KANSAS CITY, Kan. (ABP) — Molly Marshall was elected president of Central Baptist Theological Seminary Nov. 12, becoming the fist female president of an accredited Baptist seminary.
Marshall, 54, succeeds Thomas Clifton, who retired at the end of 2003 after 10 years as president.
For the past nine years, Marshall has been professor of theology and spiritual formation at Central and currently serves as acting academic dean. Central Seminary, founded in 1901, is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches U.S.A. and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
Marshall was elected unanimously by the school's board of trustees on the recommendation of its presidential search committee. She begins her duties as the seminary's 10th president Jan. 1.
This is the first time a woman has held the position of president at any Baptist-affiliated seminary accredited by the Association of Theological Schools.
“We are very pleased that Dr. Marshall has chosen to accept the decision by the board to hire her,” said incoming trustee chairman Don Wissman, who also served on the search committee. “We interviewed a field of exceptionally well-qualified candidates, but Dr. Marshall's love and devotion for theological education is what convinced the committee that she is the right choice to lead the seminary into a new era.”
A 20-year veteran of theological education, Marshall was associate professor of theology and associate dean at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky., before going to Central.
“I believe in what we do at Central as we seek God together,” Marshall said in a statement. “We are in the process of forming and transforming ministries, which is the heart of theological education. I'm grateful for the trust and confidence the board has given me to lead Central as a teaching church seminary — realigning congregational life with theological education.”
In addition to teaching, Marshall has served as a youth minister, campus minister and pastor. A graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University, she received master's and doctoral degrees from Southern Seminary. She has done additional study at Cambridge University in Cambridge, England, and Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, N.J.
A popular lecturer and conference speaker, Marshall has published three books — “What It Means to be Human,” “Joining the Dance: A Theology of the Spirit,” and “No Salvation Outside the Church.”
Marshall and her husband, Douglas Green, live in Shawnee, Kan., a suburb of Kansas City.