by jowens | Aug 26, 2016
Debbie Mouser will shift from her current role as director of enrollment services to a new role as director of recruitment, according to David Williford, vice president for institutional advancement at Welch College.
“Later this fall, Mrs. Mouser will move into a new, more specialized role that will maximize the strengths she has brought to Welch College working with applicants and their parents,” Williford commented. “This will facilitate a strategy to focus more heavily on the direct recruitment of applicants to Welch.”
“Much of Mrs. Mouser’s current role has involved increasing the percentage of applicants who enroll at the college as freshmen and transfer students,” Williford said. “This new position will allow her to concentrate on this more recruitment-heavy aspect of her role.” Mrs. Mouser will be assisted by Pam Buck, who began administrative assistant duties with the department in August of last year.
Derek Altom, Manager of the Office of Institutional Advancement, will step in as acting director of enrollment services, taking on the oversight of the managerial aspects of the department. “I’m excited about this opportunity to assist the college in this time of transition while we search for a new director.” Altom said. “Mrs. Mouser has set new standards for recruitment at Welch. It’s going to be wonderful to see her interact with more students and parents, and I look forward to providing management and oversight to the department in the coming months.”
Mr. Altom is conducting a search for a full-time administrative assistant/office manager for the Department of Enrollment Services. Interested applicants should email him at daltom@welch.edu.
by jowens | Aug 26, 2016
Daniel Webster is slated to join the Welch College staff in a part-time capacity as director of marketing and recruitment for Welch Online, according to provost Dr. Greg Ketteman. In this position, which will also include an appointment as adjunct instructor in theological studies, Webster will recruit students and engage in strategic marketing for the undergraduate online degrees Welch currently offers. This position will allow him to remain in North Carolina while still pastoring.
“We’re eager to get Mr. Webster engaged with this key role for Welch Online,” said Ketteman. “With thirteen years of full-time ministry experience and a broad understanding of media and marketing, he brings much to the table.”
Webster served ten years as an associate pastor at Gateway Free Will Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia. There he managed various ministries, including music, media, worship, and single young adult ministry. Since 2013, he has served as lead pastor of Glad Tidings Free Will Baptist Church in Asheboro, North Carolina.
“Webster’s background in promotion, marketing, and recruiting makes him a great fit for this position,” Ketteman said. During college and after graduation, he was an active part of the promotional department at Gateway Christian College, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Sacred Music. His ministry there included singing in groups, preparing and leading student groups, and representing at conferences and association meetings. He has also served in marketing and customer relations for GEICO.
Webster holds two master’s degrees, a M.A. in Biblical Studies from Maranatha Baptist University and a Master of Biblical Studies from Virginia Beach Theological Seminary. He is concurrently seeking an M.Div. and an M.A. in Church Music at Maranatha Baptist University.
While in college, Daniel met his wife Kimberly (Fisher), who grew up attending Free Will Baptist churches in North Carolina. They have three children, Aaron (8), Julianna (6), and Noah (4).
by jowens | Aug 16, 2016
Dr. James M. Stevens, chairman of the Music Department at Welch College, recently received the New Year’s Selling Contest Award at Sheet Music Plus for his bestselling Prelude to a Wedding book in the piano solo category. This collection contains 28 original songs drawn from his highly successful Relaxing and Romantic Piano books, Volumes I – IV.
Sheet Music Plus is the world’s largest sheet music dealer representing over one million print and digital titles and over one thousand music publishers. This is Stevens’s third award in the last year at Sheet Music Plus. He also won the Steinway Music Composition Contest in December 2015.
Stevens is one of the most prolific composers for Sheet Music Plus. He currently has more piano solo compositions published there than any living composer and is only surpassed in numbers by Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Chopin, and Liszt.
His The Sacred Flute book for solo flute and piano is currently the number-one bestselling flute solo book in both the print and digital categories. His compositions can be found at Sheet Music Plus under his publishing company, James M. Stevens Music ASCAP.
Dr. Stevens is a graduate of Samford University and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and has a doctorate in Music Composition from the University of Kentucky. He is beginning his thirteenth year as the Music Department chairman at Welch College.
by jowens | Jul 17, 2016
Free Will Baptist North American Ministries (NAM) and Welch College have entered a church planting partnership, according to NAM general director David Crowe and Welch College president Matt Pinson.
NAM and Welch have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that identifies parameters of a partnership for the training of college students in church planting.
“A unique opportunity has arisen for these two departments to partner together for training college students in church planting and ministry,” Crowe said. “This opportunity comes through the planting of a new church in the Gallatin, Tennessee, area that will birth as an autonomous, self-sustaining Free Will Baptist church.”
The new church will be planted by Jesse Owens, who will be designated as Associate Church Planter by NAM. “North American Ministries will provide an account to collect money raised by the church for start-up expenses, promotion expenses, and any other non-salary related expenses,” Crowe explained. The church plant, which will remain autonomous from both NAM and Welch, will provide a bi-vocational salary for Owens, who will also be landscaping manager and adjunct instructor at Welch.
“We’re excited about this opportunity for Welch to partner with North American Ministries to provide church planting training for our ministerial students,” said Pinson. “And we’re thankful to Jesse Owens for the opportunity to allow Welch and NAM to utilize this new church plant as a way to provide training and internship opportunities in church planting for Welch students.”
“Jesse began talking with me and [Welch campus pastor] Matthew McAffee a long time ago about being part of a core group to plant a self-sustaining church in Gallatin, since the college will be moving there next year,” Pinson explained.
NAM Director of Church Planting Brad Ransom said, “This is a win-win situation for both NAM and Welch. It allows us to help plant a church in Gallatin, where Welch is moving, and at the same time provide a laboratory for training Welch students for real-world church planting across North America.”
Owens said, “I’m honored for our church plant to be an integral part of this strategic partnership between NAM and Welch College. Tiffany and I are excited about the opportunity to mentor young people who want to be involved in church planting.”
by jowens | May 7, 2016
By Josh Cross, Gallatin News Examiner
For Welch College, this year’s graduation not only marked a new beginning for 50 of its students, but also for the 74-year-old institution itself.
The college’s annual commencement ceremony, held at its West End Avenue campus in Nashville on Friday, was the last to take place on the property before the school’s relocation to Gallatin next year.
“Everyone here is waiting with bated breath for the construction to get finished and to move up to Sumner County,” said Matt Pinson, president of Welch College. “There is always nostalgia for the campus that we’ve been on for almost 75 years, but the excitement about the move to Gallatin far outweighs that nostalgia.”
The campus will be housed on 66 acres just north of Station Camp High School between Bison Trail and the Stone Creek subdivision.
Classes are expected to begin at Welch’s new campus in late January or early February. The regionally and nationally accredited school, which was established in 1942, offers 40 majors with an annual enrollment of about 400 students and 100 full- and part-time staff.
“We’ll start a little bit later than we normally would, but it’s a once in a lifetime thing,” Pinson said.
Construction on the new campus began last year following a groundbreaking ceremony in July. The first phase of the project includes an administration building with classrooms, offices, labs and a library; a multipurpose building with a cafeteria, small auditorium and fine arts facilities; separate male and female dormitories; and a student activities center with a gym and fitness center.
A capital fundraising campaign to help with the cost of Welch’s campus construction and relocation has already exceed its initial goal with already approximately $8 million in cash and commitments raised, according to Pinson. As a result, the college has increased the campaign goal from $6.5 million to $14.4 million.
If the new fundraising goal is reached, Pinson said the college will be able to build a chapel, auditorium, expand its gymnasium, purchase more technology for the campus and eliminate any outstanding debt the school has.
“We had some debt when we sold the campus and at the end of the (original) campaign we were still going to have that debt, but the campaign is going so well… we think we’ll be able to build a bigger campus and not have any debt on top of that,” he said.
College officials announced in June 2015 that Mike Ford Custom Builders had purchased 7.14 acres of Welch’s 7.6-acre West End Avenue property for $11.25 million. The deal brought an end to the private Christian school’s lengthy efforts to sell the property and move to a new campus.
With relocation plans beginning to take shape and the success Welch is experiencing with its capital campaign, Pinson said the college has “great anticipation” for the future.
“This building program, relocation and the wonderful success we’re seeing in fundraising symbolizes some real strides forward that the institution is making in becoming more of a comprehensive Christian liberal arts institution,” Pinson said. “We think we’re about to open up a new chapter in the college’s history and see a lot of growth.”
To learn more about Welch College’s capital campaign or get updates on its relocation plans, visit www.BuildingontheLegacy.com.
by jowens | May 6, 2016
Welch College conferred degrees on 49 students from 15 states in commencement exercises at Memorial Auditorium on Friday, May 6, according to President Matt Pinson. Students completed degrees in multiple programs ranging from two-year associate’s degrees to four-year bachelor’s degrees. Forty-nine percent of the class graduated with honors.
Rev. Keith Burden, Executive Secretary of the National Association of Free Will Baptists, delivered the commencement address. He challenged graduates to be the best they can be, to take responsibility for their actions, and expect great things from God and attempt great things for God.
Jeff Nichols, executive pastor of The Donelson Fellowship in Nashville, Tennessee, presented Thursday evening’s baccalaureate sermon. He relayed to graduates that they were made by God who knows their future and to look at their years of preparation with patience for the future.
Welch College Pastoral Ministry Coordinator Dr. Barry Raper was named Academic Advisor of the Year. President Matt Pinson also recognized Christian Service Director John Murray for 25 years of faithful service to Welch College.
The college commends to you and to the work of the Lord the members of the 2016 graduating class.
Associate of Science Degrees
Adam Heath Giles
Ashland City, TN
Business
Kenneth Mark Murphy
Kannapolis, NC
Ministry
David Alan Robinson
Lexington, NC
Ministry
Keith Michael Stegall
Moline, IL
Ministry
Elisabeth Grace Webster
Norfolk, VA
Nursing
Bachelor of Science Degrees
Erik Mark Armstrong
Red Bay, AL
Youth and Family Ministry
Nathaniel Bacon Brimer**
Norfolk, VA
General Christian Ministry
Rachel Ann Burns
Springfield, OH
Child Development and Learning
Licensure K-5
Sunni Coral Champion
Florence, AL
General Christian Ministry
Lim Nhial Chol
Nashville, TN
Exercise Science
Shelby Faith Cominskie*
Virginia Beach, VA
Child Development and Learning
Licensure K-5
Nathaniel Austin Deel**
Antioch, TN
History
Licensure 6-12 in History and English
Leah Carol Dell**
Ashland City, TN
Child Development and Learning
Licensure K-5
Hannah Renee Driggers**
Scranton, SC
English
Licensure 6-12
Joshua Daniel Dunbar*
Russellville, AR
Business Administration
Youth and Family Ministry
Hanna Alicia Dunham*
Wheelersburg, OH
Child Development and Learning
Licensure K-5
George Hudson Shaw Dunlap
Nashville, TN
Exercise Science
Taylor Rebecca Greer
Manassas, VA
English
Licensure 6-12
Nathaniel Matthew Hagood
Whitesburg, TN
General Christian Ministry
Benjamin Corey Hobbs
Willow Spring, NC
General Christian Ministry
Carl M. Hooper**
Waverly, TN
General Christian Ministry
Michael Edward Hunt**
Wagoner, OK
General Christian Ministry
Gabriel Thomas Kear
Chula Vista, CA
Business Administration
Allison Ruth Lewis
Chicago, IL
Early Childhood
Emily Jane Lute
Warren, MI
Business Administration
Jessica Wey Melvin**
Mt. Juliet, TN
Exercise Science
Caroline Elizabeth Merkh
Nashville, TN
Business Administration
Caleb Luke Milling*
Ashland City, TN
General Christian Ministry
John Daniel Newland**
Joelton, TN
Music Performance
Leslie Blake Nichols*
Old Hickory, TN
Exercise Science
Melissa Taylor Owen
Canton, GA
Business Administration
Emily Jane Parrish***
Washington, NC
Psychology
Amy Michelle Pickett**
Pocahontas, AR
Early Childhood Education
Licensure PreK-3
Andrew Evan Pierce
Tupelo, MS
General Christian Ministry
David Andrew Reeves*
Owensboro, KY
Business Administration
Adison Kyler Showalter*
Butler, GA
General Christian Ministry
Caleb Ryan Smith
Mount Holly, NC
Youth and Family Ministry
Wayne Thomas Smith*
Fort Lawn, SC
General Christian Ministry
Paula Melinda Stonerock***
Columbus, OH
Child Development and Learning
Licensure K-5
Larissa Cheree Thomas***
Greenwood, AR
Psychology
Gregory Wayne Tucker
Huntsville, AL
Pastoral Ministry
Tracye Shawnette Tucker
Franklin, TN
General Christian Ministry
Zachary Adam Vickery*
Taylor, AL
General Christian Ministry
James Victor
Francis Creek, WI
Physical Education
Bachelor of Arts Degrees
Stephen Dempsey Bozeman**
Butler, GA
History
Nathaniel Austin Deel**
Antioch, TN
English
Cameron Michael Edwards
Cane Ridge, TN
English
Michael David Hollis***
Washington, NC
Pastoral Ministry
Brittany La Shae Walker*
Spruce Pine, AL
Missions
Dustin Michael Walters
Hamilton, AL
Pastoral Ministry
*** Summa Cum Laude
** Magna Cum Laude
* Cum Laude
