[1]FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)–Trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary approved the new position of dean of women’s programs, expanded the academic administration in the provost’s office, elected 10 faculty members and approved a new master’s-level program in archaeology during their April 3 meeting in Fort Worth, Texas.
WOMEN’S PROGRAMS
Noting the strength and expanded offerings up to doctoral-level studies in women’s programs at Southwestern, trustees elected Terri Stovall as dean of women’s programs and associate professor of women’s ministries. Stovall has taught adult education and church administration in Southwestern’s school of educational ministries and has been the director of women’s programs since 2002.
“This is a new dean position at Southwestern,” said Craig Blaising, provost and executive vice president. “Dr. Stovall has done very well directing women’s programs and we are happy she has taken on these increased responsibilities.”
Stovall holds doctor of philosophy and master of arts in religious education degrees from Southwestern and a bachelor of arts degree from Corpus Christi State University. She has held staff positions at Fielder Road Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, and Handley Baptist Church in Fort Worth. She has been vice president and president for the Fort Worth Chapter of the Association of Church Business Administration and treasurer of the Southern Baptist Church Business Administration Association.
ACADEMIC ADMINISTRATOR
[2]Edward H. Pauley, 67, was elected vice provost for academic programs. Pauley holds master of arts and doctor of philosophy degrees from Boston University and a bachelor of arts from Gordon College in Wenham, Mass. His background in academic administration spans 40 years, having served in academic departments at the University of Rhode Island, Biola University, Eastern College (now Eastern University), International Christian Graduate University in San Bernardino, Calif., and Dallas Baptist University.
He is author of numerous books including “Footsteps to Follow” and “Women’s Devotional Prayer Journal,” both published by Word.
“Dr. Pauley will be a great help to our academic administration at the seminary, especially with the new academic programs trustees voted on today,” Blaising said.
10 PROFS ELECTED
Joining Southwestern’s faculty are:
— Scott M. Preissler, 46, elected as professor of stewardship in the school of theology. Trustees also voted for him to occupy the Bobby L. and Janis Eklund Chair of Stewardship when it is inaugurated this fall.
Preissler is executive director of The International Center for Steward Leadership and was dean and founder of The Meyer Institute for Stewardship Leadership. He holds a Ph.D. in stewardship studies and nonprofit leadership from Union Institute & University in Cincinnati, master of science in higher education leadership and master of arts in philanthropic studies and nonprofit leadership degrees from Indiana University; and a B.A. in business and ministry leadership from Taylor University in Indiana.
“With his knowledge of stewardship and nonprofit leadership, I think Dr. Preissler brings a dimension to the school of theology that is going to be advantageous to our students as they relate to both church and para-church groups,” said David Allen, dean of the school.
— Joshua Williams, 31, assistant professor of Old Testament in the school of theology. He holds M.Div. and Ph.D. degrees from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., and a B.A. from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo. He is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society of Biblical Literature. Most recently, Williams has taught Latin at North Raleigh Christian Academy.
— Robert Caldwell, 38, assistant professor of church history in the school of theology. Caldwell holds a doctorate and two master’s degrees from the Chicago-area Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University. His recent book “Communion in the Spirit: The Holy Spirit as the Bond of Union in the Theology of Jonathan Edwards” was recently published by Paternoster (U.K.) and Wipf & Stock (U.S.). He has been teaching at Southwestern under presidential appointment for three years.
“Dr. Williams and Dr. Caldwell are young scholars who bring vitality and new energy,” Allen said. “They are solid, conservative scholars who are already distinguishing themselves in the classroom.”
— Joe Hardin, 40, associate professor of church music in the school of church music. Hardin, a composer and jazz performer, holds a doctor of musical arts in composition and a master’s in music from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and a master of music in trumpet performance from Dallas Baptist University.
He has held teaching positions at Appalachian State University in North Carolina, College of the Ozarks in Missouri, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and Cedarville College in Ohio. He is leading Southwestern’s chapel orchestra during the weekly chapel services.
“With expertise in composition, trumpet performance and jazz, Dr. Hardin is a valuable asset to our seminary,” music school dean Stephen Johnson said. “He is leading our students to deepen the more contemporary forms of worship by looking at the literature of jazz, the predecessor of the praise band…. As a man after God’s own heart, Dr. Hardin has continuously pointed our students to the Scriptures and to Christ.”
— Tom Kemsup Song, 57, associate professor of church music. Trustees also voted for him to occupy the Thad Roberts Chair of Church Music Ministry.
A native of Korea, Song holds master and bachelor of music degrees from Jung-Ang University and an M.Div. in church music from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. For 13 years he was minister of music for the 15,000-member Suwon Central Baptist Church founded by Billy Kim in Korea. In addition to expertise in directing church music groups of all sizes, Song is an accomplished vocalist who has performed leading roles in operas such as “Carmen,” “The Barber of Seville,” “La Traviata” and “Rogoletto.”
“Professor Song … comes with a tremendous spirit of humility and seeks to encourage our students on a continual basis,” Johnson said. “It is clear by his actions and his words everything that he does is for ministry. He seeks to be God’s servant wherever he goes.”
— David Thye (pronounced “tee”), 50, elected professor of church music. Trustees also voted to install him in the Robert L. Burton Chair of Conducting, effective Aug. 1.
Since 2005, Thye has been conductor-in-residence for MidAmerica Productions in New York City, the company that produces classical concerts featuring soloists and choral and instrumental organizations from around the world for performances in Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center. Johnson said Thye will be based in Fort Worth but will continue his relationships and duties with these world-class musical venues in New York.
Thye has been a guest conductor and lecturer at more than 300 colleges, high schools, churches and music organizations and has conducted more than 150 oratorios, operas, choral masterworks, musicals and large-scale music productions. He holds D.M.A. and M.M. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Conservatory of Music and B.A. from the University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota.
“David comes with a deep heart for developing Christian character in the lives of our students,” Johnson said. “Excellence is to be assumed, and thus his focus is on ministering to the community in which he is placed…. He is dedicated to being a light in the Fort Worth community by showing kindness and the love of Christ as he leads our students, the Oratorio Chorus and, at times, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.”
— Chris Shirley, 47, assistant professor of adult ministry in the school of educational ministries. He comes to Southwestern from Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth where he has been associate pastor for Christian development for 10 years. He has taught adjunctively at Southwestern since 1999. Shirley holds a Ph.D. and master of arts in Christian education from Southwestern Seminary and a bachelor of business administration from Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn.
“Dr. Shirley fills a need we had to be able to train graduates to go into churches and set up ministries from newborns all the way through senior adults,” said Robert Welch, dean of the school of educational ministries. “He is good friends with many of our professors already and he has so many good ideas for our programs. He has a proven track record already. His student evaluations from his classes are often some of the highest we have.”
— Harvey E. Solganick, 62, professor of humanities in The College at Southwestern. He holds a PhD in humanities and rhetoric from the University of Texas at Arlington; a master of education and bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas (formerly North Texas State University); and a master of liberal arts from Southern Methodist University.
Solganick is a well-respected scholar who comes to Southwestern from LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas. He has been on the teaching faculties of Missouri Baptist College in St. Louis, Eastfield College in Dallas, Tarrant County Junior College and Texarkana College.
— Lee Williams, 55, associate professor of history in The College at Southwestern. Williams holds a Ph.D. in U.S. history and an M.A. in U.S. and European history from the University of Arizona and a B.A. from Oklahoma Baptist University. He has taught on the faculties of Southern New Hampshire University (formerly New Hampshire College) in Manchester, the University of Arizona, Pima Community College in Tucson, Ariz., and Henan University of Science & Technology in Luoyon, China.
“The college could not be more blessed in having these two godly scholars join our ranks because together they represent the perfect balance of our Bible-based, classics-based curriculum,” said Emir Caner, dean of The College at Southwestern. “Both are thoroughly equipped, academically and spiritually, to teach students biblical distinctives and apologetics. More importantly, these two men are wonderful examples of true Christian character and witness.”
— Paul Li-Tah Chen, 55, assistant professor of Old Testament in the J. Dalton Havard School of Theological Studies in Houston. He has taught there adjunctively since 2005 and has held academic posts at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Seminario Teologico Servo de Cristo in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Chen holds a Ph.D. from Trinity; an M.Div. from Witness Theological Seminary in Sao Paolo; and a master of sacred theology from Dallas Theological Seminary.
Denny Autrey, dean of the Houston-based school, described Chen as “a renowned Old Testament scholar, a gentleman who is thorough in his understanding of the Old Testament, and he is also gracious in dealing with students.”
ARCHAEOLOGY DEGREE
Trustees unanimously approved what is believed to be the nation’s only program currently offering a master of arts in archeology and biblical studies, to be administered through the school of theology. The graduate-level degree offers advanced work in the classical archaeological disciplines of archaeological methods; fieldwork; archaeological, historical and biblical backgrounds; and ancient biblical and cognate languages.
“It is a 98-hour, comprehensive program that will be the premier program of its kind in the United States,” said David Kammler, chairman of the trustees’ academic administration committee and professor of mathematics at Southern Illinios University at Carbondale.
“Our new archeology program is developing and is critically important [because] archaeology programs in our seminaries have ceased to exist,” SWBTS President Paige Patterson said. “Yet there is both apologetic and educational value in these studies.”
Steven Ortiz, associate professor of archaeology and biblical backgrounds and director of Southwestern’s Charles C. Tandy Museum, said the program “will be preparing students for the field of archaeology and also bringing Southwestern back as a major contributor to current biblical archaeological research.”
In other business, trustees:
— voted to name Wesley O. Black, professor of youth and student ministry at Southwestern since 1983, to the Jack D. and Barbara Terry Chair of Religious Education in the school of educational ministries.
— adopted written guidelines for themselves titled “Responsibilities and Duties of Trustees.”
— approved moving forward with fundraising plans according to the SBC Executive Committee’s guidelines under a campaign titled “Preparing Tomorrow’s Ministers Until Jesus Comes.” The fundraising campaign will finance a 3,500-seat chapel and a building to house the Roy Fish School of Evangelism and Missions. — elected Stacy Taylor (chair), Larry Burns, Geoffrey Kolander, Paul Redmon, Joseph C. Sleeth Jr., Ralph E. Smith and Steve Spotts to the Southwestern Seminary Foundation board.
— elected trustees Mike Eklund, Harlan Lee and Jack Smith and non-trustees Lee Weaver, Jerry Yowell and Richard Headrick to annual terms as directors of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Development Foundation, Inc.
— approved a $36,109,966 seminary budget for the 2007-08 fiscal year, a 5.48 percent increase over the 2006-07 budget.
— unanimously elected Van McClain of New York to a second one-year term as trustee chairman, John Mark Caton (at-large) as vice chairman and Harlan Lee of Arizona as secretary.
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