Mr. Wayne Spruill, Director of Institutional Research at Welch College, died November 9 in Hendersonville, Tennessee. He was 72 years of age.
Wayne and his wife, Brenda Sanders Spruill, met while they were students at Welch. They both graduated from Welch in 1972, with his emphasis in business. He served as Student Body President. Mr. Spruill was a businessman, having managed several Christian bookstores, including Randall Bookstore and Zondervan Family Bookstores.
Wayne came to work at Welch in 2004 as the Director of Institutional Research and was instrumental in collecting and categorizing data for accreditation purposes. He was still active in this part-time position at the time of his death. He also had managed the campus bookstore and snackshop and was advisor to the college yearbook, the Lumen, from 2007-2021.
Welch College appreciates the dedicated service of Mr. Spruill and the love he had for his alma mater. He is survived by his wife Brenda, their four children, Kevin Spruill (NC), Carol Holland (TN), Beth Spruill (TN), Carl Spruill (HI), and ten grandchildren.
He never let his battle with Muscular Dystrophy hinder his work ethic. Since his confinement to a wheelchair in the early 2000s, he became known as the “Rolling Deacon.” His daughter-in-law, Cynthia, put it well that he is now “walking with Jesus.”
A memorial service will be held at Welch College Celorio Hall Auditorium November 19 at 10:00 a.m.
“Before we let the radical left tear down all the statues of our American founders, we need to read Forlines’s insightful book. . . . Thank God for this book, and for these United States of America!” That’s what Former Arkansas Governor and talk show host Mike Huckabee said about Secularism and the American Republic, the most recent book released by Welch College Press, the publishing imprint of Welch College in Gallatin, Tennessee.
Secularism and the American Republic was written by the late F. Leroy Forlines, long-time scholar of theology and culture and professor at Welch College. Forlines poured himself into the posthumous volume in the last years of his life. In the book, which can be purchased from welch.edu/welchpress, he argues against the secularist idea of strict church-state separation, opting instead for the reasonable accommodation of church and state.
“We stand desperately in need of a fresh recognition” that America’s founders did not support “secularism as a master ideology superseding all religious assertions and commitments,” writes Wilfred McClay, University of Oklahoma history professor, in his endorsement of Forlines’s book. “We are extremely fortunate to have the benefit of the late F. Leroy Forlines’s careful and nuanced discussion of the varied meanings of ‘secularism’ as applied to the early Republic, and by extension, to today’s America.”
The book is edited by Matthew Steven Bracey, vice provost for academic administration at Welch, who teaches courses in law and culture. “The myth of seventeenth-century American secularism became federally enshrined in the American legal system through the decisions of Everson v. Board of Education and McCollum v. Board of Education,” Bracey said. “A key piece of evidence the justices in these cases used was a letter penned by Thomas Jefferson in which he referred to a wall between church and state. Forlines doesn’t dispute the letter but contends that the secularist interpretation of Jefferson’s words is mistaken and that the founders supported the accommodation of church and state. Professor Forlines justifies this interpretation based on Jefferson’s writings and example, as well as the history of the movement of secularism and legal history. I’m so glad we can finally make Forlines’s groundbreaking research available to the public.”
Several scholars have lauded the book. For example, Mark Coppenger, retired professor of Christian philosophy and ethics at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, remarked, “This Forlines volume . . . is a treasure. I wish I’d had it on hand when I was teaching my church-state relations courses.” People interested in the book may purchase it at www.welch.edu/welchpress.
Daniel Webster is director of enrollment and marketing at Welch College.
GALLATIN, TN—Welch College recently announced important changes to its Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in theology and ministry, according to Dr. Kevin Hester, dean of the School of Theology at Welch.
“Since 2016, Welch College has offered a world-class M.A. degree in theology and ministry,” Hester said. “The goal of the program has always been to offer ministers and laity a rigorous theological education that would further prepare them to faithfully serve their local church. Program graduates, both ministers and laity, have consistently affirmed the value of the program for their ministry and spiritual life. The program has also prepared a number of graduates for further academic study, including local church pastors, who have pursued advanced programs at highly respected institutions in the U.S. and the U.K.” Hester announced two important changes for the program.
Fully Online Format
First, the faculty has approved a fully online format. The program’s leaders had spoken with a significant number of potential students for whom attending a week-long intensive was an insurmountable obstacle.
In the new format, weekly Zoom classes will make the program accessible to a larger number of students while still maintaining the heightened interaction and mentoring relationships students have come to value. Recent graduate Derek Altom said, “I enjoy conversations with my professors who are not only experts in their fields, but are also like friends.”
Provost Matthew McAffee said, “We’re excited about making the Master of Arts in theology and ministry more widely available to those who are unable to meet on-campus requirements. One of the primary goals of this program has always been to make a way for current ministers to enhance their ministry preparation through graduate education. A fully online option further realizes this aim.”
The new format allows students to continue to serve in current ministry and vocational roles without having to come to campus for intensives. Local students may still attend the weekly lectures in person, but physical attendance is not required.
This move has already opened doors for students now able to study while continuing in active church ministry. Current student Jerry Nunes said, “As a pastor in New York, Welch’s change to a fully online program was key to my ability to sign up for the M.A. program. Without sacrificing the quality of a rigorous theological and pastoral education, the move to a fully online format has allowed people like me to receive an excellent ministry formation while juggling the different roles I have in bi-vocational ministry.”
Youth pastor Brick Crowder echoed this sentiment when he said, “I’m so thankful that the MATM is fully online through Welch College. This makes pursuing a master’s degree a reality for me while also being a full-time student pastor.”
New Ministry Track
A second change to the program is the addition of a new program track. In addition to the thesis track, which required every student to write a master’s thesis, the M.A. now features a ministry track, which will require an additional ministry course without writing a thesis.
“The thesis track continues to be available to students who desire advanced research through a thesis guided by the faculty,” program coordinator Dr. Jesse Owens said. “But the addition of the ministry track gives students the flexibility to determine the course of study that best suits their role in ministry and their academic interests.”
“I’m so excited about the addition of the ministry track,” Hester said. “Not only does the addition of courses in leadership and Baptist ecclesiology supplement the curriculum, but it gives some of our advanced ministerial students a flavor of some of the courses available in Welch College’s residential Master of Divinity program.”
The Missions Conference will be held on the campus of Welch College on October 9-11, 2022. The theme of the conference is “Until the World Hears,” featuring sermons and seminars on the topics of missions and ministry.
GALLATIN, TN—Welch College enrolled 388 students for the 2022 Fall semester, according to Dr. Matthew McAffee, Provost at Welch College. This number marks the first increase in enrollment since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, up 15 percent from a total enrollment of 336 in the fall of 2021.
“It has been tough navigating the challenges resulting from COVID-19 over the last two years,” McAffee said, “so we are thankful for this increase. We believe these numbers signal the beginning of our rebound from the last two years of lower enrollment.”
Full-time enrollment also improved from the COVID years. Whereas COVID most drastically affected traditional dormitory enrollment, this semester saw continued improvement in this area. Graduate studies, adult and online studies, and dual enrollment also showed gains.
At press time the college reported 151 dormitory students, 61 commuter students, 36 graduate students, 17 adult studies students, 43 online students, and 80 dual enrollment students. Full-time equivalency (FTE) was 274 students, up from 240 last fall. Total enrollment statistics indicate students from 22 states, one U.S. territory, and six foreign countries.
“Many small church-related colleges were hit very hard during the pandemic, with some having to close their doors,” President Matt Pinson said. “We’re thankful that, despite these difficulties, the Lord has sustained Welch College and has set us on a course of recovery.”
“We’re also thankful for our new and returning students,” Pinson continued. “They have a renewed sense of vibrancy and excitement brought to the campus as we turn our focus to the prospects for future growth and opportunity as an institution. We still have our work cut out for us in this post-COVID recovery period, with enrollment and donations to the college still far below pre-COVID norms. But things are definitely looking up. We are thankful to the Lord for his blessings.”
For more information about Welch College, email recruit@welch.edu or visit the college’s website at www.welch.edu.
GALLATIN, TN—The 2022–2023 Rejoice! Ministry Team has been selected, according to Daniel Webster, music director of the group. “After vocal and instrumental auditions and interviews, we have finalized selections for this year’s team,” Webster said. “We had a great number of quality musicians to choose from, and we are excited about these students as our representatives for this year.”
Female members of the group are Malena Campis, Joy Green, Cheyenne Lewis, Sarah Lovett, and Brook Proctor. Male members are Jackson Baer, Camden Lewis, Daniel Rodriguez, Jacob Snow, Landon Wolfe, and Stephen Yerby. Austin Owen will serve as sound technician.
“The 2022–2023 Rejoice! Ministry Team will prove to be one of our best teams yet,” stated Todd Parrish, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. “Their zeal for Christ and His gospel is already evident. They will be great representatives for Welch College and the kingdom.”
