I am the fifth president of Welch College in Nashville, Tennessee, an office I’ve served in for thirteen years. Originally from Pensacola, Florida, I attended Welch in the 1980s and went on to graduate from the University of West Florida with a B.A. in humanities and M.A. in history.
I received my Master of Arts in Religion from Yale University, where I met my wife Melinda, a North Carolina native who was also a graduate student at Yale. We were married in the summer of 1994 and began a pastorate in South Georgia. While there, I engaged in doctoral studies in history at Florida State University, and Melinda managed a historic hotel and restaurant. We have two children: Anna (14) and Matthew (12).
After assuming the presidency of Welch College, I completed my doctorate in higher education leadership from Vanderbilt University. I am the author or editor of a several articles and books, including Perspectives on Christian Worship (B&H), Four Views on Eternal Security (Zondervan), and A Free Will Baptist Handbook (Randall House). I also blog regularly at Matthewpinson.com.
I currently serve as chairman of the Commission and have been a member since 1998. I enjoy serving on the Commission for Theological Integrity because of my love for the Free Will Baptist tradition and its theology.