Galvan elected SWBTS board chairman

FORT WORTH?Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustees demonstrated a growing interest in equipping Hispanic ministers as well as increased scrutiny of prospective faculty at the spring trustee meeting held on campus April 5-6.

Trustees also upgraded the master of divinity degree, established the Southwestern Center for Expository Preaching, endorsed creation of a School of Evangelism, approved developing an undergraduate college on the Fort Worth campus and designated the Havard Center for Theological Studies in Houston as a school of the seminary.

With the unanimous election of David Galvan as trustee board chairman and Rudolph Gonzales as vice president for student services, the largest of the six Southern Baptist seminaries became the first to select a Hispanic to the top board office and an executive level administrative post.

Virginia trustee Phil Walker praised Galvan’s year as vice chairman and the respect he has gained throughout Texas and beyond. “I know him as a man of integrity, with a sweet, sweet spirit, but first and foremost he is a man fully committed to our Lord and Savior and his kingdom,” Walker said. Galvan is pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida in Garland and serves on the board of trustees for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

New York trustee T. Van McClain was elected vice chairman over North Carolina trustee Ted Stone. McClain teaches Old Testament and Hebrew at Mid-America Theological Seminary’s northeast campus. Texas trustee R. E. Smith, a retired psychologist, was re-elected by acclamation to continue as board secretary.

Gonzales has served on the faculty of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary and The Criswell College, most recently directing Interfaith Evangelism for the North American Mission Board. He received a Ph.D. from Baylor, Th.M. from Princeton Theological Seminary, M.Div. from Southwestern Seminary and B.A. from The Criswell College.

Student Services Associate Vice President David McQuitty led the department as dean and was promoted to associate vice president of student services last November.

In addition to his administrative post, Gonzales will assist in several projects pertinent to reaching minorities in the Southwest, particularly Hispanics. These include:

?relating to state conventions in Texas to help Hispanics enter into a beneficial educational process. (Gonzales will relate to SBTC through the Hispanic Initiative which identifies and assists key Hispanics with educational pursuits ranging from the GED to a doctorate);

?offering input in developing an M. Div. concentration taught bilingually that addresses ministry by Hispanics with regard for practical, cultural and theological issues; and;

?assisting the provost in formulating an undergraduate program that will be beneficial to Hispanics.

Trustees also promoted Associate Administration Professor Robert Welch to serve as dean of the School of Educational Ministries. Associate Church Music Professor Benjamin Harlan was promoted to professor.

The board also made clear they will continue to carefully examine faculty candidates despite a new president who gained the board’s unanimous support last summer. A little more than a decade ago, trustees battled with Southwestern President Russell Dilday to insist on the right of the board to interview prospective faculty in advance of meetings.

After hearing the testimonies of each candidate, two prospects were summoned back to the Academic Affairs Committee meeting for additional clarification of their views on the tension between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. When the full board began to consider the committee’s recommendations, trustees agreed to move into executive session to evaluate the new personnel. Concern over the Calvinistic views of one of the candidates prompted the closed-door meeting, according to an administrator who remained for the discussion.

At the close of the committee meeting and in plenary session Patterson praised trustees for responsibly exercising their duties with a proper attitude and spirit, stating, “You’re not just rubber stamps.” The entire prospective faculty was elected by trustees who also received a report of appointed faculty who may teach up to two years at the direction of the president.Newly elected faculty include:

?David L. Allen as dean of theology and professor of expository preaching. Allen currently holds the W. A. Criswell Chair of Expository Preaching and serves as senior pastor of t

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