WACO, Texas (ABP) — Paul Powell, who built up Baylor University's George W. Truett Theological Seminary in his six years as its dean, will retire in May and be succeeded by a veteran Baptist educator.
David Garland, the school's associate dean for academic affairs and a professor, will succeed Powell. According to a Baylor press release, Truett faculty members have unanimously endorsed the selection.
Truett Seminary, established in 1994 after Baptist fundamentalists gained leadership positions at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, has nearly 400. The school is one of the largest and best-financed of a crop of new seminaries that sprouted in the wake of fundamentalist-versus-moderate controversy in the Southern Baptist Convention during the 1980s and 90s.
“David Garland is a nationally renowned New Testament scholar whose biblical commentaries meet with acclaim among scholars, ministers and laymen,” Randall O'Brien, Baylor's provost, said in the release. “He is a gifted homilist, much in demand in our churches, a careful exegete and an inspirational teacher and mentor for our ministerial students.”
Garland came to Truett in 1997 after a 20-year career teaching at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. He and his wife, Diana, left that school after leaders there decided to close the school of social work, where Diana Garland was dean. Baylor agreed to take the school, and Diana Garland still leads it.
David Garland is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and a Navy veteran. He received his master's and doctoral degrees from Southern Seminary and has done postgraduate work at universities in Germany and Australia. The Garlands have two adult children and belong to Calvary Baptist Church in Waco.
Powell came out of retirement to lead Truett in 2001, after heading a private foundation and the Annuity Board of the Southern Baptist Convention (now known as GuideStone Financial Services). He also worked for more than 15 years as pastor of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas.
Under Powell's tenure, Truett's student body has more than doubled. He also led the school — which had been meeting at Waco's First Baptist Church — to move into a 64,000-square-foot building on Baylor's grounds. Truett's Baugh-Reynolds Campus opened in 2002.
Despite his record, Powell's initial appointment and some of his subsequent actions proved controversial to many Truett supporters and alumni, who feared he would attempt to steer the school on a more conservative course than it followed in its early years. He came under fire for a 2003 decision to revoke the scholarship of student Matt Bass because school officials believed he was living a “homosexual lifestyle.” It made national headlines.
Powell said he thought his tenure was necessary to clarify the Truett's niche among moderate Baptist seminaries. “I came to help give a clear identity to the school, to help people realize that we are a Christ-centered, Bible-based seminary committed to our historic Baptist principles,” he said in the release. “Our vision is to be the premiere Baptist theological seminary of the world. I feel we have helped to clarify our identity and made the seminary more church-centered with a strong emphasis on preparing ministers for the local church.”
Powell graduated from Baylor and Southwestern Seminary. He and his wife, Cathy, have three adult children and three grandchildren. He said he will continue working on a part-time basis as a special assistant to Garland, doing fund-raising work and serving as an ambassador for Truett.
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