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Tennessee Temple University Selects a New President

The Board of Trustees of Tennessee Temple University today selected Dr. Steve Echols as its new president.

 

“Tennessee Temple University has been a great institution of Christian higher education for over sixty-five years. It will be a wonderful privilege to have this special opportunity to work with the Tennessee Temple family in this most important Kingdom endeavor,” said Dr. Echols.

 

Dr. Echols, 56, has served on the faculty of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary for the past eleven years including the last six years as the Associate Regional Dean for the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia. He has also served as a pastor for over thirty years at churches in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Georgia.  He is married to the former Julie Marie Stipe. The couple have two grown children.

 

Dr. Echols was ordained in 1978 and earned his Ph.D. and M.Div. degrees from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He also holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Beeson Divinity School and a Master of Arts in Public and Private Management from Birmingham-Southern College.

 

Dr. Echols has published a number of articles, book chapters, and the recent book Catastrophic Crisis: Ministry Leadership in the Midst of Trial and Tragedy, which he co-authored with Allen England.

 

The board also today accepted the resignation of interim president Dr. Jim O'Neill.

 

"Dr. O'Neill served the University well," said Dr. David Bouler, former pastor at Highland Park Baptist Church and Chancellor at Tennessee Temple University. " He provided leadership following the resignation of Dr. Danny Lovett and was instrumental in moving our on-line education delivery system to the next level."

 

"I encourage the entire TTU Family to rally around the Board of Trustees and Dr. Echols," Dr. O'Neill said. "And pray for God's abundant blessings to be poured out upon this next chapter in the life of Tennessee Temple through the leadership of Dr. Echols."

 

Dr. Echols will be splitting his time between Atlanta and Chattanooga during the transition, but plans to be on the campus serving full-time on February 1.