AZUSA, Calif.— Following a two-year, nationwide search, Azusa Pacific University President Jon R. Wallace, DBA, announced the selection of T. Scott Daniels, Ph.D., as dean of the School of Theology, effective June 1, 2010.
“As a Christ-centered university, each hire advances our mission to train disciples and scholars to make a Kingdom impact, perhaps none more so than the dean of the School of Theology,” said Wallace. “The selection of Dr. Daniels marks the culmination of a thorough search, one which identified an exemplary leader to take our School of Theology into God’s preferred future. His career exemplifies the remarkable impact that can be made at the intersection of the academy and the Church. His genuine desire to help people learn and grow will set the tone for our faculty, staff, and students.”
Daniels will serve as the chief administrator of APU’s School of Theology, providing direction for 15 undergraduate and graduate programs, which enroll more than 700 students and engage 42 full-time faculty. As dean, he sets the course of academic programs that will address the needs of the Church for the next decade. Daniels also oversees budget and collaborates with faculty, staff, and administrators to develop and implement programs, projects, and initiatives that meet the school’s goals.
“I am thrilled for this opportunity to serve at Azusa Pacific,” said Daniels. “I would have never imagined that God would open the door for me to lead such a significant university for biblical, philosophical, theological, and ministry training while still preaching, shepherding, and casting vision for an historic and vibrant congregation. It is my hope that this models the unity between knowledge and vital piety that today’s Church desperately needs, and the desire of Azusa Pacific University to continue to do the highest level of theology for the sake of the Church around the world.”
Daniels brings more than 20 years of ministry in the church and Christian higher education to this role, currently serving as senior pastor of Pasadena First Church of the Nazarene (2006–current). Previously, he served as senior pastor of Richardson Church of the Nazarene in Richardson, Tex., (2002–06), where the Dallas District Church of the Nazarene named him Large Church Pastor of the Year in 2005. He became an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene in 1991.
In addition to leading large churches in California and Texas, he has also served as a member of the Board of Trustees for Fuller Theological Seminary and Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Okla. Daniels has a passion for teaching, with 15 years of experience in the classroom, including recently completing a semester as an adjunct professor of practical theology and preaching at APU.
“God has blessed Dr. Daniels with a rare combination of academic expertise and Christ-centered leadership. A premier scholar, theologian, and pastor, he possesses the right skills and abilities to lead our School of Theology well. His dynamic, conservative biblical views will guide our entire university as we grow the next generation of Christian scholars and pastors,” said Provost Michael Whyte, Ph.D.
“Dr. Daniels is a scholar with a pastor’s heart. He will lead the faculty and staff in continuing to develop this school into one of the finest institutions for biblical and theological training in the nation,” said Paul Gray, Ed.D., Th.M., vice provost for academic affairs and co-chair of the search committee.
Daniels holds a Ph.D. in Christian Ethics and Theology and an M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a B.A. in Pre-Seminary from Northwest Nazarene University. He and his wife, Debbie, live in Pasadena and have four children.
APU’s School of Theology aims to provide effective, practical ministry in the Church and the world by ensuring a collaborative, inclusive, and engaged learning environment that emanates from the university’s Wesleyan theological tradition. The school offers more than 15 undergraduate and graduate academic programs. The undergraduates are served through the school’s Division of Religion and Philosophy, with majors available in philosophy, theology, and Christian ministry. Graduates programs are taught through the C.P. Haggard Graduate School of Theology and include Master of Arts programs in Theological Studies, Pastoral Studies, and Youth Ministry, as well as a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry.
