Baylor regents have asked for input and recommendations in their search for the university's next president. If you're an alum, a faculty member, or the parent of a student, you really should take advantage of their invitation.
I hope the regents will take a serious look at Ken Hemphill. A Wake Forest football star and Cambridge scholar (PhD in New Testament), Hemphill has served as pastor of Baptist churches and as president of Southwestern Seminary.
Diane and I had lunch with Dr. Hemphill and his wife, Paula, after I spoke at a chapel service at Southwestern about 11 years ago. One lunch doesn't do any more than establish a first impression, but my first impression was a good one. I hope the search committee adds him to the list.
Regardless of the candidates they consider, what qualities should they look for? The next president doesn't have to be Baptist to lead the world's largest Baptist university, though the regents should find a man or woman with noted commitment to evangelical faith and values (i.e., someone whom an avid reader of Christianity Today would consider one of their own).
However, if the search committee tries to find someone from within the Baptist family, they should avoid someone who has played any key role in the CBF-SBC trench warfare of the last 30 years. While it will be impossible to find any Baptist leader who's been completely unaffiliated in either the SBC or the CBF, the search committee should avoid foot soldiers from either side.
Beyond that, the Baylor family needs a president with a good track record in both teaching and administration. Someone who's taught in the classroom or a pulpit (or both) can better appreciate the Baylor vision, and someone who's got a good track record in administering an academic program will provide the leadership the Baylor family needs.
My two-cents: I think Ken Hemphill fits this bill.
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