Kansas City, Mo.—Jason Allen, vice president for institutional advancement at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has been selected by Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s presidential search team members as their nominee to become the school’s president.

Jason Allen

Allen, 35, also is executive director of the Southern Seminary Foundation and previously served as pastor of Carlisle Avenue Baptist Church in Louisville.

The search committee said it expects to bring Allen’s nomination to the board of trustees next month for an official vote. If elected, Allen will succeed R. Philip Roberts as Midwestern’s fifth president.

“Though young in years, Jason is rich in experience that crosses a wide spectrum of ministry concerns such as local church ministry, denominational service, seminary administration, teaching and executive experience,” Midwestern trustee chairman Kevin Shrum said in a statement. “All of these professional attributes, coupled with Jason’s contagious personality, will assist MBTS in preparing pastors for local-church ministry and missionaries for global missions.”
Search team chairman, Bill Bowyer, said Allen has the “heart of a pastor, a mind of a scholar and proven administrative and development skills” to lead Midwestern.

“The entire presidential search team is thrilled about the prospect of Dr. Allen leading MBTS to the next level of training a generation of highly effective ministers, church planters and missionaries,” Bowyer added.
Allen said he and his wife, Karen, “are deeply humbled and honored by the trust and confidence that the presidential search team has placed in us.”

“We have unmistakably sensed the leadership of the Holy Spirit throughout this process, and we are united with a resolve to give our hearts and lives to the serving and leading of Midwestern Seminary,” he added. “I look forward to the upcoming October meeting with the trustees where I can share my heart for Midwestern Seminary and my vision for where I pray the Lord will be leading us together into the future.”

Allen has served as a member of Southern Seminary’s executive cabinet since January 2006, has been vice president of institutional advancement since 2009, and was executive assistant to the president from 2006-09. He also has taught courses in personal spiritual disciplines, pastoral ministry and preaching at the seminary.
After six years with the church, Allen resigned as pastor of Carlisle Avenue Baptist in February. Prior to that, he was pastor of Muldraugh Baptist Church in Meade County and served on other church ministerial staff in Kentucky and Alabama.

Allen earned both his master’s degree and doctorate from Southern Seminary. He received his undergraduate degree from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala.
Midwestern Seminary has been in search of a new president since Roberts’ resignation in February. Robin Hadaway, the seminary’s professor of missions, has served as interim president since that time. (MWBTS/BP)

Western Recorder issue date: September 11, 2012.

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