Editing Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary (section)

==History==
[[File:Adoniram Judson Gordon.tif|thumb|left|upright=.4|A.J. Gordon]]
[[File:Russell Conwell.jpg|thumb|left|upright=.4|Russell Conwell]]
Gordon-Conwell arose primarily from the merging and refounding of two separate schools, Gordon Divinity School, formerly of [[Gordon College (Massachusetts)|Gordon College]] (1889) in [[Wenham, Massachusetts]], and the Conwell School of Theology (1888), formerly of [[Temple University]] in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]]. Both schools were founded in the [[Baptist]] [[theological]] heritage. Both [[Adoniram Judson Gordon]] and [[Russell Conwell]], the namesakes of Gordon-Conwell, were Baptist ministers; Gordon's divinity school was first established as Gordon Bible Institute in 1889,<ref>{{cite book|last= Songe|first= Alice | title =American Universities and Colleges| year= 1978| publisher = Rowman & Littlefield |page= 79}}</ref> while Conwell's theological school was originally chartered as [[Temple University|Temple College]] in 1888. In addition, the [[Boston Evangelical Institute]], founded as [[Revere Lay College]], also merged with Gordon-Conwell.<ref>{{citation
|title=The Souls of Black Folk
|first= Selwyn R.
|last=Cudjoe
|date=May 4, 2011
|access-date=December 15, 2017
|url=http://www.trinicenter.com/Cudjoe/2011/0405.htm
|publisher=Trinicenter
}}</ref>

Beginning in the 1960s, both Gordon Divinity School and Conwell School of Theology experienced new challenges. In 1961, [[Temple University]] became a public university and was forced to divest the theological school, thus re-establishing the previous school of theology as a religious studies department.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cla.temple.edu/religion/|title=Home - Religion|website=www.cla.temple.edu|access-date=2018-06-07}}</ref> While [[Temple University]] hoped [[Russell Conwell]]'s legacy would continue to grow through their new religious studies department, [[J. Howard Pew]] and Daniel Poling, a Baptist minister and member of Temple's board, felt Conwell's vision to train Baptist ministers would be neglected.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Temple University: 125 Years of Service to Philadelphia, the Nation, and the World|last=Hilty|first=James|publisher=Temple University Press|year=2010|isbn=978-1-4399-0019-2|location=Philadelphia|pages=40–41}}</ref> Poling contacted [[Evangelism|evangelist]] [[Billy Graham]] who agreed to help if he could appoint both a board of trustees of his choosing and faculty members he trusted.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=A Prophet with Honor: The Billy Graham Story|last=Martin|first=William|publisher=Zondervan|year=2018|isbn=9780310353324|location=Grand Rapids}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.salemnews.com/news/local_news/graham-played-key-role-at-gordon-college-seminary/article_8bbd8398-0cbc-5774-8faa-95d860d8b545.html|title=Graham played key role at Gordon college, seminary|last=Writer|first=Paul Leighton Staff|work=Salem News|access-date=2018-06-27|language=en}}</ref> Graham, in turn, contacted his close friend [[Harold Ockenga]] who was due to take the presidency of [[Gordon College (Massachusetts)|Gordon College]] and oversee the financially stressed divinity school. Rather than see two [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]] seminaries compete, Graham proposed merging the two schools to form one evangelical school on the East coast to mirror [[Fuller Theological Seminary]]'s place on the West Coast. [[J. Howard Pew]] agreed to financially back the merger on the condition that the seminary must be divorced from an undergraduate institution.<ref name=":0" /> Under the leadership of [[Evangelism|evangelist]] [[Billy Graham]] and Boston pastor [[Harold Ockenga]] along with the financial backing of [[J. Howard Pew]], Gordon-Conwell began holding classes in 1969. Pew provided "$2 million to purchase the land, [Carmelite Junior Seminary in [[Hamilton, Massachusetts|Hamilton]]], and several million more to refurbish existing facilities and to build and stock a library."<ref name=":0" /> [[Harold Ockenga]] was selected as its first president.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ockenga Institute | publisher = Gordon-Conwell | url = http://www.gordonconwell.edu/resources/ | access-date = 2012-11-05}}</ref> [[Stuart Babbage]] was the first vice-president and also served on the faculty alongside [[Philip Edgcumbe Hughes]], [[R. C. Sproul|R.C. Sproul]], Walter Mueller, and [[Richard F. Lovelace|Richard Lovelace]] among others.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Mueller|first=Walter|date=April 2016|title=Reminiscences on the Early Days of Conwell School of Theology (former faculty)|url=http://www.gordonconwell.edu/resources/documents/africanusjournalvol8no1ev3.pdf|journal=Africanus}}</ref>

Gordon-Conwell initially received protests and negative press for moving theological out of the inner city. In response, [[Stephen Charles Mott|Stephen Mott]], [[Michael E. Haynes]], pastor of [[Twelfth Baptist Church, Boston|Twelfth Baptist Church]] in [[Roxbury, Boston|Roxbury]] and state representative,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/01/20/boston-clergyman-recalls-his-affiliation-with-mlk/5x2t1z9zEDw3MdSuPxSbFN/story.html|title=Boston clergyman recalls his affiliation with MLK - The Boston Globe|work=BostonGlobe.com|access-date=2018-06-27}}</ref> and Gordon-Conwell trustees located [[Roxbury, Boston|Roxbury]] as the key location for inner city ministerial education. In 1976, the Boston-campus in [[Roxbury, Boston|Roxbury]], the Campus for Urban Ministerial Education (CUME) was founded. Classes were originally held in Haynes' Twelfth Baptist Church. Eldin Villafañe, Dean Borgman, and [[Stephen Charles Mott|Stephen Mott]] were among the first faculty to teach at CUME.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.egc.org/blog-2/2013/11/16/the-city-gives-birth-to-a-seminary|title=The City Gives Birth to a Seminary|work=Emmanuel Gospel Center|access-date=2018-06-27|language=en-US}}</ref>

Other former presidents include Robert E. Cooley (1981–1997) who founded the Charlotte campus<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.faithandleadership.com/robert-e-cooley-computer-will-never-completely-replace-professor|title=Robert E. Cooley: The computer will never completely replace the professor {{!}} Faith and Leadership|website=www.faithandleadership.com|language=en|access-date=2017-11-19}}</ref> and [[Walter Kaiser, Jr.]] (1997–2006). The brief tenure of [[James Emery White]] (2006–07) saw White resign in less than a year into his post<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2007/may/121-33.0.html|title = Gordon-Conwell President Resigns}}</ref> leading to the interim tenure of [[Haddon Robinson]] (2007–08).<ref name="gordonconwell1">{{cite web|url=http://www.gordonconwell.edu/about/Our-History.cfm|title=Our History|publisher=Gordon-Conwell|access-date=2012-11-05}}</ref> The President appointed after Robinson's interim post was [[Dennis Hollinger]] (2009–2019).

On October 12, 2017, [[Dennis Hollinger]] announced his intention to retire on June 30, 2019.<ref>{{cite web|title=Presidential Search | publisher = Gordon-Conwell |url=http://www.gordonconwell.edu/about/Presidential-Search.cfm | access-date = 2012-11-05}}</ref> Scott Sunquist, an alumnus of Gordon-Conwell and former Dean of the School of Intercultural Studies and Professor of [[World Christianity]] at [[Fuller Theological Seminary]] in [[Pasadena, California]], succeeded Hollinger as the seventh president in July 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fuller.edu/posts/scott-sunquist-accepts-call-as-president-of-gordon-conwell/|title=Scott Sunquist Accepts Call as President of Gordon-Conwell {{!}} Fuller Seminary|website=Fuller Seminary|language=en-US|access-date=2018-10-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gordonconwell.edu/news/Gordon-Conwell-Names-Its-Seventh-President.cfm?grp_id=7558|title=Gordon-Conwell Names Its Seventh President|website=Gordon-Conwell|language=en|access-date=2018-10-13}}</ref>