David Dockery Appointed 15th President of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School/Trinity International University

The Board of Regents at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School/Trinity International University announced today that they have selected David S. Dockery as their next president. You can read the whole press release here.

Dr. Dockery previously served as the president of Union University, which saw 16 consecutive years of increased enrollment—117% total—under his watch (from 1996-2013). The annual budget for the school increased each year of his presidency, going from $18 million to $90 million. And Union has been named a Top Tier institution by U.S. News & World Report for the past 17 years. He currently serves as chancellor of Union and will begin at Trinity in June of 2014.

One of the most encouraging things to me about Dr. Dockery is that he is not only an administrator and a fundraiser but he is also a theologian and a gifted scholar. He has an MA, two MDivs, and a PhD in the humanities. He served as general editor for the New American Commentary series (B&H). He has authored or edited 35 books, contributed to more than 50 additional volumes, and published over 100 articles. Most recently he has served as the general editor for Crossway’s Reclaiming the Christian Intellectual Tradition series, an ongoing series of short guides designed to help undergraduates (and theological educators) see the various ways in which we can engage the disciplines from a Christian worldview.

Perhaps Dockery’s finest hour at the helm of Union was his leadership, shepherding, and rebuilding after a devastating tornado hit their campus in February 2008:

At the end of the day, this is a blog post I have been hoping to write for some time. Dr. Dockery is a godly man and a trusted leader. I am so thankful that the Lord has moved in this way. This is an exciting new day for Trinity.

Evangelical seminaries and institutions play a large role in shaping future pastors and leaders in various vocations. They are worth praying for. (Here are 20 ways to pray for them.)