Truett Professor To Serve As Inaugural Garland Chair of Preaching

February 15, 2008
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Dr. Hulitt Gloer

Media contact: Lori Fogleman, director of media communications, (254) 710-6275

Baylor University's George W. Truett Theological Seminary will install Dr. William Hulitt Gloer as the inaugural David E. Garland Chair of Preaching, during a special chapel service at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, in the seminary's Paul W. Powell Chapel. The service will be followed by a reception in the Truett narthex.

The David E. Garland Chair in Preaching is named in honor of Truett's current dean and acknowledges the leadership, vision and devotion to ministry that characterizes Garland's service in the pastorate and as a professor. In addition to recognizing Garland, donors established the endowed fund to advance, refine and preserve the art and practice of the preaching of the Christian Gospel, with Gloer appointed as first holder of the Garland chair.

About Dr. Hulitt Gloer

Gloer joined the faculty of Baylor's Truett Seminary as professor of preaching and Christian scripture from First Baptist Church, Corpus Christi.

A 1972 Baylor graduate with a bachelor's degree in Greek and religion, Gloer received a master of divinity degree cum laude from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 1975, as well as the seminary's Michael Wilson Keith Prize in Homiletics. He earned his doctorate in New Testament studies in 1981 from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition, he has studied at Hebrew-Union College in Cincinnati and completed post-graduate work at Eberhard-Karls University in Tubingen, Germany, and Cambridge University in England.

Before joining First Baptist Church, Corpus Christi, as pastor in 1997, Gloer served as a professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo., from 1983-96, assistant professor at North American Baptist Seminary in Sioux Falls, S.D., from 1981-83, adjunct teacher at Shalom-Ecumenical Center for Continuing Education at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, and instructor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary from 1979-81. He also has served as pastor of churches in Monroeville, Pa., and Rock Valley, Iowa; as interim pastor for numerous congregations in Missouri, Michigan and Texas; and as youth minister at First Baptist Church, Georgetown, Texas (1968-69), First Baptist Church, Waco, Texas (1970-72) and Auburndale Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky. (1973-74).

The editor of several books, Gloer is the author of As You Go: An Honest Look at Jesus' First Disciples and An Exegetical and Theological Study of Paul's Understanding of New Creation and Reconciliation in 2 Cor. 5:14-21. Gloer also has written several articles for publications, such as Biblical Illustrator, Mercer Commentary and Dictionary of the Bible, Review and Expositor, Perspectives in Religious Studies, Baptist Peacemaker and Layman's Bible Dictionary. He has recently completed an article on "Liturgical Elements in the Apocalypse" for Review and Expositor. He also is working on a commentary on 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus for the new Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary and a book on discipleship in the New Testament.

A leader of Bible conferences and studies throughout the United States, Gloer is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, Catholic Biblical Association and National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion, for whom he served as central states region president from 1990-91.

His honors include Who's Who in Religion, Who's Who in Biblical Studies and Archaeology, Outstanding Young Men in America, Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities, and Personalities of the South.

About Dr. David Garland

An honored New Testament scholar and author, Garland began his tenure at Truett Seminary in 1997 as professor of Christian scriptures and was appointed The William M. Hinson Professor of Christian Scriptures in 2005. He was appointed associate dean for academic affairs at Truett in 2001, and became dean on June 1, 2007.

Before coming to Baylor, Garland taught for more than 20 years at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, serving as chair of the Biblical Division and as The Ernest and Mildred Hogan Professor of New Testament. A magna cum laude graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and U.S. Navy veteran, Garland received his master of divinity and doctoral degrees from SBTS and also completed postgraduate work at Eberhardt-Karls Universität in Tübingen, Germany, and Macquarrie University in Sydney, Australia.

About The David E. Garland Chair in Preaching

The chair will enable the university and seminary to recruit prominent pastor-scholar-educators, who will enhance the stature and activities of the seminary, one of only 36 university-based theological schools in the nation. Truett provides a dynamic bridge between the church and the scholarly disciplines of the academy. Truett maintains that effective academic preparation emerges in vibrant ministry in the local church in such areas as pastoral care, leadership, discipleship, missions, evangelism and especially in effective preaching.

These rare few, who will hold the chair, will possess the singular ability and uncommon calling to attain and sustain the high standards for instruction, inspiration, energy and leadership that characterize its namesake.

This chair also will greatly enhance Truett's ability to attract those students whose God-given talents, abilities and selfless dedication to their calling represent the most powerful potential for advancement of the Gospel and fulfillment of Christ's Great Commission.