Education
Graduated with an M.Div and Ph.D. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Served as president of Student Government and as a Garrett fellow.
Graduated with the Th.M. degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. Studied preaching with Paul Scherer.
Graduated with an M.A. in English Literature from the University of Mississippi. Served as a graduate assistant.
Graduated with a B.A. from Union University. Served as president of Student Government and ATO fraternity.
Elected to Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities and "Most Likely to Succeed."
Active in BSU.
Elected "Best All Around" as high school senior, Dyersburg High.
Pastorates
First Baptist Church, Decatur, Georgia for twenty-one years.
Woodland Baptist Church, Middletown, Kentucky.
Cash Creek Baptist Church, Henderson, Kentucky.
Saulsbury Baptist Church, Saulsbury, Tennessee.
Bethel Baptist Church, Troy, Tennessee, and Fairview Baptist Church, Obion, Tennessee. ("Every other Sunday" country churches.)
Interim Pastorates
Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, Huntington, WVA.
Hurstbourne Baptist Church, Louisville, KY.
Crestwood Baptist Church, Crestwood, KY.
Beechwood Baptist Church, Louisville, KY.
Broadway Baptist Church, Louisville, KY.
Highland Baptist Church, Louisville, KY.
Buechel Park Baptist Church, Louisville, KY.
Lakehurst Baptist Church, Lakehurst, NJ.
Manhattan Baptist Church, New York, NY.
Teaching Positions
Associate Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Southern Baptist Seminary.
Chairman of the New Testament Department, Southern Seminary.
Assistant Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Southern Baptist Seminary.
Instructor in Greek.
Garrett Fellow.
Fellow.
Adjunct professor at Columbia Theological Seminary, Southern Seminary, Midwestern Seminary, Mercer School of Theology, and Shorter College.
Other Employment
Activities Director for Camp Mack Morris Boy Scout Camp two years. Had supervisory responsibility for staff of 27. Served four other years as Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmaster.
Book Sales for Southwestern Book Company of Nashville.
RA at college dorm, Union University.
Grocery store and Clothing Store in high school.
Delivery of newspaper (State Gazette).
Denominational Position
Ridgecrest and Glorietta
Youth Pastor, Glorietta, 1966.
Bible Studies at Ridgecrest, 1964, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1983, 1986.
Speaker during YWA Week, Ridgecrest, 1970.
Speaker at Singles Conference, Ridgecrest, 1971.
Teacher, Nationwide Bible Conference, March 15-18, 1971, Dallas, Texas.
Preacher at Church Training-Youth Week, Ridgecrest, 1973.
Speaker and Bible Teacher at Student Week, Glorietta, 1973.
Speaker and Bible Teacher at Student Week, Ridgecrest, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1991.
Speaker at State Conventions
College Speaker
Campus Revivals and Focus Weeks at several schools, including Union University twice, Belmont College twice, Oklahoma Baptist University, Shorter College, Baylor University, Louisiana College.
College Chapel speaker at Georgetown College, Union University, Samford University, Shorter College, Mercer, Louisiana College, Houston Baptist College, Anderson, Truett-McConnell, Brewton Parker.
Foreign Missions
Preaching to missionaries and lecturing at the Seminary in Baguio, Philippines, and Mindanao, Philippines, 1984.
Preaching and Teaching for missionaries, Monrovia, Liberia, 1986 and for Kenya Mission 1990.
Bible teaching for Missionaries of the Windward Islands, meeting in Venezuela.
Pastor’s School
Bible Teacher at Pastors' School, Stetson, 1984.
Bible Teacher at Pastors' School, Mercer, 1985.
Preacher at Pastors' School, Wake Forest, 1980.
Bible Teacher at Pastors' School, Campbell University, 1986, 1987.
Bible Teacher, School of the Prophets, Gadsden, Alabama, 1970, 1986.
Georgia Baptist Convention
President of the Pastors Conference.
Vice-President of state convention, 1986.
Member of the Executive Committee.
Member of the Education Commission.
Preacher at Pastors Conference.
Doctrinal Sermon for GBC.
Atlanta Baptist Association
President of Pastors Conference.
Chairman of Resolutions Committee Membership Team
Baptist World Alliance
Member, Pastoral Leadership Commission.
Attended meetings in Puerto Rico, Kenya, Argentina, and Berlin.
Civic Involvement in Decatur
Board Member, YMCA
Rotary Club, Program Chair, President-Elect
Protocol Committee, DeKalb Medical Center
The Atlanta Project
Habitat for Humanity
Notes of Interest
National President of Alumni Association, Southern Seminary.
Speaker, National P.T.A. Congress, San Antonio.
Selected for Outstanding Educators of America.
Bible Teacher at Interlaken, Switzerland, for European Baptist Convention.
Teacher, Nationwide Bible Conference, March 15-18.
Spring Lectures, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Paper on Hebrews for the regional meeting of the Society for Biblical Literature, Vanderbilt University.
Paper on Homiletics for Team A.
Book Review Editor, Review and Expositor.
Books and Booklets
Books: The Teaching of the Parables, Broadman Press, 1982, 253 pp.
Studying the Parables of Jesus, Smyth & Helwys, 1999, 378pp. (major revision of Teaching)
Booklet: Study Guide, NT 262 for Extension Department, "The Johannine Epistles," 1970, 65 pp.
Booklet: "Parables of Jesus," for National Student Ministries, 1985.
Review and Expositor Scholarly Articles
"Approaches to the Study of the book of James," 66:425-434 (Fall, 1969).
"A Structural analysis of I John," 69:433-444 (Fall, 1970).
"Exegesis of Galatians 3 and 4," 69: 471-482 (Fall, 1972).
"Biblical Teachings on Stewardship," 70:141-152 (Spring, 1973).
"Biblical Hermeneutics," 72:139-148 (Spring, 1975).
"The Liberating and Liberated Lord: A Biblical Essay on Freedom," 73:283-292 (Summer 1976).
"Preaching from Romans," 73:465-476 (Fall, 1976).
"The Seed Parables of Mark," 75:519-538 (Fall, 1978).
"Teaching First Peter," 79:463-472 (Summer, 1982).
"A Superior Life: Hebrews 12:3-13:25," 82:391-406 (Summer, 1985).
"The Parables in Luke," 94: 231-244 (1997).
Other Scholarly Articles
"A New Kind of Community," Word and Witness, 2:44-47 (May 7, 1978).
"The Love Command in Parable," Perspectives in Religious Studies, 6:224-242 (1979).
"The Modern Study of Parables," Southwestern Journal of Theology, 22:7-22 (1980).
Editor for Biblical articles in Encyclopedia of Southern Baptists, IV (1982), and author of article "Jesus, Teaching of."
Articles in Biblical Dictionaries
Holman Bible Dictionary
Mercer Dictionary of the Bible
Chapters in Books
The Equipping of Disciples
Preaching in Today's World
Preach the Word in Love and Power
Southern Baptist Preaching Today
Following Jesus
Handbook of Contemporary Preaching
In Preparation
Commentary on The Epistles of John for Smyth and Helwys
Separate Articles
"Translating Worship into Witness," Baptist Student, 47 (December, 1968).
"Jesus' Concern for People: Why Witness?" Baptist Student, 48:41-46 (January, 1969).
"To Be Involved or Not to Be," Contempo, 1:10-13 (November, 1970).
"Finding the Will of God," Event, pp. 13-18 (May, 1973).
"Missionary Caring: It's in the Book," Accent, pp. 11, 40 (January, 1975).
"The Search for the Holy City," Illustrator, pp.6-10 (Spring, 1976).
"The Shekinah Glory," Illustrator, pp. 77-79 (Fall, 1978).
"Which Translation," The Student, pp. 12-15 (September, 1981).
"Equipping for the Future," in The Equipping of Disciples, pp. 192-198 (1977). Book in honor of Philip Harris.
"Tests of Christian Discipleship," in Church Training, pp. 16-17 (December, 1984).
Series in Equipping Youth
"Self-Esteem: a Biblical Focus," (October-December, 1982).
"Inner Life: a Biblical Focus," (January-March, 1983).
"Relationships: a Biblical Focus," (April-June, 1983).
"New Horizons: a Biblical Focus," (July-September, 1983).
Lesson Series
"Overcoming Life's Fears," Young People Training for Action (September-December, 1967. Six lessons.
"From the World--To the Church--To the World," Young People Training For Action, pp. 47-72 (April-June, 1969). Five lessons.
"Choose Your King," Youth in Action, pp. 37-63 (January-March, 1972). Also Youth In Action Teacher, pp. 80-114 (January-March, 1972). Six lessons each.
"The Demand of the Gospel," Adult Life and Work Lesson Annual (January-March, 1972). Thirteen lessons on Luke.
"A New Look at the Estranged," Adult Life and Work Lesson Annual, 1973-74, pp. 366-410. Five lessons.
"Mark: The Message of Salvation," Advanced Bible Study (January-March, 1984). Thirteen lessons on Mark. The April-June quarterly contained four more.
