Cedarville Magazine, Summer 2013

Cedarville Magazine | 3 Campus News With unanimous support from the Board of Trustees, Dr. Thomas White was introduced as Cedarville University’s 10th President on Wednesday, June 5. He succeeds Dr. William Brown, who will serve as Chancellor along with the previous President, Dr. Paul Dixon. “Like my predecessors, I believe in what Cedarville stands for and appreciate the quality of graduates who are making a difference in their professions,” saidWhite. “Clearly, Cedarville University has a rich history, and I believe it has an even brighter future.” White articulatedone of his foundational educational values as “scholarship on fire.” For the new President, this means continuing the University’s emphasis on rigorous, nationally acclaimed academic programs, conservative theology based on the inerrant Word of God, and passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This will be a hallmark of his tenure as President. “We will continue to offer a challenging academic curriculum that educates students to confront other worldviews and not one that merely indoctrinates students,” said White. “The combination of academic excellence with an emphasis on the Great Commission will result in men and women who are educated with knowledge for a brighter future, virtues for a godly life, and a desire to impact eternity.” Since November 2012, a committee of trustees and campus leaders worked with the executive search firm RPA, Inc., to search and vet the best candidates for the position. “Dr. White brings tremendous energy, wisdom, and experience that will expand the University’s vision and lead us to fulfill our mission for years to come,” said Lorne Scharnberg, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “I am very pleased with the selection of Dr. White as our President.” Since 2006, White has served as Vice President for Student Services and Communications as well as Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) in FortWorth, Texas. As an administrator, he introduced new communication strategies that strengthened the brand and visibility of the institution. In his faculty appointment, White taught master’s and doctoral classes, developed online graduate courses, and revamped the seminary’s evangelism program. His first position at SWBTS in 2004 was Director of Leadership Development where he directed the seminary’s $20 million Riley Center for Leadership Development. Under White’s leadership, the Riley Center doubled its events, and financial revenue significantly increased for the seminary. Before joining SWBTS, he was the Director of Student Life at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. White has co-authored FranchisingMcChurch: Feeding Our Obsession With Easy Christianity , Restoring Integrity in Baptist Churches , and Upon This Rock, and he served as editor of First Freedom: The Baptist Perspective on Religious Liberty . He is also the editor of a three-volume work titled Selected Writings of James Madison Pendleton . He earned a doctoral degree in systematic theology and a Master of Divinity degree in pastoral track with languages fromSoutheastern BaptistTheological Seminary. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Anderson University in South Carolina. White and his wife, Joy, have been married since 1999. They have two young children, Rachel and Samuel. cedarville.edu/president