by jowens | Apr 30, 2017
Mr. Greg Fawbush, accomplished coach, athletic director, and Free Will Baptist pastor, has been named Athletic Director and Men’s Basketball Coach at Welch College, according to President Matt Pinson. Fawbush fills the vacancies left by interim Men’s Basketball Coach Donnie Stevanus, who resigned in March, and outgoing Athletic Director Gary Turner, who, in transition to retirement, will continue to teach in and administer the Exercise Science degree and associated academic programs.
Since graduating from Welch College in 1995, Fawbush has ministered in a wide range of roles within the Free Will Baptist denomination. Early in his career, Fawbush served as a youth pastor, coach, and teacher. Most recently, he has served as Director of Athletic and Coaching Services at the 700-student-strong Seffner Christian Academy in Seffner, FL, and as Pastor of New Hope Free Will Baptist Church in Dover, FL.
During his 21-year tenure at Seffner Christian, Fawbush served in the athletic department and taught Senior Bible. He is well-known in South Florida for his successful high school basketball coaching career, with a record of 379-135. Fawbush led his program to four state tournament appearances, including two state runner-up finishes. He has been named Coach of the Year multiple times, both in Hillsborough County and the state of Florida.
As Director of Coaching and Athletic Services, he played an instrumental role in developing Seffner Christian’s athletic program as a noted force in the state of Florida. In that role he administered 29 teams and managed 47 coaches.
“Mr. Fawbush’s exceptional service at Seffner Christian Academy and ministry in the churches display his commitment to seeing God’s work successfully done, a heart for serving others, and a love for the Free Will Baptist Church,” Pinson said.
“We’ve watched him, from an academic standpoint, receive the highest marks from his professors in Welch’s new M.A. program in theology and ministry. His record as an outstanding preacher and minister who combines Christian worldview scholarship, a 21-year athletic career, and a winning coaching record in Christian education is a great combination for our mission here at Welch.”
Fawbush stated, “I look forward to returning to my alma mater to serve Welch as Athletic Director and Men’s Basketball Coach. I am extremely honored to have the opportunity to support Welch as a representative in Free Will Baptist churches and Christian schools—and in the college’s new community in Sumner County.”
Download Welch Names Greg Fawbush to Sports Post Release
by jowens | Apr 12, 2017
GALLATIN, TN—After 21 years as headmaster of Hendersonville Christian Academy, William Slater will be transitioning to a role as Dean of Enriched Adult Studies at Welch College, according to Matt Pinson, Welch’s president. Slater will conclude his tenure as headmaster of Hendersonville Christian Academy at the end of this school year and begin his new post at Welch June 1.
“We are excited to have an educational leader of Mr. Slater’s caliber to join our Welch team,” Pinson said. “With his thirty years of educational leadership in Christian K-12 education—more than twenty of it here in Sumner County—his record of community leadership in Sumner County, and his academic credentials, he will bring just what we need to the leadership of the newly launched Enriched Adult Studies program.” Slater holds an M.Ed. in educational leadership from the University of South Florida and a law degree (Juris Doctor) from Nashville School of Law.
The Enriched Adult Studies Program is a newly launched program for Christian adults who desire to complete their college degree. The program was created by Dr. Charles Lea, formerly of Vol State Community College and Union University, who joined Welch last year as Special Assistant to the President for Adult Education.
“Working with Dr. Charles Lea, Dr. Greg Ketteman, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Dean of Graduate and Adult Education, and Sarah Bracey, Adult Studies Liaison, Mr. Slater will give day-to-day leadership to the Enriched Adult Studies program and also serve in an advisory capacity on international students and dual enrollment relationships with private and Christian schools and the homeschool community,” Pinson said.
Pinson added: “Great days are ahead for Welch as we move forward with degree programs that stretch beyond our traditional focus on residential undergraduate education. We believe there are many students who have received an associate’s degree from Vol State, or who’ve attended another college and have never completed their degree, that will find Welch’s mission attractive. Mr. Slater understands our commitment to combine our strong Christian mission with academic excellence, and his addition to our team will posture us for growth.”
Welch College, Sumner County’s newest educational institution, offers more than 40 programs of study, including associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. Accredited by SACS Commission on Colleges and ranked as one of the South’s best colleges by U.S. News and World Report, Welch recently opened operations on its new campus across from Station Camp High School in Gallatin. For more information, visit Welch.edu.
by jowens | Apr 12, 2017
At its last meeting, the Welch College Board of Trustees unanimously approved significant changes in the president’s leadership team, according to President Matt Pinson. “We’ve made some important changes to facilitate strategic growth for the college in its new Sumner County environment,” Pinson said. “These changes also posture the college for growth well into the future, as they involve gifted younger members of the faculty.” The transition will occur on June 1, the beginning of the 2017-18 fiscal year.
“There’s a pressing need to free up more of Dr. Greg Ketteman’s time to work on strategic growth initiatives now that we’re in our new environment as the only four-year residential college in Sumner County,” Pinson said. New initiatives planned on the new campus include the relaunching of an (evening) adult studies program; addition of more online degrees; initiation of master’s degrees in Christian leadership, teaching, and educational administration; and articulation of agreements with area colleges and universities creating new ways to earn baccalaureate degrees in nursing, ease of transfer to Welch, and outreach to Christian high schools and the homeschool community.
“With his outstanding leadership skills, the respect he has gained in the academic community, and his ability just to get things done, Dr. Greg Ketteman is uniquely qualified to lead the kind of strategic growth initiatives we need in our new setting here in Sumner County,” Pinson explained. “Making these changes will free up his time to work on such initiatives for the future growth of the college and enable a number of younger leaders to exercise their gifts at the college.”
These changes involve the following personnel:
Dr. P. Greg Ketteman will transition to the role of Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, Dean of Graduate and Adult Studies, and Distinguished Professor of Education. Ketteman, who was born in South Carolina and reared in Nashville, Tennessee, has served as Provost at Welch College for the past eleven years. Before that he served on the Welch Board of Trustees for four years. Known widely in Free Will Baptist circles as an active lay church leader and music minister, Ketteman graduated from Welch in 1977 with a B.S. in Teacher Education. He went on to earn M.Ed. and Ed.D. degrees in educational leadership from Middle Tennessee State University and Tennessee State University, respectively, and also underwent significant graduate studies in the field of public administration. Before coming to Welch, he enjoyed a distinguished three-decade career in Metro Nashville Public Schools, the first half of that time as a teacher and the second half as a principal. Ketteman and his wife of 40 years, Jill, who has served at Welch since 1998 and currently works in the Financial Aid Office, have two grown children, Jack and Emilee, and five grandchildren.
Dr. Matthew J. McAffee will become Welch’s Provost. A native of New Brunswick, Canada, McAffee was originally ordained in the Atlantic Canada Free Will Baptist Association. He served as a part-time faculty member from 2003-2006 and pastored Lewisburg Free Will Baptist Church, before going back to graduate school. He returned to Welch in 2010 to teach biblical studies and biblical languages and also served as campus pastor and program coordinator for Theological Studies. A graduate of Welch College (B.A.), Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and the University of Chicago (M.A., Ph.D.), McAffee has written a number of scholarly and popular articles in journals such as the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, and the Journal of the American Oriental Society. He recently co-authored Sexuality, Gender, and the Church(Welch College Press) and is author of Life and Mortality in Ugaritic: A Lexical and Literary Study(Eisenbrauns, forthcoming) and co-author of Going Deeper with Old Testament Hebrew: An Intermediate Study of the Grammar and Syntax of the Old Testament (B&H Academic, forthcoming). He will continue to teach Bible and biblical language courses while fulfilling his new administrative duties. McAffee lives on campus with his wife Anna, who serves as women’s resident director at Welch, and their four children, Abigail, Lydia, Samuel, and Marianne.
Dr. Kevin L. Hester has been named Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and will maintain his role as Dean of the School of Theology. A graduate of Welch, Dr. Hester holds an M.Div. from Covenant Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from Saint Louis University and has written a number of books and articles, including, Eschatology and Pain in the Theology of Gregory the Great. Dr. Hester has a strong reputation in the Christian higher education accreditation community, having served on numerous accreditation teams for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the Commission on Accreditation of the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE). He serves as a commissioner on the ABHE Commission on Accreditation and also serves on the editorial board of the ABHE Journal. In his new role he will teach, oversee both undergraduate and graduate divisions of the School of Theology, and serve as the planning and accreditation liaison for the college. He and his wife Leslie have four sons, Spencer, Seth, Justin, and Jackson. His oldest son Spencer is a student at Welch.
Matthew Steven Bracey will transition to the role of Vice Provost for Academic Administration. Bracey has served four years as Registrar at Welch. Originally from Ashland City, Tennessee, he graduated from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University (Juris Doctor) and also holds a B.A. in history from Welch and a master’s degree in theology from Beeson Divinity School at Samford. A Ph.D. student in Ethics and Public Policy at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, he has written widely, serving as co-author and editor of Sexuality, Gender, and the Church (Welch College Press) and co-editor of The Promise of Arminian Theology (Randall House Academic). He is also a managing editor at the Helwys Society Forum (TheHSF.com). Bracey will continue teaching courses in law, history, and theology and serving as managing editor of Welch College Press. His wife Sarah, a licensed professional counselor, is currently completing her doctorate in counselor education and supervision and serves as adult studies liaison, staff counselor, and adjunct instructor in psychology at Welch.
“These are exciting times of transition for Welch College,” Pinson remarked. “These changes will make strategic growth possible but will also facilitate preparation of current faculty for future leadership at Welch. I ask our college family to join me in prayer for these leaders and for this process.”
by jowens | Apr 11, 2017
GALLATIN, TN—Two Welch College alumni will challenge 2017 graduates at the first Commencement event on the new Gallatin campus, according to President Matt Pinson.
Clint Morgan, Free Will Baptist International Missions director, will address graduates during 10:00 a.m. Commencement exercises Friday, May 19. Reverend Todd Parrish, pastor of First Free Will Baptist Church in Washington, North Carolina, will present the Baccalaureate sermon Thursday evening, May 18 at 7:00.
A 1972 Welch graduate, Morgan completed a master’s degree in Intercultural Studies at Columbia International University and a degree in French from the University of Nante, France. He and his wife Lynette served as missionaries in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa, for twenty-nine years and in France for four years. Morgan has been the general director of Free Will Baptist International Missions since 2011. He and his wife have four adult children and eight grandchildren.
A 1989 graduate of Welch and current student in Welch’s M.A. program in theology and ministry, Parrish has ministered in Free Will Baptist churches for more than twenty years. A trained counselor with a master’s degree in the field, he is former director of the Free Will Baptist Home for Children in Turbeville, SC. He currently serves as Assistant Moderator of the North Carolina Association of Free Will Baptists. He and his wife Merinda have two daughters, Emily and Ellen, the latter of which is a member of the Welch Class of 2017.
“The most uplifting time of year at Welch College is Commencement, as students receive their degrees and launch out into the future,” said President Pinson. “What a privilege to watch these young leaders go out to change the world. While some move on from here to pursue graduate degrees or professional training, most find places of service and begin making a difference in local churches, schools, and the marketplace. We encourage friends and family members to join us as we celebrate the 2017 graduates.”
by jowens | Mar 29, 2017
GALLATIN, TN—The Welch College Athletic Director is stepping away from AD responsibilities as he transitions to retirement. Next year he will continue to serve at Welch as PE/Exercise Science Program Coordinator and full-time faculty. Because of this transition, the college is seeking a mature, Christian individual who has a lengthy history of ministry in the local church, preferably in a Free Will Baptist church, to serve as Athletic Director, Men’s Basketball Coach, and Athletic Recruiter.
Qualifications/Experience
· Master’s Degree or PhD
· Minimum of 10 years’ experience as athletic director at secondary or collegiate level
· Minimum of 10 years’ experience in secondary or collegiate coaching
· Welch College alumnus preferred, but others will be considered
· Written testimony of Christian conversion
· Three written references from non-family members
Applicants should submit an original 1,200 word essay on Biblical Integration of Athletics and Christian Higher Education.
Contact Information
Send letter of interest, CV or resume, testimony of Christian conversion, references, and essay to:
Paul G. Ketteman, Ed.D., Provost
Welch College
P.O. Box 479
Gallatin, Tennessee 37066
or
provost@welch.edu
Letters of interest and other materials must be received on or before April 28, 2017.
The mission of Welch College is to educate leaders to serve Christ, His church,
and His world through biblical thought and life.
