Dr. Carey Newman Appointed Director Of Church Relations

by Larry D. Brumley

Baylor University President Robert B. Sloan Jr. Jan. 25 announced the appointment of Carey Newman, a 1989 Baylor Ph.D. graduate, as director of church relations, effective Feb. 4.
Dr. Newman's appointment comes as part of a reorganization and expansion of Baylor's church relations office that is designed to help Baylor preserve and shape Baptist identity, educate Baptists regarding their history and theology, and cultivate networks with Baptist ministerial and lay leadership.
"It is important at this time in Baylor's history - and at this point in Baptist life - that we provide leadership and service to the Baptists in Texas and across the country," President Sloan said. "Baylor is uniquely positioned to help shape Baptist identity, preserve Baptist history, and facilitate Baptist leadership. We look forward to having Dr. Newman provide leadership for this important initiative."
Under the reorganization, which is designed to leverage church relations as part of presidential strategy in conjunction with the recently adopted 10-year vision, church relations will move under the Office of the President and report to Chief of Staff Jerome R. Loughridge.
Church relations will undertake a more aggressive outreach program aimed at developing leadership among Baptist pastors in the state that will include development of a journal of Baptist life and culture. Working in close coordination with faculty in various academic departments, a post-doctoral program in Baptist studies for church leaders will be explored and meaningful forums for intellectual and scholarly discussion will be facilitated.
"President Sloan's deep desire to forge enduring and mutually beneficial bonds between the Baptist churches of Texas and Baylor University is as noble a task as it is crucial and timely," Dr. Newman said. "I am thrilled and honored by the opportunity to serve in this way."
For the past four years, Dr. Newman has been senior editor for academic books at Westminster John Knox Press in Louisville, Ky. Before joining the editorial staff at WJK, he held academic appointments as assistant and research professor of New Testament at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and assistant professor of New Testament at Palm Beach Atlantic College in West Palm Beach, Fla. Dr. Newman has 15 years of pastoral experience at churches in Texas, Florida and Kentucky. He earned his doctorate in religion from Baylor and holds a master's degree in theology from the University of Aberdeen (Scotland) and a master of divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His undergraduate degree is from the University of South Florida.
Dr. Newman is the author or editor of three books and numerous academic and professional articles. He is a participating and contributing member of the Society for New Testament Studies, the Society of Biblical Literature, the Catholic Biblical Association, and the Institute for Biblical Research.
He is married to Dr. Leanne Lewis, a 1985 Baylor journalism graduate who teaches in the student development graduate program at the University of Louisville. They have two daughters, Savannah, 6, and Eliza, 4.