WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP) – Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and The College at Southeastern announced Oct. 10 that Seth Bible, assistant professor of ethics and the history of ideas, will be the new vice president of undergraduate studies and the dean of The College.
Since June 1 of this year, Bible has served as the acting dean of The College following Scott Pace’s promotion to provost of Southeastern. During their fall biannual meeting earlier this week, Southeastern’s trustees unanimously voted to elect Bible as vice president of undergraduate studies and announced he would also serve as dean of The College.
Bible, a two-time graduate of Southeastern, has served and taught at Southeastern in a variety of roles for more than two decades — most recently launching and directing Southeastern’s flourishing prison programs.
“Seth has been a great blessing to Southeastern now for 23 years,” said SEBTS President Danny Akin. “It has been exciting to see how the Lord has raised him up and used him to serve and support this institution. He has done a superb job directing our prison programs over the past six years and is a gifted administrator and teacher. The faculty, the administration, and the trustees are all of one heart and one mind that God has set apart Seth to lead our college.”
A graduate of Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City, Tenn., Bible heard about Southeastern through his campus ministry leaders who were alumni of Southeastern. After visiting campus during his senior year, Bible followed God’s leading to Southeastern and began his M.Div. in 2000.
Bible graduated with his Ph.D. in 2011 and transitioned from his role in student life in 2016 to oversee the launch of Southeastern’s prison programs and to join the faculty as assistant professor of ethics and history of ideas. In his role as director of prison programs, Bible coordinated with state and local officials as well as donors and other agencies to develop a successful field minister program that now has deployed 49 incarcerated men to serve as ambassadors to the North Carolina prison system. Under his leadership, Southeastern’s prison programs have also grown to include a women’s field minister program in North Carolina and in Florida.
“College was a pivotal time in my life,” Bible said. “It was during those four years that I felt like my faith became my own as I experienced God working to draw me towards his calling on my life. I am excited to be a part of encouraging this next generation of leaders in their faith and vocational journey, and I am particularly excited about doing that at The College at Southeastern. We have a ‘top shelf’ curriculum, a world class faculty, and godly leaders, and it is an honor to be a part of what is happening on this campus.”
