The John Leland Center for Theological Studies has named Kenneth R. Pruitt as president.
Pruitt comes to the role from the pastorate of King’s Grant Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, Va. He has been an officer on the school’s board of trustees and has been an adjunct professor teaching New Testament and formation of ministry courses.
Leland Center trustees elected him on March 17, and he will begin service March 21.
Kenneth R. Pruitt
Also known as Leland Seminary, the school is located in Arlington, Va., part of the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area. It is housed at The Church at Clarendon.
Leland has been fully accredited by the Association of Theological Schools since 2006. It is one of a crop of new seminaries and Baptist houses of study that were birthed after the schism in the Southern Baptist Convention of the late 20th century.
The school’s first president was Randel Everett, who was followed by Mark Olson for the next decade. After two years of interim leadership from Brent Walker, the school called William H. Smith as president in January 2019. Upon Smith’s retirement, Provost Michael Hines became acting president.
Leland Center offers undergraduate diploma classes through its School of Ministry with centers across Virginia — in Arlington, Charlottesville, Culpeper, Gretna, Newport News, Richmond, Roanoke, and Staunton.
On the graduate level, it offers the master of divinity, master of theological studies and master of Christian leadership degrees.
The school’s publicity describes it as “a seminary in the Baptist tradition” and notes that it “welcomes students of all denominations and offers a diverse student body and faculty.”
“It is with much joy and anticipation that I accept this appointment as Leland’s new president,” Pruitt said. “After many years as a pastor and teacher, I look forward to advancing Leland’s mission to equip transformational leaders for the global ministry of Jesus Christ. Leland is strategically placed in one of the most important metropolitan areas of our day, and we stand ready as the seminary of choice for those in this region and beyond who hear God’s call as pastors and lay leaders — for full-time, bivocational or volunteer ministry and service.”
Pruitt earned the doctor of ministry degree in preaching and theology from Baylor University’s Truett Seminary, the master of divinity degree with biblical languages from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and the bachelor of art in religious studies degree from Charleston Southern University.
Prior to his pastorate at King’s Grant Baptist Church, he served churches in South Carolina, Texas and North Carolina. He is active in the Baptist General Association of Virginia and has led seminary conferences in India.
The website of King’s Grant Baptist Church describes it as a church that “welcomes men and women in leadership roles including deacon and staff positions. The church is ecumenical, cooperating with other churches to serve the community.” In addition to partnership with the BGAV, the church relates to both the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Southern Baptist Convention.
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