, is expected to be awarded a doctorate degree in theology this fall from Dallas Theological Seminary. Harris graduated with academic honors earning a master of theology degree as well as a master of divinity degree from Talbot Theological Seminary, La Miranda, Calif.
Before going to seminary, Harris worked as an administrative supervisor with the Wake County Public Schools, Raleigh, N.C., and taught and coached at North Garner Junior High School.
While attending seminary, Harris served as assistant pastor at Cerritos Valley Baptist Church, La Palma, Calif. and later served as interim pastor of Greenville Country Church, Santa Anna, Calif.
In other ministry experience, Harris has served as pastor to singles at Northwest Bible Church, Dallas, and most recently pastored Berwyn Baptist Church, College Park, Md., from 1990 to 1993.
Harris grew up in Raleigh, N.C., and graduated from Cary High School, Cary, N.C., in 1974. Harris attended Campbell University, Buies Creek, N.C., on a track scholarship while earning a bachelor of arts degree in English.
Harris and his wife, Betsy, have two children, Lauren ,7; and Benjamin, 6.
— Southeastern announced earlier this summer the hiring of Stephen D. Kovach, as instructor of systematic theology at the seminary beginning this fall. Kovach, a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, served as adjunct professor of systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Ill. Kovach is scheduled to complete his doctoral studies in systematic theology at Trinity by December.
