Richmond, Va.- March 30, 2007 – The Rev. Dr. Brian K. Blount, a New Testament professor from Princeton Theological Seminary, has been called by the Board of Trustees of Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education to serve as its next president.
Blount, 50, will succeed Louis B. Weeks who retires June 30, 2007. Blount will assume the presidency July 1.
A native of Smithfield, Va., Blount served as pastor of Carver Memorial Presbyterian Church in Newport News, Va., from 1982 to 1988. For the past 15 years, he has taught New Testament to students preparing for ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary.
“I think seminaries should be catalysts for the revitalization of the church,” said Blount, who came to Richmond to meet the Board, faculty, students, and staff. “The exciting thing about being a teacher at a seminary has been to see students go out energized about the way in which they teach the gospel and preach the gospel message.”
Raised in the Baptist Church, Blount became a Presbyterian when he was called as pastor of the Carver Memorial Presbyterian Church in Newport News. He speaks with humility and conviction of following God’s leading in his life. “When I went to seminary, I didn’t imagine ever going into teaching, my goal was to be a pastor. And I’m certainly surprised that I’ve ended up at this point. But I’ve felt a sense of direction and a sense of God’s call in all of this.”
Blount will be the first African American to serve as president of either Union Theological Seminary or the Presbyterian School of Christian Education. He will be the second president since the two schools were joined by federation in 1997.
The seminary, founded in 1812, is located in Richmond, Va. It operates a thriving extension program in Charlotte, N.C., opened in 2002. Union-PSCE has approximately 375 students enrolled.
Blount is the author, co-author, editor, or associate editor of nine books including The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, for which he was associate editor; Can I Get A Witness? Reading Revelation Through African American Culture; and Struggling with Scripture, co-written with Walter Brueggemann and William Placher. A gifted preacher, teacher, and writer, he has also authored numerous book reviews, sermons, articles, and academic presentations.
Blount has two additional books forthcoming: a commentary on the Book of Revelation and The Westminster Discipleship Study Bible, for which he is the associate editor.
“Brian Blount is an accomplished New Testament scholar, a deeply committed churchman, and one of the most effective and compelling preachers in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.),” said Frances Taylor Gench, professor of New Testament at Union-PSCE and a member of the Presidential Search Committee. “The Holy Spirit has been palpably at work throughout our search process and has led us to a new president who is uniquely capable of communicating Union-PSCE’s mission to the church at large and leading us into the next stage of our future.”
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“I cannot think of a better leader for our beloved school at this critical moment in its history than Brian K. Blount,” said Gary Charles, pastor of Central Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia. “Brian’s winsome smile, razor sharp mind, and great respect for the work of the church will soon endear him to all the constituencies of our seminary.”
Blount and Charles wrote a book together, Preaching Mark in Two Voices, published in 2002. Charles, an alumnus and trustee of Union-PSCE, was a member of the Presidential Search Committee.
The call concludes a five-month national search chaired by John W. Kuykendall, former president of Davidson College and a trustee of Union-PSCE. Kuykendall directed the 13-member committee composed of trustees, faculty, alumni/ae, students, and staff.
“All of us who love and care for Union-PSCE are most appreciative of the time, prayer, and commitment the Search Committee has given in fulfilling their charge,” said Art Ross, pastor of White Memorial Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, NC, and chair of the board of Union-PSCE. “I am extremely proud of and grateful for the recommendation of the Presidential Search Committee. I have known Brian for years as a gifted preacher, a highly respected scholar, and an engaging writer. I look forward to our mutually effective working relationship.”
Blount is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He preaches and teaches at churches nationwide and is a member of the Presbytery of New Brunswick. He holds degrees from the College of William and Mary (bachelor of arts — religion and psychology), Princeton Theological Seminary (master of divinity); and Emory University (doctor of philosophy). His areas of academic interest include the Gospel of Mark, the synoptic gospels, the Book of Revelation, and interpreting the Bible through the lens of the African American church. He is a member of the council of the Society of Biblical Literature and chairperson of the society’s program committee.
One of 10 theological institutions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Union-PSCE offers nine graduate degree programs to prepare men and women for leadership in the church as pastors, educators, and scholars.
