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.

 

Welch Announces Accreditor Approval of Master of Arts in Teaching

Welch College is pleased to report that both its accreditors have approved its proposed Master of Arts in Teaching. The Association for Biblical Higher Education Commission on Accreditation notified Welch College of approval in November and The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges notified the college of approval following its December annual meeting. With these approvals, Welch College has reached a milestone by becoming the first Free Will Baptist college to offer a second regionally accredited credential on the graduate level.

The thirty-three hour Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) features 10-week courses that meet once each week. Courses meet on Monday and Thursday evenings from 6:00–9:30 p.m. CST and are available on the Gallatin campus or online via Zoom. According to Dr. Greg Ketteman, graduate dean, more than half of the inquiries and applications received to date are from out-of-state students.

The design of the MAT program allows students wishing to complete the program in 18 months to do so by taking two courses at a time, although students may complete the degree based on the pace that best fits their schedule. Institutionally-funded scholarships and federally-guaranteed loans are available.

Enrollment in the MAT is underway. Information about the MAT may be found at:
welch.edu/ma-teaching.

Online applications may be accessed at welch.edu/admissions/apply/ma-teaching- apply.

For questions or enrollment information, please email Dr. Greg Ketteman: gketteman@welch.edu. The first course began January 17.

Dr. Ketteman said, “There’s a lot of excitement about this new program. Please be in prayer for us as we initiate this new program and for our graduate students as they seek to advance their professional craft as educators.”

Jose Rodriguez to Start Welch Hispanic Training Institute

Miami Pastor Jose Luis Rodriguez has been tapped to start a new Hispanic training institute at Welch College, according to Welch Provost Matthew McAffee. “Jose Rodriguez, senior pastor of Ebenezer Free Will Baptist Church in Miami for almost two decades, is the foremost leader of the Hispanic Free Will Baptist movement in this country,” McAffee said. “We want to redouble our commitment to Hispanic theological education among Free Will Baptists, and Mr. Rodriguez is just the person to make it happen.”

Rodriguez, pastor of Ebenezer Free Will Baptist Church in Miami, Florida, since 2001, graduated from Welch with a B.A. in pastoral training in 1994. During his time in college, he ministered in Hispanic church planting among Free Will Baptists in Middle Tennessee. After graduation, he worked in planting the Renacer Free Will Baptist Church in the Miami area until reaching self-supporting status in 2000.

A native of Cuba who has also lived in Panama, Rodriguez holds the M.A. in theological studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and the M.Div. equivalent from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he is completing his D.Min. degree.

“There is no more respected minister in our movement than Jose Rodriguez,” said Welch President Matt Pinson. “He brings an unparalleled zeal for evangelism together with a keen theological appetite, a striking expository pulpit ministry, and the proven ability to build and grow a church in a challenging urban environment. His success in urban and intercultural ministry will prove beneficial to our program here at Welch, and he will allow us to begin building a needed, regionally accredited Hispanic educational effort in our denomination.”

McAffee said, “Mr. Rodriguez will begin his duties next summer. His main task will be to help us formulate a strategy for Hispanic theological education, which includes fundraising, but he will also teach Bible and ministry courses and engage in other administrative responsibilities.”
Rodriguez has been married to his wife Maday, a senior accountant for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, for 23 years. They have two sons, Samuel, a senior in high school, and Daniel, a sophomore.

For more information about any Welch College degrees, visit welch.edu or email
recruit@welch.edu.

105 Students Make Honor Roll

The fall 2018 semester at Welch College ended with 105 students receiving academic recognition, according to Provost Matthew McAffee. This honor roll includes both online and Enriched Adult Studies students whose fall courses ended in late December. “These students deserve commendation for their hard work,” says McAffee. “They are the academic pacesetters for our campus, and we hope they will continue to foster scholastic excellence among their peers.”

Thirty students made all A’s and were placed on the President’s List: 4 seniors, 6 juniors, 11 sophomores, and 9 freshmen. Seventy-five earned a 3.25 GPA and all A’s and
B’s and were placed on the Provost’s list: 10 seniors, 14 juniors, 28 sophomores, and 23 freshmen.

President’s List:

“A” Honor Roll
Kandace Ailworth, Sophomore, TN
Alejandro Johnson, Sophomore, TN
Meredith Baer, Freshman, NC
Dakota Kron, Senior, TN
Addie Barnett, Freshman, TN
Caroline McDonald, Freshman, TN
Lauren Batey, Freshman, TN
Mariah Moore, Junior, KS
Catherine Blades, Sophomore, TN
Meredith Parrish, Junior, NC
Abby Bragg, Freshman, GA
Jonathan Payne, Sophomore, IL
Josh Burgus, Junior, TN
Anna Pinson, Freshman, TN
Sara Carman, Freshman, TN
Daniel Rojas, Senior, TN
Blake Chandler, Sophomore, TN
Kendal Ryan, Sophomore, IL
Michaela Easley, Sophomore, TN
Alexis Saunders, Freshman, TN
Jessie Eubanks, Sophomore, IL
Raygan Sellers, Freshman, TN
Baylea Freeman, Junior, VA
Mallie Sharenberger, Sophomore, TN
Jacklyn Grizzle, Junior, TN
Mikayla Strickland, Senior, NC
Miranda Howell, Sophomore, FL
Deborah Trifonova, Junior, Bulgaria
Josh Hunter, Senior, TN
Kullen Williams, Sophomore, TN

Provost’s List:

“B” Honor Roll

Seniors
Dalton Alvis, PA
Nikolette Jones, AL
Jacob Austin, FL
Coveak Moody, TN
Adra Brown, TN
Hannah Morgan, TN
Keren Delgado, AR
Emily Petty, IL
Daniel Hubin, TN
Elizabeth Stevanus, TN

Juniors
Matthew Barnett, AR
Abby Hunter, AR
Jerushah Blackburn, TN
Avery Jones, OK
Brenton Driscoll, CA
Kip Mcneill, TN
Hannah Duncan, FL
DJ Pappas, SC
Summer Elliott, QC
Sarah Pierce, IL
Emma Guthrie, IL
Hannah Reynolds, RI
Jalynn Hood, TN
Noni Wright, TN

Sophomores
Riley Bell, TN
Elaine Park, TN
Hailey Boyer, MO
Taylor Pate, FL
Mikaela Bullard, VA
Ashlee Presley, TN
Emilee Davis, NC
Ashley Sharbutt, KS
Jake Gates, TN
Ashley Snipes, GA
Hannah Goucher, MS
Tori Thomsen, TN
Jerry Hopper, TX
Jonathan Truett, NC
Kelsey Horton, TN
Will Walker, AL
Bryan Houser, VA
James Webb, AL
Cheyenne Johnson, TN
Derek Wisdom, MO
Maks Lutsenko, TN
Destinee Woolett, SD
Micah McClintock, GA
Andy Yerby, AL
Noah Midgette, VA
Elizabeth Yerby, AL
Whitney Moody, MS
Zea Zuniga Anaya, AR

Freshmen
Benjamin Barcroft, IL
Ashley Holland, TN
Emmie Barnett, TN
Daniel Kilgore, CA
Sarah Benton, NC
Krista Lindsay, AL
Alyssa Bolding, TN
Tori Masters, NC
Micah Borck, TN
Cody Matlock, KS
Alyssa Davis, NC
Ben Miller, MI
Ashley DiStefano, TN
Tanner Sturgis, TN
Grace Elkins, TN
Gabby Subeh, VA
Hope Flournoy, TN
Sydney Walker, NC
Allie Foust, TN
Angelina Waller, TN
Meagan Fulcher, NC
Truman White, TN
Gabrielle Hicks, KS