Jeffrey Cockrell, a well-known Free Will Baptist pastor and online instructor at Welch College, has been appointed to Welch’s full-time faculty beginning January 2016 according, to Provost Greg Ketteman. He will teach biblical studies with a specialization in New Testament and serve as program coordinator of the college’s planned M.A. program in Theology and Ministry scheduled to begin January 2016.
Dr. Cockrell has served as a Free Will Baptist pastor for nearly thirty years in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Most currently, he serves as senior pastor of Ahoskie Free Will Baptist Church in Ahoskie, NC, which also operates a Christian academy. He has served in a number of denominational posts at the local and state levels and currently serves as a member of the Historical Commission of the National Association of Free Will Baptists.
Dr. Cockrell holds a Ph.D. with a concentration in New Testament from the University of Wales in the UK, an M.A. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and a B.S. and M.A.R. from Liberty University. In addition to his pastoral work, he has taught undergraduate and graduate courses adjunctively at a number of institutions, including Gordon-Conwell, Liberty, and North Carolina Wesleyan College. He is author of a number of scholarly and popular articles and papers.
“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Jeff Cockrell to the faculty of Welch College,” said Dr. Ketteman. “Dr. Cockrell brings long experience in Free Will Baptist ministry, outstanding academic credentials, and a passion for teaching. He clearly demonstrates Christian virtues such as humility, diligence, and wisdom, traits that have been prominent during his career. Dr. Cockrell has proven to be an effective teacher, gaining significant experience in the Welch Online program as well as teaching online and in traditional formats for numerous other Christian and public colleges. These experiences will be particularly valuable in his role as program coordinator for the Master of Arts program in Theology and Ministry.”
President Matt Pinson said, “Dr. Cockrell brings just the right mix of pastoral effectiveness, evangelistic zeal, and academic credibility to his new position at Welch. We’re so excited to have a man of such proven ability, character, and spirituality to join our full-time faculty.”
Dr. Cockrell and his wife Terri have been married for 30 years and have two grown sons, Drew and Joel.