by jowens | Aug 16, 2021
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).
by jowens | Feb 18, 2017
For Immediate Release
February 18, 2017
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.”
by jowens | Jan 23, 2017
Nashville, TN—The fall 2016 semester at Welch College ended with 71 students receiving academic recognition, according to Provost Greg Ketteman. This honor roll includes online students whose fall courses ended in late December.
Twenty-three students made all A’s and were placed on the President’s List—12 seniors, 5 juniors, 3 sophomores, and 3 freshman. Forty-eight students earned a 3.25 GPA and all A’s and B’s and were placed on the Provost’s list—18 seniors, 17 juniors, 6 sophomores, and 7 freshmen.
President’s List “A” Honor Roll:
| Stacy |
Allison |
(Sr.) |
TN |
|
Mariah |
Moore |
(So.) |
KS |
| Joshua |
Burgus |
(Fr.) |
TN |
|
Hannah |
Morgan |
(Jr.) |
TN |
| Joshua |
Colson |
(Sr.) |
IL |
|
Samuel |
Riggs |
(Sr.) |
AL |
| Lydia |
Creech |
(Jr.) |
GA |
|
Daniel |
Rojas |
(Jr.) |
TN |
| Kimberly |
Hagood |
(Sr.) |
TN |
|
Benjamin |
Scott |
(Sr.) |
TN |
| Trevor |
Holden |
(Sr.) |
TN |
|
Heather |
Stevens |
(Fr.) |
TN |
| Daniel |
Hubin |
(So.) |
TN |
|
Deborah |
Trifonova |
(Fr.) |
TN |
| Joshua |
Hunter |
(Jr.) |
AR |
|
Cherish |
Tuttobene |
(Sr.) |
TN |
| Kinsley |
Kivette |
(So.) |
TN |
|
Jeannine |
Tuttobene |
(Sr.) |
TN |
| Dakota |
Kron |
(Jr.) |
TN |
|
Rachel |
White |
(So.) |
VA |
| Jacob |
Lute |
(Sr.) |
OH |
|
Whitney |
Wright |
(Sr.) |
OH |
| Caleb |
Montgomery |
(Sr.) |
AL |
|
|
|
|
|
| Mackenzie |
Moody |
(Sr.) |
NC |
|
|
|
|
|
Provost’s List “B” Honor Roll:
Seniors
| Zachary |
Barefield |
AR |
|
Mackenzie |
McNeese |
TN |
| Jordan |
Chandler |
TN |
|
Megan |
McNeill |
TN |
| Josh |
Chapman |
MO |
|
William |
Outlaw |
TN |
| Daniel |
Dell |
TN |
|
Maredith |
Ryan |
IL |
| Morgan |
Droll |
IL |
|
Stephen |
Seeley |
SC |
| Ashton |
Johnson |
OK |
|
Abigail |
Settle |
TN |
| Rae |
Mahaney |
OH |
|
Lauren |
Strickland |
NC |
| Albert |
Marable |
TN |
|
Jacob |
Voltz |
TX |
| Amy |
McDonald |
TN |
|
Zurisadai |
Zuniga |
TN |
Juniors
| Jacob |
Austin |
FL |
|
Robert |
Moore |
NC |
| Gabriel |
Cameron |
GA |
|
William |
Parent |
OK |
| Haley |
Cole |
AL |
|
Brandon |
Presley |
TN |
| Jimmy |
Daniels |
AR |
|
Layton |
Smith |
MO |
| Keren |
Delgado |
AR |
|
Elizabeth |
Stevanus |
TN |
| Alyssa |
Hill |
VA |
|
Anna |
Stone |
TN |
| Lauren |
LaMotte |
TN |
|
Abby |
Walker |
NC |
| Jonathan |
Lewis |
IL |
|
Ryan |
Whiticker |
TN |
| Hailee |
Mann |
TN |
|
|
|
|
Sophomores
| Dalton |
Alvis |
PA |
| Jacklyn |
Grizzle |
TN |
| Chelsea |
Holesapple |
MO |
| Jalynn |
Hood |
TN |
| Alicia |
Moran |
NC |
Freshmen
| Sarah |
Brown |
TN |
|
Justin |
Scott |
NC |
| Baylea |
Freeman |
VA |
|
Matthew |
Stone |
TN |
| Emma |
Guthrie |
IL |
|
Jessica |
Vaccaro |
TN |
| Avery |
Jones |
OK |
|
|
|
|
by jowens | Sep 23, 2016
Phillip Morgan will begin duties as a full-time faculty member in history starting in January, according to Dr. Greg Ketteman, provost at Welch College.
John Carter, long-time history professor at Welch, announced his planned retirement recently. In December, he will end a 35-year tenure as a faculty member at Welch. He has agreed to continue teaching in an adjunct capacity after retirement.
Morgan currently serves as Associate Pastor for Youth and Music at Heads Free Will Baptist Church in Cedar Hill, Tennessee, where he has served for 5 years. He intends to continue serving in local church ministry on a part-time basis. A 2008 Welch graduate with a B.S. in music, Morgan owned a restaurant for four years before his ordination to the ministry. He is finishing his M.A. in history from Middle Tennessee State University, which will be completed in December. He will then begin work on his Ph.D. at MTSU in the field of public history.
“We are looking forward to welcoming Phillip on board the faculty at Welch,” Ketteman said. “He is an impressive young man with a varied background who will bring to the campus a combination of academic rigor, a love for teaching and leading young people, and a heart for ministry.”
Mr. Carter states, “I am so excited that Phillip Morgan will be taking my place in the history program at Welch College. He is an excellent historian with a solid Christian worldview, and he cares deeply about bringing together a conservative, Christian worldview with historical understanding. This is so important to our curriculum at Welch, and I think Phillip is just the man we need to do this.”
Morgan has been active in denominational affairs, serving on the Tennessee Christian Education Board, Cumberland Association Christian Education Board, chairing the Northern Quarterly Christian Education Board, leading summer youth camps at Cumberland Camp, and giving seminars at Free Will Baptist national conventions on his innovative approach to teaching church history and theology to teens. His writing has been published in Integrity: A Journal of Christian Thought and in a recent collection of essays on the theology of Welch professor emeritus Leroy Forlines. He also serves as a contributor and editor for the Helwys Society Forum (thehsf.com).
Morgan has also served for the past few years as the Assistant Curator of the Free Will Baptist Historical Collection under the supervision of Dr. Robert Picirilli, as well as the Archivist for Welch College. He and his wife Megan, and their children, Isaiah (3) and Julia (4m), live on a small farm in Robertson County, Tennessee.
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.
