Maciel Named Assistant Dean At Truett Seminary
Rene Maciel, who has served the past two years as director of student services at Baylor University's George W. Truett Theological Seminary, has been named assistant dean for administration and academic services. He will begin his new duties immediately, said Dr. David E. Garland, associate dean for academic affairs at the seminary.
Maciel will be responsible for the seminary's day-to-day operations, including some functions previously performed by former assistant dean Michael Morgan, who resigned last month to become director of development for The Baptist Standard. Maciel also will coordinate special events such as baccalaureate services and convocations and oversee the office of student services. He also will be responsible for hiring a new student services director.
"I'm excited about this new position and new challenge with Truett Seminary," Maciel said. "I look forward to these new responsibilities, as well as continuing to place students when they complete their degrees and working to strengthen our relationship with the Hispanic Baptist Convention.
"I'm also very pleased about how Truett is growing right now," he said. "Our new seminary building is under construction, the number of visitors is up, the number of inquiries is up, so we're expecting a great fall with the number of students that will be enrolling with us in August."
Maciel joined Truett in May 1999 from New Mexico Baptist Children's Home in Portales, N.M., where he served as assistant administrator from 1993-97 and as administrator from 1997-99. Maciel also was involved in admissions and recruitment at Texas Baptist universities, as director of admissions at Hardin-Simmons University from 1990-93 and assistant director in the office of school relations at Baylor from 1985-1990. A native of Tucumcari, N.M., Maciel received his bachelor's degree in religion and church recreation from Hardin-Simmons in 1981 and his master's degree in educational psychology from Baylor in 1991.
"Ren+ has done a fantastic job as director of student services," Garland said. "He has considerable administrative experience and already has had an incredible impact on the seminary. We are excited about giving him the opportunity to extend his influence."
Maciel's wife, Sabrina, also received degrees from Hardin-Simmons and Baylor and is a speech pathologist at Axtell ISD. They have two children, Brianna, 12, and Carmen, 8. Maciel is the son of former Baylor regent Eleazar "Charles" Maciel, pastor of Ambler Baptist Church in Abilene, and his wife, Elva.
Truett Seminary began classes in 1994 and now has 251 students enrolled this spring and more than 130 graduates serving in churches and ministries throughout Texas and the world. Classes are held at First Baptist Church of Waco, but construction is expected to be completed later this year on the new $17 million, 64,000-square-foot seminary complex on the Baylor campus. Truett Seminary offers several degree programs including doctor of divinity, master of divinity, a joint master of divinity/master of music degree in conjunction with Baylor's School of Music, and a joint master of divinity/master of social work degree in conjunction with the School of Social Work.
For more information about Truett Seminary, call (254) 710-3755 or visit the seminary's web site at https://www.baylor.edu/seminary.