At its last meeting, the Welch College Board of Trustees unanimously approved significant changes in the president’s leadership team, according to President Matt Pinson. “We’ve made some important changes to facilitate strategic growth for the college in its new Sumner County environment,” Pinson said. “These changes also posture the college for growth well into the future, as they involve gifted younger members of the faculty.” The transition will occur on June 1, the beginning of the 2017-18 fiscal year.
“There’s a pressing need to free up more of Dr. Greg Ketteman’s time to work on strategic growth initiatives now that we’re in our new environment as the only four-year residential college in Sumner County,” Pinson said. New initiatives planned on the new campus include the relaunching of an (evening) adult studies program; addition of more online degrees; initiation of master’s degrees in Christian leadership, teaching, and educational administration; and articulation of agreements with area colleges and universities creating new ways to earn baccalaureate degrees in nursing, ease of transfer to Welch, and outreach to Christian high schools and the homeschool community.
“With his outstanding leadership skills, the respect he has gained in the academic community, and his ability just to get things done, Dr. Greg Ketteman is uniquely qualified to lead the kind of strategic growth initiatives we need in our new setting here in Sumner County,” Pinson explained. “Making these changes will free up his time to work on such initiatives for the future growth of the college and enable a number of younger leaders to exercise their gifts at the college.”
These changes involve the following personnel:
Dr. P. Greg Ketteman will transition to the role of Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, Dean of Graduate and Adult Studies, and Distinguished Professor of Education. Ketteman, who was born in South Carolina and reared in Nashville, Tennessee, has served as Provost at Welch College for the past eleven years. Before that he served on the Welch Board of Trustees for four years. Known widely in Free Will Baptist circles as an active lay church leader and music minister, Ketteman graduated from Welch in 1977 with a B.S. in Teacher Education. He went on to earn M.Ed. and Ed.D. degrees in educational leadership from Middle Tennessee State University and Tennessee State University, respectively, and also underwent significant graduate studies in the field of public administration. Before coming to Welch, he enjoyed a distinguished three-decade career in Metro Nashville Public Schools, the first half of that time as a teacher and the second half as a principal. Ketteman and his wife of 40 years, Jill, who has served at Welch since 1998 and currently works in the Financial Aid Office, have two grown children, Jack and Emilee, and five grandchildren.
Dr. Matthew J. McAffee will become Welch’s Provost. A native of New Brunswick, Canada, McAffee was originally ordained in the Atlantic Canada Free Will Baptist Association. He served as a part-time faculty member from 2003-2006 and pastored Lewisburg Free Will Baptist Church, before going back to graduate school. He returned to Welch in 2010 to teach biblical studies and biblical languages and also served as campus pastor and program coordinator for Theological Studies. A graduate of Welch College (B.A.), Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and the University of Chicago (M.A., Ph.D.), McAffee has written a number of scholarly and popular articles in journals such as the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, and the Journal of the American Oriental Society. He recently co-authored Sexuality, Gender, and the Church(Welch College Press) and is author of Life and Mortality in Ugaritic: A Lexical and Literary Study(Eisenbrauns, forthcoming) and co-author of Going Deeper with Old Testament Hebrew: An Intermediate Study of the Grammar and Syntax of the Old Testament (B&H Academic, forthcoming). He will continue to teach Bible and biblical language courses while fulfilling his new administrative duties. McAffee lives on campus with his wife Anna, who serves as women’s resident director at Welch, and their four children, Abigail, Lydia, Samuel, and Marianne.
Dr. Kevin L. Hester has been named Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and will maintain his role as Dean of the School of Theology. A graduate of Welch, Dr. Hester holds an M.Div. from Covenant Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from Saint Louis University and has written a number of books and articles, including, Eschatology and Pain in the Theology of Gregory the Great. Dr. Hester has a strong reputation in the Christian higher education accreditation community, having served on numerous accreditation teams for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the Commission on Accreditation of the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE). He serves as a commissioner on the ABHE Commission on Accreditation and also serves on the editorial board of the ABHE Journal. In his new role he will teach, oversee both undergraduate and graduate divisions of the School of Theology, and serve as the planning and accreditation liaison for the college. He and his wife Leslie have four sons, Spencer, Seth, Justin, and Jackson. His oldest son Spencer is a student at Welch.
Matthew Steven Bracey will transition to the role of Vice Provost for Academic Administration. Bracey has served four years as Registrar at Welch. Originally from Ashland City, Tennessee, he graduated from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University (Juris Doctor) and also holds a B.A. in history from Welch and a master’s degree in theology from Beeson Divinity School at Samford. A Ph.D. student in Ethics and Public Policy at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, he has written widely, serving as co-author and editor of Sexuality, Gender, and the Church (Welch College Press) and co-editor of The Promise of Arminian Theology (Randall House Academic). He is also a managing editor at the Helwys Society Forum (TheHSF.com). Bracey will continue teaching courses in law, history, and theology and serving as managing editor of Welch College Press. His wife Sarah, a licensed professional counselor, is currently completing her doctorate in counselor education and supervision and serves as adult studies liaison, staff counselor, and adjunct instructor in psychology at Welch.
“These are exciting times of transition for Welch College,” Pinson remarked. “These changes will make strategic growth possible but will also facilitate preparation of current faculty for future leadership at Welch. I ask our college family to join me in prayer for these leaders and for this process.”
GALLATIN, TN—Two Welch College alumni will challenge 2017 graduates at the first Commencement event on the new Gallatin campus, according to President Matt Pinson.
Clint Morgan, Free Will Baptist International Missions director, will address graduates during 10:00 a.m. Commencement exercises Friday, May 19. Reverend Todd Parrish, pastor of First Free Will Baptist Church in Washington, North Carolina, will present the Baccalaureate sermon Thursday evening, May 18 at 7:00.
A 1972 Welch graduate, Morgan completed a master’s degree in Intercultural Studies at Columbia International University and a degree in French from the University of Nante, France. He and his wife Lynette served as missionaries in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa, for twenty-nine years and in France for four years. Morgan has been the general director of Free Will Baptist International Missions since 2011. He and his wife have four adult children and eight grandchildren.
A 1989 graduate of Welch and current student in Welch’s M.A. program in theology and ministry, Parrish has ministered in Free Will Baptist churches for more than twenty years. A trained counselor with a master’s degree in the field, he is former director of the Free Will Baptist Home for Children in Turbeville, SC. He currently serves as Assistant Moderator of the North Carolina Association of Free Will Baptists. He and his wife Merinda have two daughters, Emily and Ellen, the latter of which is a member of the Welch Class of 2017.
“The most uplifting time of year at Welch College is Commencement, as students receive their degrees and launch out into the future,” said President Pinson. “What a privilege to watch these young leaders go out to change the world. While some move on from here to pursue graduate degrees or professional training, most find places of service and begin making a difference in local churches, schools, and the marketplace. We encourage friends and family members to join us as we celebrate the 2017 graduates.”
NASHVILLE, TN—Welch College has named Matthew Steven Bracey as cross country coach at Welch College, according to Athletic Director Gary Turner. “Welch has taken a big step toward building a strong cross country program with the hire of Matthew Bracey as its new cross country coach,” Turner said. “An avid runner himself, Bracey has a real heart for running and is excited about the prospect of building a really strong, vibrant program. He looks forward to working and running with students, as well as building personalized training programs for them.”
Bracey has run numerous marathons, including, most recently, the Mercedes-Benz Marathon and the Walt Disney World Marathon. He has also run several smaller races, winning his age category in a recent 5k.
“I’m honored to serve in this capacity as the coach for Welch’s cross country team,” Bracey remarked. “The opportunity to combine two things that I love—Welch and its students on the one hand, and running on the other—is an awesome blessing. I look forward to building a great cross country program and team. And I’m especially excited about working even more with students.”
Bracey, a 2008 graduate of Welch College, received an M.T.S. from Beeson Divinity School and a J.D. from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. He began working for Welch in 2013, where he serves as Associate Vice Provost and teaches law, theology, and history. He has also co-edited and contributed to two books and written a number of scholarly and popular articles.
“I believe Coach Bracey will take our cross country program to a whole new level,” said Turner. “With his love of Welch College and his passion for running, I think we’ll see the program flourish. If you’re interested in cross country, or know someone who is, contact Coach Bracey at mbracey@welch.edu.”
NASHVILLE, TN—The City of Gallatin and Mayor Paige Brown hosted a “Welcome to Gallatin” reception for Welch College February 10 at Gallatin City Hall.
“From the very beginning, when the announcement was made that Welch College was coming to Sumner County and to Gallatin, there was a lot of excitement,” said Tennessee State Senator Ferrell Haile. “As the buildings have gone up, the excitement has certainly gone up also.”
Welch President Matt Pinson stated, “We saw Gallatin, not only as a warm and welcoming community, but also as a community on the move. Gallatin is one of the fastest growing areas in Tennessee, and we believe it is going to be great to partner with the city to move forward with the mission of our college.”
“Only 5% of Tennessee cities have a residential college,” said Mayor Paige Brown. “Welch College brings to our community, not only a four-year residential college, but also a student base which gives over 10,000 hours of community service each year.”
To view a video published by the Gallatin City Communications Office, click here. To read the newspaper article in The Tennessean, click here.
For more information about Welch or to apply, call 615.844.5000 or go online to welch.edu.
As Welch College prepares to begin holding classes at its new campus in Gallatin next month, plans to increase the school’s educational opportunities for high school students and adults are already underway.
During a welcome reception held Friday at Gallatin City Hall, school officials announced plans to offer dual-enrollment courses for Station Camp High School students in addition to relaunching an adult studies program for working adults who never completed their degree.
Welch also plans to partner with Volunteer State Community College and has been in discussions with Union University and Sumner Regional Medical Center regarding the development of a program aimed at increasing the number of nurses in the community.
“We are an institution that intends to be a part of this community and to affect this community in profound ways,” Welch President Matt Pinson said Friday. “Over these next few weeks we intend to open the new campus and begin to express to this community what we’ve been doing in Nashville for the last 75 years – a mission… not only of academic excellence but of spiritual commitment and of traditional moral values.”
Students began taking online classes earlier this month until the college’s new campus, located just north of Station Camp High School between Bison Trail and the Stone Creek subdivision, is complete.
The first phase of the new campus will include an administration building, separate male and female dormitories as well as a cafeteria/multipurpose building. A gymnasium/student activities center is expected to be completed this summer.
“What Welch College is bringing to our city is much, much more than buildings and a business,” Mayor Paige Brown told those in attendance Friday. “This school is going to enhance our culture, our vibrancy and our character, which makes this great institution one of the most exciting additions that Gallatin has ever realized. Our small city will not only have a wonderful comprehensive community college but also a four-year residential college.”
Established in 1942, the regionally and nationally accredited four-year Christian school offers 40 majors with its top programs including theological studies, pre-med/nursing, business, teacher education and music. Welch has approximately 400 students enrolled annually who take part in 10,000 total hours of community service work each year.
In September, Welch and three other Free Will Baptist ministries purchased an additional 64 acres adjacent to the college’s new campus in Gallatin. The deal came one year after Mike Ford Custom Builders purchased 7.14 acres of Welch’s 7.6-acre West End Avenue property in Nashville for $11.25 million.
The school and associated Free Will Baptist groups now own all of the property along the northern stretch of Bison Trail between Lower Station Camp Creek Road and Big Station Camp Boulevard across from the Station Camp schools complex.
“I consider this a monumental addition to our county,” Sumner County Executive Anthony Holt said. “We actively pursue new (higher education) opportunities for our citizens. That’s what it’s all about.”
