Born in Broken Arrow, Okla., in 1948, Carl grew up in Bartlesville, Okla., and graduated from the University of Tulsa with a B.S. in religion and philosophy. He earned his M.Div. from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary where he was a Patterson Fellow in New Testament Greek. In 1977, he received his doctor of philosophy degree in rhetoric and communication from the University of Pittsburgh where he also taught as an instructor. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 1973.
Before coming to Dallas, Carl served as associate professor of homiletics and worship and instructor of New Testament Greek at Union Theological Seminary-PSCE, (Va.). Thirty years ago, he was an instructor at Pittsburgh Seminary and more recently served as an adjunct professor at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
He has lectured at Oxford, Princeton, Boston University, the Moscow Theological Academy, the Kerala United Theological Seminary in India, and dozens of other divinity schools and conferences both here and abroad. Carl has published five books and more than 50 scholarly articles and reviews.
Carl is the longest tenured pastor in the 150-year history of the First Presbyterian Church in Dallas, having just surpassed the record of former pastor Andrew Pickens Smith who was a chaplain in the Battle of Gettysburg. He serves as an ethics consultant for Duke University Medical Center and lectures on the brain and cognitive neuroscience at medical schools and conferences.
He has served as guest chaplain of the United States Senate and had a sermon entitled “So Help Me God” published in The Congressional Record at the request of Sen. Howard Baker.
He will succeed the Rev. Dr. Carnegie Samuel Calian, currently the longest tenured president of any Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) seminary. Calian is approaching retirement after 25 years of unprecedented leadership. Having presided over dramatic institutional enhancements within the faculty, facilities, and programs and significant growth within the endowment, annual fund, and enrollment, Calian leaves the institution poised for new growth.
Carl will become president-elect of Pittsburgh Seminary Oct. 1, 2005 and will assume his duties as president Feb. 1, 2006.
