FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)–Trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary elected three new faculty members, granted tenure to one faculty member and promoted four others during their April 7-9 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Southwestern continues to expand the ethnic diversity among its professors, President Paige Patterson said, in order to reach an ever-growing diversity among the student population.
He said the three professors elected by the trustees reflect this commitment: S. Aaron Son and Herbert W. Bateman IV as professors of New Testament in the school of theology and Laura Zettler as assistant professor of homemaking in the College at Southwestern. The three will assume their positions effective Aug. 1.
Son holds a Ph.D. and M.Div. from Southwestern; a bachelor of arts from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo.; and a Th.B. from the Korean Baptist University in Daejon, Korea. Son has been associate professor of biblical studies in Dallas Baptist University’s College of Christian Faith since 1999 and is the author of several books, including “Corporate Elements in Pauline Anthropology: A Study of Selected Terms, Idioms, and Concepts in the Light of Paul’s Usage and Background” (2001). Son and his wife Hee Sook have two children, Daniel and Joyce.
Patterson expressed his eagerness to have a Korean professor teaching New Testament and meeting the needs of the significant number of Korean students on campus.
Bateman holds a Ph.D. and Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary and a B.S. from Philadelphia Biblical University. He has served as interim pastor of First Baptist Church in Warsaw, Ind., since 2007 and has served as a professor for Moody Bible Institute from 2006-07 and Grace Theological Seminary from 1995-2006. He has authored “A Workbook for Intermediate Greek: Grammar, Exegesis, and Commentary on 1-3 John” (2008). He and his wife Cindy Anne have one daughter, Leah Marie.
Zettler holds a Ph.D. in human environmental sciences from the University of Missouri and an M.S. in consumer economics and a B.S. from the University of Alabama. Zettler served as an assistant professor in the University of Alabama’s department of consumer sciences from 2003-07. She also served as director of children’s ministries at Calvary Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, Ala., from 2006-07 and was a visiting scholar to the Federal Reserve System’s board of governors in Washington, D.C. in 2005. She has co-authored several articles, including “Parental Borrowing for Dependent Children’s Higher Education,” published in the Journal of Family and Economic Issues. Zettler’s husband Zach is associate pastor in charge of children’s ministries at Glenview Baptist Church in Fort Worth.
Trustees approved the tenure of Ian Jones, assistant dean in the school of educational ministries’ division of psychology and counseling and director of the Baptist Marriage and Family Counseling Center. This represents the first tenure approved since Patterson became president in 2003.
Jones has served as a professor at Southwestern since 1997, having previously taught at Howard Payne University for 12 years, including five years as dean of the school of social sciences. He holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of North Texas and a Ph.D. in Christian ethics, M.Div. and master’s in religious education from Southwestern.
Three of the four faculty members approved for promotions are in the school of educational ministries: Scott Floyd, from associate professor to professor of psychology and counseling; Margaret Lawson from assistant professor to associate professor of foundations of education; and Marcia McQuitty from associate professor to professor of children’s ministry. Lyndel Vaught was promoted from associate professor to professor of church music in the school of church music.
Trustees elected John Mark Caton, an at-large member, as chairman of the board of trustees. He has been a trustee since 2004, serving as vice chairman from 2007-08. Caton is senior pastor of Cottonwood Creek Baptist Church in Allen, Texas. He holds both a Ph.D. in ethics and M.Div. with biblical languages from Southwestern.
Trustees also elected Geoffrey Kolander, another at-large member, as vice chairman. Harlan Lee of Arizona was re-elected secretary.
Patterson, in his president’s report, shared with trustees his 14 expectations of faculty members, which include five expectations relating to a personal walk with the Lord and nine expectations related to teaching, denominational service and evangelistic involvement.
Patterson reported that he sees an increasing number of students coming to Southwestern with a mission and are willing to go anyplace in the world for the sake of the Gospel. He noted that several SBC entity presidents have been on campus this year, which helps build a cooperative Baptist spirit into the students. Among the SBC leaders Patterson mentioned were Thom Rainer of LifeWay Christian Resources, O.S. Hawkins of GuideStone Financial Resources, Daniel Akin of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Jerry Rankin of the International Mission Board and Geoff Hammond of the North American Mission Board.
Patterson also informed the trustees about an initiative to protect students from the steadily increasing costs of higher education. A personal letter from the president will be going out shortly to alumni and donors asking them to begin each year by giving a financial gift to Southwestern’s general fund. This will help offset general operating expenses so the seminary does not have to raise tuition at a rate as fast as universities and colleges, Patterson said.
In other business:
— The trustees’ business administration committee informed the board that progress is being made on the Horner Homemaking House and additional student housing, which were approved during the fall trustee meeting. The groundbreaking for the Horner Homemaking House will occur soon, and all funds have been secured for the project.
The new student housing project has received some redesigns due to building codes. Instead of the original plan of having four quad units, totaling 16 apartments, the new plan provides three units with six apartments each for a total of 18 apartments. Current projections are for the units to be completed by January 2009.
— A $36,987,017 seminary budget was approved for the 2008-09 fiscal year, a 2.4 percent increase over the current year.
— Trustees approved the nomination of Dr. and Mrs. John Earl Seelig, Dr. and Mrs. Jack MacGorman and Dr. and Mrs. Jim Richards to receive the 2008 L.R. Scarborough Award.
— Trustee Mike Boyd of Tennessee presented every trustee with a copy of the biography of Bill Wallace of China. Boyd, pastor of Wallace Memorial Baptist Church in Knoxville, also is donating a copy of the book to every student at Southwestern. For every copy of the newly reprinted book that is sold, a New Testament translated into Mandarin will be sent to China.
–30–
Keith Collier is a writer for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
