PNNews editor's note: Below is a fittingly formal announcement from Austin Seminary. This informal comment is mine (and shared with many other former students). "Michael Jinkins has a brain fit for the academy and a heart fit for shepherding. Louisiville Seminary is welcoming a superb leader." —S.W.

Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary announces today that Academic Dean Michael Jinkins has been called by the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary's Board of Trustees to become its next president, effective September 1.

Jinkins is only the sixth academic dean to serve Austin Seminary in its long history of educating and equipping students for ministry and other forms of service.

"It has been my extraordinary honor serving at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary," Jinkins said. "I am deeply mindful of the support, friendship, and grace I experienced as a faculty member, administrator, and dean."

Jinkins has been a member of the faculty of Austin Seminary since 1993, after serving as a pastor in congregations in Irving, Itasca, and Brenham, Texas, and in Aberdeen, Scotland. He is an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and a member of Mission Presbytery.

Career at Austin Seminary

Professor Jinkins became academic dean of Austin Seminary in January 2004, and was appointed by Austin Seminary's Board of Trustees to a second five-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2009.

In his teaching career at Austin Seminary, Jinkins made significant contributions to the church's understanding of the practice of ministry, pastoral identity, and the theology of Christian leadership. With Austin Seminary professor of Constructive Theology David Jensen he co-taught a course on Dietrich Bonhoffer and public theology and most recently, with Bob Lively (Austin American-Statesman regular contributor and graduate of Austin Seminary MDiv'73 and DMin'79), developed a writers' workshop for theology students.

Jinkins was principal author and chair of the grant-writing team for the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence grant for $1.56 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. to establish the College of Pastoral Leaders at Austin Seminary. As academic dean, he also chaired the renewal grant committee for the continuance of this program and has written grants to the Wabash Center and the Lilly Endowment to support faculty development for the improvement of teaching, curriculum renewal, and a faculty research project to determine what church leaders and congregations expect of seminary education today.

He led the faculty through its first thorough curriculum review and revision since 1971 and oversaw its successful re-certification of accreditation with the Association of Theological Schools and the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. He also developed the unique course "Entry into Ministry," providing students a "final rite of passage" practical look at entering ministry.

Said President Theodore J. Wardlaw, "Austin Seminary has been blessed mightily by Dean Jinkins' vision, energy, discipline, and inspiring leadership. He has led the Academic Affairs work of this institution to new heights. Moreover, Michael has been a wonderful colleague and dear friend, and I will deeply miss him. In this new appointment to a sister seminary, however, I am convinced that Michael Jinkins' gifts will be well-matched for Louisville's needs, and this will be great news for Louisville, for the work of theological education in this time, and for the church. I look forward to working with him in a larger arena."

Study, writing and leading

Jinkins received a BA from Howard Payne University, an MDiv from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, a DMin from Austin Seminary, and the PhD from King's College, University of Aberdeen, Scotland. The author of more than one hundred published papers, articles, and reviews, Jinkins has also authored twelve books, including: Invitation to Psalms (Abingdon Press, 2008), the participant book in Abingdon's popular Disciple Bible Study video series; and Letters to New Pastors (Eerdmans Press, 2006). He is the author of Called to be Human: Letters to my Children on Living a Christian Life, (Eerdmans, 2009) (recommended reading by The Christian Century).

Jinkins was a founding member of the Academy of Religious Leadership, and served as an associate editor and board member of its journal, the Journal of Religious Leadership, from 2001-2006. He is currently directs the Colloquy for Theological School Deans of the Wabash Center. He has also conducted research in conjunction with the Pulpit & Pew project of Duke University Divinity School. He is a past editor of Insights: The Faculty Journal of Austin Seminary.

Jinkins has received a number of professional appointments, including research associate for The New Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press) and visiting professor at Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia. He has also been a consultant on the teaching of the practices of ministry for the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning and was a faculty-mentor for the "Excellence from the Start" program coordinated by the Office of Theology and Worship of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Jinkins is a member of the American Academy of Religion, the Society of Biblical Literature, the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, the Society for Pastoral Theology, the Academy of Religious Leadership, and the Kierkegaard Society. He is active in the association of Chief Academic Officers (CAOS) of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS).

An advisory committee will be named by Wardlaw to initiate a search for Jinkins' successor. In the meantime, professor David H. Jensen, who was to serve as acting dean during Jinkins' planned sabbatical during the fall of 2011, will now serve as interim dean.

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