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).
Nashville, TN—Welch College has entered a partnership with three other Free Will Baptist ministries to purchase approximately 64 acres of land on Big Station Camp Boulevard in Gallatin, Tennessee, according to President Matt Pinson. The partnership will consist of the Free Will Baptist Foundation, Free Will Baptist North American Ministries, both of Antioch, Tennessee, and Free Will Baptist Family Ministries of Greenville, Tennessee.
“We are so grateful to these Free Will Baptist entities for helping us to obtain this valuable property next door to our current 66-acre campus in Gallatin,” Pinson said. “We’ve entered into an agreement whereby we have the ability to purchase all but ten acres back from these ministries after we have sold a portion of the land to a real estate developer.
The growth in this area of Sumner County will enable us to sell some of this land to recoup the investment of the other Free Will Baptist agencies in the partnership. At the time this transaction occurs, the National Association of Free Will Baptists, Inc., will receive 4 acres of land, and Free Will Baptist Family Ministries will receive 6 acres of land. I’m so excited about the possibilities this gives Free Will Baptists for the future.”
The sale price for the approximately 64-acre parcel, owned by Fifth-Third Bank, is $2.7 million. Welch’s current 66-acre-campus recently appraised at approximately $5.8 million. “This is an excellent investment. Our property, which has a good bit of flood plain intended for use as athletic fields and parking, appraises at twice-per-acre what we’re paying for this new parcel, which has no flood-plain acreage and has commercial zoning and prime road frontage,” Pinson said.
“We owe so much to Bob Bass, our relocation project consultant, who was the visionary behind this transaction,” Pinson continued. “He has been working with the college off and on for more than two decades to make relocation a possibility. He donated the earnest money to make the contract on this land possible and has been in talks with real estate developers about its future development. Bob is such an asset to Welch, and I can’t express enough how important his vision is to our college and denomination.”
“It’s is a win, win, win situation,” Free Will Baptist Foundation director David Brown, said. “This partnership for acquisition of land is a good investment for the Free Will Baptist Foundation, will allow Welch College to expand their footprint all the way out to Big Station Camp Boulevard and it will provide a potential future site for a new Free Will Baptist National Offices Building.”
Dr. H. David Crowe, executive director of Free Will Baptist North American Ministries said, “What an exciting time it is for Free Will Baptists. I am thrilled to partner with Welch, Family Ministries, and the Free Will Baptist Foundation to see this purchase come to fruition. It’s a win for everyone! This is an unprecedented event in the history of the National Association and I’m looking forward to seeing great things accomplished as a result of this partnership.”
Tim York, Chairman of the Board of Family Ministries said, “Free Will Baptist Family Ministries is thrilled to be a part of expanding our ministry to Middle Tennessee, plus the opportunity to be working with Welch College and other Free Will Baptist ministries. This exciting partnership will provide much needed resources to accomplish the objectives and mission statements of our different ministries.”
