Midwestern Seminary unveils capital campaign
KANSAS CITY—Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS) trustees launched a new capital campaign during their fall meeting Oct. 15-16 and approved the promotion of four professors and two budget amendments
The detailed plan for the capital campaign “Building for the Future!” was unveiled at the Oct. 15 banquet. The campaign was approved by the board during the October 2006 meeting. Funds raised will be used for the endowment of faculty support and campus maintenance, the building of the new chapel to provide needed space for corporate worship, educational seminars, concerts and special events, new apartments to provide adequate on-campus housing due to increasing enrollment, and the new library and renovations to meet the needs of the growing student body and expanding academic offerings, including the Ph.D. program.
“We are very pleased to give a positive report regarding our institution’s financial health,” said MBTS President R. Phillip Roberts. “We are also delighted to be able to present for the first time our new capital campaign ‘Building for the Future!’ We thank the Lord for what He has done for this institution and look forward to the future of MBTS.”
The Academic Development Committee presented four faculty members to the board for promotion. The board approved their promotion: Tony Preston as associate professor of pastoral leadership; F. Alan Tomlinson as professor of New Testament and Greek; Michael D. McMullen as professor of church history; and D. Mark DeVine as professor of theology.
“We are encouraged by our faculty—godly men, very practical-minded, as well as ‘brainiacs’ when it comes to theology,” said Trustee R. Michael Landry of Florida. “Those are the kind of men that you want teaching our students, but they also have a very practical feel for ministry. We were very, very encouraged by the interviews we had.”
MBTS Academic Dean Thorvald Madsen II reported that the seminary is working on the Ph.D. program, which includes the search for new faculty members and the enhancement of library holdings.
Madsen also reported that MBTS Professor of Old Testament, Hebrew and Archaeology Steven J. Andrews has taken groups of students to Tel Gezer, a dig in Israel. MBTS students, who usually make up the largest teams among the consortium of schools that send teams, are privileged to be consistently selected to supervise grids on these digs.
The Fusion program is transitioning to become a fully operational program with the International Mission Board (IMB). Fusion is a transitional program for students coming out of high school and entering college, in which they are able to receive intensive theological training. They are subsequently deployed overseas for four months to work under the supervision of an IMB missionary.
Two budget amendments also were approved. From the general fund surplus, $100,000 will be utilized in support of new library acquisitions to meet accreditation requirements for the Ph.D. program. Also, all current administration, faculty and staff, exclusive of the president, will be awarded a one-time bonus from the general fund surplus for a job well done in the 2006-2007 year.
“We have an excellent faculty who are faithful to Holy Scripture and well-equipped to teach, and staff who are wonderfully gifted by the Lord,” said Roberts, who requested the bonus action be taken.
The Student Development Committee reported that the seminary continues to grow in student enrollment.
The next trustee meeting is scheduled for March 17-18.