by jowens | Aug 30, 2021
Earlier this summer, Welch College President Matt Pinson, received official M.Div. implementation notification from Dr. Kevin Sightler, Director of Substantive Change for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The letter stated that the accreditor had “reviewed the materials seeking approval of the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree program” and had voted “to approve the program and include it in the scope of the current accreditation.”
Pinson said, “The offering of an M.Div., the first one offered by a Free Will Baptist institution, and the establishment of a divinity school attached to Welch College, is a dream come true for us. No longer will Free Will Baptists have to go outside our denomination for their M.Div. We have hoped and dreamt for an M.Div. program for many years.”
Partial funding for the conception and implementation of the program was provided by a generous grant of almost $500,000 from the Kern Family Foundation.
Welch College began offering the M.Div. this semester. The program will be offered in an accelerated B.A.-to-M.Div. five-year program. A high school graduate with at least 15 dual enrollment college credits can complete both a B.A. and an M.Div. degree in five years. The M.Div. will also be available to students who already have a bachelor’s degree.
Provost Matthew McAffee noted, “With this new program, it’s possible for students to begin at Welch and complete a B.A. and a regionally accredited M.Div. in five years—something that normally takes seven. But people who already have a bachelor’s degree, even if it’s not in a theological field, are eligible to study for and complete this M.Div. We’ve been hearing from more and more people in our denomination who feel the need for further ministry education in our increasingly secular society.”
The M.Div. degree is composed of 85 credit-hours and makes use of 25 hours of existing undergraduate ministry courses augmented to the graduate level. It will be a full on-campus program in a traditional format. The M.A. degree in Theology and Ministry will now be able to be earned on-campus or completely online.
Now that accreditor approval has been received, Welch College is currently processing admissions and enrolling students in the M.Div. program. Applications are being accepted for the next course for both the M.Div. and M.A., which begins in October.
For more information about the Master of Divinity program in either its accelerated BA-M.Div. or traditional framework, or the M.A., contact the Director of Administration for Welch Divinity School, Dr. Martin Sheldon at msheldon@welch.edu.
*SACSCOC is the primary accrediting body for colleges and universities in the Southeast. It provides the highest level of accreditation that an educational institution can receive. Welch College has been accredited by SACSCOC since 1994. To gain or maintain accreditation with the Commission on Colleges, an institution must comply with the standards contained in the Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement and with the policies and procedures of the Commission on Colleges. The Commission on Colleges applies the requirements of its Principles to all applicant, candidate, and member institutions, regardless of type of institution (public, private for-profit, private not-for-profit).
by jowens | Aug 24, 2021
Mrs. Debbie Mouser recently resigned from her post as Director of Recruitment and Senior Admissions Counselor at Welch College, according to David Williford, Vice President for Institutional Advancement.
“Debbie will certainly be missed. She has been a mainstay in the areas of admissions and recruitment for the past eleven years,” Williford said. “We could always rely on her professionalism, institutional knowledge, and enrollment wisdom.”
Mouser, a 1985 Welch graduate, has carved out a distinguished career in various customer service-related positions. Most recently, while on staff at Welch, she had an impact on hundreds of students and parents as Enrollment Office Manager (2010–2012), Director of Enrollment (2012–2016), and Director of Recruitment and Senior Admissions Counselor (2016–2021). Mouser also became a Certified Enrollment Professional with the Association for Biblical Higher Education.
“When I first joined the Enrollment Team in 2017, I was delighted to learn alongside Mrs. Debbie,” said Daniel Webster, Director of Enrollment Services. “She has always been a patient teacher and an encouraging coworker. Her knowledge of our recruitment and admissions management applications has been second to none. I will miss her knowledge of the field and her customer-first mentality.”
Mouser has expressed her desire to have more flexibility in her career so that she can spend more time visiting children and grandchildren.
“Debbie has never ceased to be a highly productive and exemplary employee,” Williford said. “We’re certainly going to miss her. The entire Welch community is indebted to her, and we wish her and Marvin God’s blessings and peace as they pursue this next chapter.”
by jowens | Aug 16, 2021
Welch College has appointed Dr. Martin Sheldon to serve as the Director of Administration for the newly formed Welch Divinity School, according to Provost Matthew McAffee, who also serves as dean of the Divinity School.
A 1987 Welch pastoral ministry graduate, Sheldon received his M.Div. and Th.M. from Liberty University and his Ph.D. (2012) from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. His dissertation was entitled, “The Apostle Paul’s Theology of Good Works; With Special Emphasis on 1 Tim 6:17–19.”
He comes to his role at Welch with a proven record of teaching and academic administrative experience. He entered the faculty of Liberty University as Assistant Professor of Religion and was promoted to Associate Professor of Religion. During his tenure at Liberty, he also held the administrative position of Department Chair for both the online undergraduate and graduate programs.
Throughout his career, Sheldon has invested himself in local church ministry, including serving as a Free Will Baptist pastor. Even as his ministry focus shifted toward the classroom, he continued in pastoral and Bible teaching roles in local churches.
Sheldon began his position as Director of Administration remotely in February of this year and relocated to Gallatin in July. In addition to his administrative responsibilities, he will also serve as an adjunct instructor teaching select New Testament undergraduate and graduate courses.
“We are excited to welcome Dr. Sheldon to the Welch College family,” McAffee said. “I have already been impressed by his efforts in helping us start the M.Div. program. We believe his extensive academic administrative experience is just what we need to get this program started on the right track. His background in New Testament studies will make him a great asset in the classroom as well.”
Sheldon is married to Pam, a Welch alumnus, and they have two children, Sarah and Jared (Rachael), and one grandson, Dillon.
For more information about the residential M.Div. degree or the online M.A. degree in Theology and Ministry, please contact Dr. Martin Sheldon (divinity@welch.edu).
by jowens | Aug 3, 2021
Welch College is seeking to fill a part-time librarian position. Candidates must have a Master of Library Science (MLS) degree or equivalent and be able to sign the Welch College statement of faith. The position will begin on August 23. Qualified candidates may direct all inquiries to the Provost’s Office by email (provost@welch.edu) or phone (615-675-5260).
by jowens | Jul 13, 2021
Todd Parrish has been tapped to serve in a new role as Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Welch College, according to David Williford, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. In this role he will continue his work in major gifts acquisition and church relations but will begin working alongside David Williford, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, in the overall administration of fundraising and external relations at Welch.
Before assuming his current role in January of 2018, Parrish served as Senior Pastor of First Free Will Baptist Church, Washington, North Carolina. A North Carolina native who ministered in churches in North and South Carolina for 26 years, Parrish has served in a number of denominational roles, including Assistant Moderator of the North Carolina State Association of Free Will Baptists and Vice President of the Welch College Alumni Association.
“This is a great move for the college,” Williford said. “Todd is an invaluable member of the Institutional Advancement team. His efforts have resulted in remarkable success in fundraising and public relations. He loves Welch College and her mission, and he gives himself untiringly to advance the cause of Christian higher education among Free Will Baptists.”
Parrish was ordained under the ministry of Dr. Malcolm C. Fry. A 1989 Welch graduate, he obtained his M.A. in Mental Health Counseling from Webster University in 2010 and his M.A. in Theology and Ministry from Welch in 2018. He is nearing the completion of his doctorate in educational ministry at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is writing his doctoral thesis on the advancement and fundraising function of Welch College.
Welch President Matt Pinson said, “I’m so excited to get Todd Parrish into this new role to assume more leadership for “friend-raising” and fundraising at Welch. When he came to the college, I knew he’d succeed in these two roles, and he has shown himself to be stellar at both. His love for Welch runs deep, and he’s known for his strong work ethic and can-do spirit. It’s a joy to see him taking a more expansive leadership role in Advancement.”
Parrish and his wife, Merinda, Welch’s Clinical Coordinator for Teacher Education, have two married daughters, Emily Vickery (Zach) and Ellen Stox (Kevin), both Welch graduates, and two grandchildren, Lucy and Jack.
by jowens | Jun 30, 2021
Dr. Charles Lea recently retired from his position as Special Assistant to the President and Professor of Educational Leadership at Welch College, according to President Matt Pinson.
Before coming to Welch, Lea served as executive director of the Hendersonville campus of Union University. Prior to his work with Union, Lea served 16 years as Academic Vice President at Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, Tennessee.
“I first met Dr. Lea when we started looking at our current property in Gallatin about thirteen years ago,” Pinson said. “Dr. Lea has been a wonderful friend to Welch, commending our mission and vision to the people of Sumner County and helping move us forward in a significant way. It’s been such a blessing to have his seasoned counsel and exemplary Christian leadership.”
Lea, who received his Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership from Vanderbilt University, has spent forty-five years in higher education and community leadership, most of that in Sumner County.
In a recent communiqué, Lea said, “It has been a joy to serve Welch College and to work with the many talented administrators and faculty at the college over the past four and one half years. I never thought when I began my work at Welch that I would stay this long, but due to the friendships, initiatives and Christ-like atmosphere, I delayed my departure.”
“When I came to Volunteer State Community College some 30 years ago, I never dreamt I would be able to complete my public service to the Tennessee Board of Regents in Sumner County and assist in bringing Union University to Hendersonville and assist Welch in its relocation to Gallatin,” Lea continued. “I am particularly pleased with the work which I have completed at Welch. We have formed unique partnerships with other higher education institutions, public schools and business leaders. We have also created a signature event for the college, Strong and Courageous.”
Pinson said, “I’m delighted that Dr. Lea will continue to volunteer as an advisor to me and our leadership team here at Welch. What a great friend he has been and will continue to be to our institution!”
The Welch community thanks Dr. Lea and wishes him and his wife Rita God’s blessings during their retirement.
