News
Truett Seminary Names New Director of the Black Church Studies Program
February 1, 2024 – Truett Seminary announced the appointment of Jamal-Dominique Hopkins, PhD, associate professor of Christian Scriptures, as director of the Black Church Studies Program.
“Amid a global pandemic, Baylor’s Truett Seminary launched a Black Church Studies Program,” said Todd D. Still, PhD, dean of Truett Seminary. “Over the course of the past three and one-half years, Rev. Dr. Malcolm Foley, in concert with a chorus of other voices, has helped us to think through what this fledgling program might become. When Dr. Jamal-Dominique Hopkins joined our faculty, he did so in no small measure to support the emerging mission and vision of Truett’s Black Church Studies Program. In assuming the role of director, Dr. Hopkins will now be able to play an even more pivotal and integral part in shaping and implementing this needed emphasis at our school among our students. We are hopeful for the future of this program with Dr. Hopkins at the helm.”
As director, Hopkins will facilitate engagement and interaction with and among the various members of the Seminary community and will work collaboratively to develop initiatives designed to create an awareness and appreciation of the global, historical, theological, and prophetic traditions of Black Americans and members of the African Diaspora.
“On behalf of the Truett Black Seminarians Association, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Hopkins on his appointment as director of the Black Church Studies Program here at George W. Truett Theological Seminary,” said Arnelle Woods, MDiv student and president of TBSA. “What an honor reflective of his dedication, expertise, and unwavering commitment to the advancement of Black theological scholarship! His leadership in this role will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the education and spiritual growth of seminarians and the broader community. We are excited to see the Black Church Studies Program flourish under his guidance and are confident that it will be a beacon of knowledge, inspiration, and empowerment. We ultimately look forward to the ways in which God will bless Truett in its entirety because of his work.”
Truett Seminary Appoints New Lecturer in Christian Theology
March 11, 2024 – Truett Seminary announced that Jangho Jo, PhD, will join the Seminary’s faculty as a lecturer in Christian Theology beginning in the fall of 2024. As a bi-vocational minister, Jo has served as the lead pastor at the Korean Church of Waco, a member of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. He has also taught numerous courses, including systematic and constructive theology, church history, and Christian ethics for MDiv and DMin programs across the country and around the world.
“The Truett faculty is excited to have Dr. Jangho Jo as our new lecturer of Christian Theology,” said Brian C. Brewer, PhD, professor of Christian Theology and chair of the search committee. “Dr. Jo is a gifted teacher and has taught a broad array of theology courses at the seminary level for over a decade since completing his studies in historical theology. His research and teaching have encompassed the full range of the patristic, Reformation, and contemporary periods of Christian history and witness. What is more, Dr. Jo’s long tenure as a pastor makes him the paragon of what we hope each of our students will one day become: a scholar minister. He is a deep thinker with a pastor’s heart for Christ’s Church and Christian ministry.”
Jo’s varied pastoral and educational experiences have enabled him to teach students to engage thoughtfully with the rich heritage of the Church while fostering love and respect for ministry. In this new role, Jo will teach a range of courses across Truett’s expansive theological and historical curriculum.
Regarding the announcement of his appointment, Jo remarked, “Truett has consistently demonstrated both service to the Church and top-tier academic research and training. I am very honored to join Truett’s wonderful community. It will be both my joy and privilege to work with the students, faculty, and staff at Truett for the sake of the Church and God’s kingdom. I am looking forward to being a part of this great ministry and am eager to see how the Lord will continue to use Truett for His glory.”
Baylor’s Truett Seminary Announces New Associate Professor of Preaching
March 14, 2024 – Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary announced that Tyshawn Gardner, PhD, will join the Seminary as associate professor of preaching beginning in the fall of 2024.
“I am overjoyed that Rev. Dr. Tyshawn Gardner will be joining our faculty,” said Jared E. Alcántara, PhD, professor of preaching, holder of the Paul W. Powell Endowed Chair in Preaching, and director of the Kyle Lake Center for Effective Preaching. “He has an evident and inspiring call to preach and to empower others to preach. In the last five years especially, he has established himself as a highly respected and sought-after researcher, writer, and scholar in homiletics. On top of all of this, he brings more than twenty years of pastoral ministry experience into the classroom. Rev. Dr. Gardner is a true blessing to the Church and the academy. I know he will be a gift to the Truett community as well.”
Gardner served as associate professor and director of the Pre-Ministerial Scholars Program at Samford University and as an adjunct professor at Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School. A Navy veteran, he previously served as the senior pastor of Plum Grove Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and as the president of the Tuscaloosa Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Additionally, Gardner has regularly served on ministerial and professional boards, including Faith in Action, the Evangelical Homiletics Society, and Macedonia Ministries.
“Over time, Baylor’s Truett Seminary has become a destination location for the study and practice of preaching,” remarked Truett’s Dean Todd D. Still, PhD. “The addition of Rev. Dr. Tyshawn Gardner to our Seminary’s faculty only heightens the attraction for theorists and practitioners alike. An award-winning author, skilled teacher, and sought-after preacher, Rev. Dr. Gardner’s coming will add strength to strength. We are eagerly and enthusiastically awaiting his arrival.”
Truett Student Awarded Fellowship at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics
April 9, 2024– Emily Hooker, a second-year dual degree student, has been awarded a Fellowship at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE). The Fellowship at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE) is granted to students pursuing advanced degrees in business, journalism, law, medicine, theology, technology, as well as early-career professionals. During the program, participants spend two weeks in Germany and Poland, visiting Auschwitz and other significant historical sites. Fellows engage in seminars guided by experts in their specific fields of study.
Hooker is a Truett dual-degree student pursuing a Master of Divinity and Master of Social Work. Seeking a career in counseling and pastoral care, Emily has worked with adolescents and young adults with a particular emphasis on offering holistic care to populations working through religious trauma. As an undergraduate at Texas State University, she studied psychology and geography in order to understand better the intersection of mental health and nature – focusing primarily on how nature can benefit those seeking therapeutic services.
“I was thrilled to hear that Emily had been selected as a FASPE Fellow,” said Michael W. Stroope, Professor of Christian Missions and Holder of the M.C. Shook Chair of Missions. “She is a worthy recipient and someone who will make the most of this wonderful opportunity. I am certain the experiences and interactions of this summer will deeply form her as a person and give her an even greater capacity to love and care for people.”
Hooker is among nine Truett students and alumni who have received this fellowship since 2015, including Josepha Mbouma (2023), Kingsley East (2023), Kathryn Freeman (2020), Julia Wallace Butler (2018), Sam Davidson (2016), Daniel Headrick (2016), and Elizabeth Andrasi Deere (2015).
Baylor’s Truett Seminary Names Three New Directors and Promotes a Fourth
May 31, 2024 – Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary announced the appointment of three new directors and the promotion of a fourth. According to Truett Dean Todd D. Still, Ph.D., Matthew D. Kim, PhD (Edinburgh), will assume the role of Director of the PhD in Preaching program effective January 1, 2025; Paul E. Putz, PhD (Baylor), become the Director of the Faith and Sports Institute on June 1, 2024; and Steven E. Turley, PhD (University of Wisconsin-Madison), began serving as Director of Truett Houston on June 7, 2024. Additionally, Preben Vang, PhD (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary), has been promoted from Director to Executive Director of Truett’s Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program effective June 1, 2024. Dr. Kim will also move from the Hubert H. and Gladys S. Raborn Chair of Pastoral Leadership to the George W. Truett Chair in Preaching and Evangelism, held by Joel C. Gregory, PhD, until his recent retirement.
Regarding these significant appointments, Dean Still remarked, “Even as the PhD in Preaching program, the Faith and Sports Institute, and Truett Houston have been skillfully and sacrificially served by outgoing directors Drs. Scott M. Gibson, John B. White, and George Gaston respectively, I firmly believe and greatly anticipate that these strategic programs of our school will go from strength to strength under the able and energetic leadership of Drs. Kim, Putz, and Turley, even as Truett’s DMin program has under Dr. Vang, who has led Truett’s DMin to grow in size and influence over the course of the past decade as its director.”
What the “Give Light Campaign” Accomplished for Truett Seminary
June 24, 2024 – As Baylor University brings its “Give Light Campaign” to a close, Truett Seminary is eager to update and to thank those who have generously supported our school through the campaign.
With an initial directive to raise $50 million to contribute toward the University’s overall goal of $1.1 billion, Truett focused primarily on raising funds to increase student scholarship support. Additionally, Truett sought funding for endowed faculty positions as well as for research, programs, and capital projects.
The University recently announced the successful conclusion of the “Give Light Campaign,” having raised $1.5 billion over the course of the campaign. Truett Seminary in particular was able to raise $89 million total with $40 million raised specifically for endowments. This supported the creation of 76 new scholarships, 11 new excellence funds, and three new faculty positions.
Truett Seminary is deeply grateful to all of the friends, churches, alumni, faculty, staff, and students who supported Truett over the course of the campaign. Because of their faithful gifts, Truett Seminary was able to exceed its campaign goal. Current and future ministry leaders have been and will continue to be impacted through their generous support.