news at welch college   Welch College (formerly Free Will Baptist Bible College) in Gallatin, Tennessee, has been the official college of the Free Will Baptist Denomination since 1942. To find out more information about the school, visit www.Welch.edu.

 

Hester Selected to TICUA Executive Leadership Institute

Dr. Kevin L. Hester (pictured below), vice president for institutional effectiveness and dean of the School of Theology at Welch College, has been selected as a Presnell Fellow in the Executive Leadership Institute of the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA), according to President Matt Pinson. The Executive Leadership Institute provides specialized training for up-and-coming leaders in the private higher education sector in Tennessee.

“I am so glad Dr. Hester will be taking part in this institute,” President Pinson said. “As one of our senior leaders at Welch, he will benefit greatly from interaction with top leaders in higher education and will be able to use his training in his leadership at Welch College.”

Faculty for the institute will include distinguished higher education leaders such as Dr. Nicholas Zeppos (chancellor of Vanderbilt University), Dr. John McCardell (president of Sewanee, The University of the South), and Emma Jones (Chief Brand Officer of CREDO Higher Education). The institute also will provide opportunities to interact with numerous local, state, and federal officials who will speak on educational policy. The institute will gather at nine independent college and university campuses across Tennessee once a month, during the 2018-19 academic year. The last meeting and graduation will be in May of 2019. Last year’s ELI graduation was held on the Welch campus in Gallatin.

A native of Russellville, Alabama, Hester is a 1993 graduate of Welch College’s pastoral ministry program. An M.Div. graduate of Covenant Theological Seminary, he received a Ph.D. from Saint Louis University. He has served full-time at Welch since 2003, teaching as well as serving in a number of administrative roles.

Hester has represented Welch in the higher education community, serving as a team member on several accrediting teams for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE). He serves as secretary of the Commission on Accreditation with ABHE and on the editorial board of the association’s Biblical Higher Education Journal.

Hester has written numerous articles for popular and scholarly periodicals and is author of Eschatology and Pain in St. Gregory the Great and Free Will Baptists and the Priesthood of All Believers. He and his wife, Leslie, a registered nurse, live in Gallatin, Tennessee. They have four sons, Spencer, Seth, Justin, and Jackson. Spencer and Justin are students at Welch.

College Provides Hurricane Relief

Welch College provided hurricane relief for victims of Hurricanes Florence and Michael, according to David Williford, vice president for institutional advancement at Welch. “Welch’s students, administration, faculty, and staff were quick to provide help and assistance to churches and individuals following the devastating storms and flooding,” Williford said.

Students used their fall break to travel to flooded parts of North Carolina under the supervision of John Murray, director of Christian Service at Welch. Another group of students traveled to the Wilmington, North Carolina, area during the Christmas break in December, according to Murray. “The weather turned cold, and the labor was more difficult, but they said, ‘Let’s go.’ That’s the Welch spirit that characterizes our students.”

Shortly after Hurricane Florence hit North Carolina, Hurricane Michael devastated much of the Florida Panhandle with 150 mph winds, causing damage deep into the Georgia countryside. Welch delivered supplies to aid in the relief effort after Hurricane Michael. Immanuel FWB Church, a Gallatin church plant, also contributed toward the project.

“Welch and Immanuel sent a trailer with food, water, cleaning supplies, roof tarps, and other supplies to the stricken area of Clarksville, Florida,” Williford said. “Pastor Allan Austin is coordinating relief efforts through Traveler’s Rest FWB Church. Bob Bass, alumnus and building and land consultant for Welch, also made the trip from Gallatin to Florida, using a trailer provided by Master’s Men. Welch is also planning to send funds for hurricane relief for our people in Southwest Georgia.”

“These efforts add to a long history of Welch students, staff, and alumni stepping up to the plate when churches and people are hurting,” Williford continued. “Other trips like this have been made, not only to North Carolina but Florida, Alabama, and Tennessee. Students have even traveled as far as Haiti to help build a boys’ dormitory at an orphanage. We are grateful for the servant spirit in our students.”

College Athletics Joins the NCCAA Network

Welch College Athletics is proud to announce a new streaming partnership with the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) Network hosted by BlueFrame Technology, according to Josh Owens, Welch’s director of media and marketing.

“Over the last several years we’ve seen thousands of family members, friends, and fans of the Welch athletic teams enjoy viewing games on various streaming platforms such as Livestream and Facebook LIVE,” Owens said. “We’ve spent much time looking for the right platform and partner for our streaming, and we believe we have found the best with the NCCAA Network and BlueFrame Technology. This partnership will provide a more reliable, stable, and quality viewing experience for each fan.”

Athletic Director Greg Fawbush said, “By adding the NCCAA Network, our loyal fan base will be able to stay connected with our student athletes. Also, with athletes from so many different areas of the country, the network will allow their families a greater opportunity to be a part of the excitement that is occurring on campus.”

Fans can now watch all Welch College home basketball games on the NCCAA Network. The network is available on desktop and mobile/tablet devices at thenccaa.org/network, as well as over-the-top (OTT) platforms, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and Apple TV.

In addition, the NCCAA Network is available on the NCCAA App for iOS in the App Store and Android on Google Play. Mobile devices including iPhone, iPad, and Android will work with the default web browser. Devices should be kept up-to-date and connected to a reliable data connection for optimal playback. Apple users and owners of an AppleTV device can simply "throw" the webcast from their iPhone or iPad using AirPlay. The Welch College channel on the NCCAA Network has been set up to stream all games at welch.edu/live.

To see a full schedule of Flames athletic activities, go to Welch.edu/athletics.