David S. Dockery & O.S. Hawkins

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

By unanimous election, the Board of Trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in April appointed David S. Dockery, Ph.D., to be the institution’s tenth president, and O.S. Hawkins to a new role as chancellor. Both had served as the interim leadership team since September 2022, following the resignation of President Adam Greenway in September; Greenway had served since 2020.

Dockery had been a Distinguished Professor of Theology at Southwestern with four decades of experience in Christian higher education, including serving for nearly 20 years as president of Union University. His service also includes various leadership roles at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and with the International Alliance of Christian Education.

Hawkins served with distinction for 25 years as president of GuideStone Financial Resources, and also has served as pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, and the First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A much sought-after speaker, Hawkins also is the author of nearly 40 books.

Both Dockery and Hawkins are graduates of Southwestern and both are the recipients of distinguished alumni recognition from the seminary.

 

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Edward Stetzer

Talbot School of Theology

Edward Stetzer, Ph.D., was named in February as the dean of the Talbot School of Theology at Biola University in La Mirada, Calif., effective July 2.

An author, pastor, radio host, and editor-in-chief, Stetzer comes to the Talbot School after a long tenure on the faculty at Wheaton College, where he served as professor, dean of the School of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership, and executive director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center. His leadership at Wheaton has resulted in enrollment growth at the school’s ministry program, the launch of eight institutes, securing millions in grant funding, and expanded outreach to churches and local communities.

Over his professional career Stetzer has planted churches, served as a lead pastor, and trained pastors and church planters on six continents. He also served as editor-in-chief of Outreach Magazine, hosted a national radio show, “Ed Stetzer Live,” on 150 radio outlets, and has written hundreds of articles and a dozen books.

He holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School, in addition to a Master of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Master of Arts from Liberty University’s Divinity School.

 

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Jacqueline E. Lapsley

Union Presbyterian Seminary

A distinguished Old Testament scholar and a trailblazing leader in theological education has been named the eighth president of Union Presbyterian Seminary by the Board of Trustees. Jacqueline E. Lapsley, Ph.D., is the first woman named to serve as president of Union Presbyterian since its founding in 1812; she began her duties July 1.

Lapsley served since 2018 as the Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Princeton Theological Seminary, also the first woman to serve in the position. Prior to that she had been a member of the Princeton faculty for 20 years. A noted Old Testament scholar, she is the author or co-editor of numerous publications, including A Women’s Bible Commentary.

She earned her Ph.D. from Emory University after completing an M.A. from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary. Her A.B. was awarded by Smith College.

She succeeds Brian K. Blount, who retired after 16 years as president.

 

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Karen Walker Freeburg

Northern Seminary

The Board of Trustees of Northern Seminary in April announced the appointment of the Rev. Dr. Karen Walker Freeburg as acting president, effective through Oct. 14 or until the selection of an interim president.

Freeburg, the President of the American Baptist Churches of Michigan, had previously served Northern as its interim president during the most recent presidential search. She also served in other positions since 1994, including Vice President and Chief Academic Officer from 2004-14, while also continuing to serve as an adjunct member of the faculty and Thesis Supervisor to D.Min. students and as a mentor to Northern female graduates serving in pastoral ministry.

She succeeds Rev. Dr. John C. Bowling, retired President of Olivet Nazarene University, who was called to serve as acting president following the March resignation of seminary President William Shiell, who served seven years in the role.

Freeburg earned both Masters and Doctor of Divinity degrees from Northern; she completed her bachelors degree studies at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash.

 

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Lee Hayward Butler, Jr.

Iliff School of Theology

The Iliff School of Theology Board of Trustees has appointed the Rev. Dr. Lee Hayward Butler, Jr. as the seminary’s 17th president, effective July 1, 2023. Dr. Butler, a lifelong Baptist, comes to Iliff from Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Okla., where he served as the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Academic Dean, and the William Tabbernee Professor of the History of Religions and Africana Pastoral Theology since July 1, 2020.

Prior to joining Phillips, he served as the Dean of the Faculty at Chicago Theological Seminary in Chicago, Ill.

Butler earned his Ph.D. in Psychology and Religion and Master of Philosophy from Drew University. He also holds a Master of Theology in Pastoral Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary, a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Pastoral Care and Counseling from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (now Palmer Theological Seminary), and a B.A. in Religion from Bucknell University.

He was the first African American tenured full professor and the first person of color to hold the office of VPAA and Academic Dean and to serve as Acting President at Phillips.

 

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Tammy Dunahoo

Portland Seminary

An ordained minister with more than 40 years of ministry and church and denominational leadership experience began duties as Executive Dean of Portland Seminary on June 1.

Tammy Dunahoo, D.Min., a Portland Seminary alumna, succeeds MaryKate Morse, Ph.D., who will remain at the seminary as a professor in its Doctor of Ministry in Leadership and Spiritual Formation program.

Dunahoo previously held leadership roles in the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, a Los Angeles-based denomination she’s worked for in various capacities the past 20 years, most recently as director of leader health and development since 2021. She previously served as the organization’s vice president of U.S. operations and general supervisor from 2009-21

Dunahoo also held the position of vice president of Foursquare’s Women in Ministry Leadership program, director of Foursquare Women International, and district supervisor of the Arkansas District of Foursquare Churches.

She brings over 40 years of ministry experience to her new role, serving as both a pastor and as a church planter, and was an adjunct professor for Life Pacific University. She served on the board of trustees of LPU from 2009 to 2023, and as the chairperson of its Academic Committee from 2020 to 2023.

Dunahoo holds a bachelor’s degree from The King’s University in California, a master’s degree in ministry leadership, and a doctorate in leadership with global perspectives.

 

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New Chairs

New board chairs since Jan. 1, 2023