wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] Dallas pastor named president of Pittsburgh Seminary

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ECUNET.ORG>]

Note #8820 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

05391
July 22, 2005

Carl to head Pittsburgh Seminary 

Dallas pastor is well-regarded as scholar, preacher, fund-raiser

by Toya Richards Hill

LOUISVILLE - The Rev. Dr. William J. Carl III, pastor of 1,700-member First
Presbyterian Church in Dallas, has been chosen as the new president of
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

	He will be the seminary's fifth president, replacing the Rev. Dr.
Carnegie Samuel Calian, who is retiring after 25 years, a record for
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) seminaries.

	"Dr. Carl brings to the office of president a deep commitment to
Jesus Christ, along with a rare combination of academic scholarship and
teaching experience, phenomenal communication skills, a wealth of pastoral,
administrative and leadership gifts, and a remarkable record of solid fund
development," said John S. Isherwood, member of the seminary's board of
directors and chair of the presidential search committee.
 
	Isherwood said more than 100 people had been considered since the
search for a new president began more than eight months ago.

	Carl will become president-elect on Oct. 1 and take office as
president next Feb. 1.

	Since 1983, when Carl became pastor, First Presbyterian's annual
budget has increased from $1 million to $4 million, and its endowment reserve
has grown from $1 million to nearly $25 million. The church has a staff of
more than 100 people.

	"I've been pastoring a very diverse congregation at First
Presbyterian," Carl said. "I've enjoyed bringing people from many different
groups and backgrounds together" to focus on what they have in common, he
said.

	"I really believe the future of the church involves both evangelism
and social justice ministry," he added. "That's what our church does."

	"One of the things that excites me is that ... Pittsburgh Seminary is
already modeling for the denomination," Carl said. "I'm happy to move into a
position that is already doing what I'm talking about, but then I want to
help them do it even better."

	Pittsburgh Seminary, the oldest Presbyterian-affiliated theological
school, has 23 full-time faculty members and about 380 students in degree
programs.

	Carl, an Oklahoma native, has a bachelor's degree in religion and
philosophy from the University of Tulsa, a master's of divinity from
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in rhetoric and
communication from the University of Pittsburgh. He was ordained in 1973.

	He has served on the faculties of Union Theological Seminary in
Virginia, Pittsburgh Seminary and Austin Theological Seminary. He also has
lectured at Oxford, Princeton, Boston University, the Moscow Theological
Academy and the Kerala United Theological Seminary in India.

	"I understand that he is really a listener, and that sort of
leadership that begins with listening and ends with unity and common vision
is, I think, exciting for Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, (and) exciting for
the Presbyterian Church (USA)," said the Rev. Lee Hinson-Hasty, the
denomination's coordinator of theological education and seminary relations.
 
	"Because he is a scholar and a preacher and a unifier, I think he
will bring those gifts from the parish and the pulpit into the presidency,"
Hinson-Hasty said. "We look forward to having him as a partner."

	Carl has served as president and interim executive director of
Greater Dallas Community of Churches, and has served on the boards of Austin
College, Texas Health Resources, Children's Medical Center, Presbyterian
Healthcare Resources and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

	He also serves as an ethics consultant for Duke University Medical
Center, and lectures on cognitive neuroscience at medical schools and
conferences. In addition, he has served as guest chaplain of the United
States Senate.

	He is married to Jane Alexander Carl, an executive assistant in
communications for the American Heart Association. They have two sons -
Jeremy, a special assistant in presidential correspondence at the White
House, and David, who is completing his master's of fine arts in theater at
Rutgers University.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please send an email to
pcusanews-subscribe-request@halak.pcusa.org or
pcusanews-unsubscribe-request@halak.pcusa.org

To contact the owner of the list, please send an email to
pcusanews-request@halak.pcusa.org