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ATS ALUM DR. ANDY MILLER III (’06) NAMED PRESIDENT OF WESLEY BIBLICAL SEMINARY

David Chandler, chairman of the board of Wesley Biblical Seminary, announced today that the board has unanimously elected Dr. Andy Miller III as President of the seminary. Dr. Miller previously served WBS as Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs. He will be the ninth permanent president to lead the seminary, which is in its fiftieth year of developing trusted leaders for faithful churches through biblical and theological education.

“Our search committee bathed this decision in prayer and careful discussion, and we have great confidence that Dr. Miller is the right person for the job in this exciting moment in the life of our seminary,” said Chandler.

Prior to joining WBS in 2021, Dr. Miller had an extensive ministry in the Salvation Army, serving as a pastor, leader, and administrator as a Corps Officer and Area Commander. He holds a Doctor of Ministry from Perkins School of Theology (Southern Methodist University) and is completing a Ph.D. in historical theology with Nazarene Theological College (University of Manchester). He is also an alumnus of Asbury Theological Seminary and Asbury University. He is an ordained elder in the Global Methodist Church and a delegate to its upcoming Convening General Conference.

Dr. Miller is an effective preacher and communicator of the gospel, speaking at a wide variety of churches, campground meetings, conferences, and events, and is a Francis Asbury Society evangelist. He hosts a podcast with over 500,000 downloads which has become a significant voice within evangelical Wesleyanism. He has numerous scholarly publications and presentations and is a member of the Wesleyan Theological Society, Evangelical Theological Society, and the American Academy of Religion. Dr. Miller is the author of three books and has also created well-received resources for discipleship in the local church. He has also published a number of musical compositions.

Timothy C. Tennent wrote of Dr. Miller, “He is precisely the kind of person who you can trust to faithfully steward the mission of WBS. He loves the Lord, is committed to the gospel, and is a person of exemplary Christian character. Andy Miller doesn’t simply ‘understand’ the Wesleyan message, he embodies it.”

Tony and Lauren Dungy wrote of their work with Dr. Miller through the Salvation Army, “What impressed us the most was his consistency. Andy was always the same no matter who he was dealing with. He always showed true respect and care for everyone, and he always operated with the utmost integrity.”

Dr. Bill Ury, WBS Professor Emeritus, wrote, “His passionate love for people, for his denomination, for the advancement of the Gospel, and for graduate education were evident even from our first moments together. I could discern that he possesses a large heart and a creative mind with an expansive vision for ministry which he ably engenders in those around him. … Andy loves the Holy One and holiness.”

Originally from the Midwest, Dr. Miller is married to Abby Adams Miller, who served with him as a Salvation Army Officer. She homeschools their three children, Andy, Titus, and Georgia. The Millers reside in Ridgeland, Mississippi.

“I am honored by the board’s confidence in me to serve as president,” said Miller, “and I am thrilled to move forward into the next chapter in the story of Wesley Biblical Seminary. In our fiftieth year, we have the privilege of building on the foundations of many great men and women of faith who went before us. Working together, our wonderful staff and faculty, our amazing alumni and student body, and our vital donors and denominational partners will continue to advance the Kingdom of God.”

The Miller family.

“We are living in an important moment in history,” said Miller, “when we have a unique opportunity to be part of a great movement of the Holy Spirit that is sweeping across the broad movement of biblical Wesleyans, and by God’s grace we believe we will rise to the occasion.”

Wesley Biblical Seminary was founded in 1974 as an independent school to provide graduate theological education to Christian leaders. Headquartered in Ridgeland, Mississippi, the online learning platform of the seminary enables it to serve students from any location. In recent years it has grown significantly in enrollment, in part due to being the first approved institution for the Global Methodist Church. The hundreds of men and women making up its alumni body serve in dozens of denominations and in over 50 nations around the world.

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DARRYL FITZWATER (ATS ’16) NAMED BISHOP-ELECT IN ACNA

On June 24, 2024, the College of Bishops of the Anglican Church in North America consented to the election of the Rev. Darryl Fitzwater to serve as the bishop of the Missionary Diocese of All Saints.

Bishop-elect Fitzwater, a priest in the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic, was elected on April 4, 2024 to be the next Bishop Ordinary for the Missionary Diocese of All Saints after the retirement of the current diocesan bishop, the Rt. Rev. Richard Lipka. He will serve as Bishop Coadjutor alongside Bishop Lipka until Lipka retires.

Fitzwater was originally ordained in a Pentecostal denomination and served there from 2002–2013. After being ordained as an Anglican priest in 2017, he planted Church of the Ascension in Charles Town, West Virginia in 2018. He will continue to serve there. Ascension will transfer dioceses and become the cathedral for the Missionary Diocese of All Saints.

When asked about the process that led to his election, Fitzwater shared that he did not intend to consider the position but felt a strong conviction that he should let the Lord make that decision instead of himself saying no. Regarding the election, he said, “I know it happened, but I don’t believe it,” noting the act of faith he has taken. As a bishop, Fitzwater passionately said he is most excited about “sharing Jesus.”

Archbishop Foley Beach commented, “I am encouraged by Darryl’s election and the youth he brings to the leadership of the Missionary Diocese of All Saints. He will be a great addition to the College, and I look forward to seeing how the Lord uses him in episcopal ministry.”

Fitzwater married his wife, Becki, in 2000, and together they have two children, Aidan and Chloe. Fitzwater will be consecrated as bishop in October of this year.

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PRESIDENT EMERITUS MCKENNA PUBLISHES A NEW BOOK

Last year, Dr. David L. McKenna, 1953 alumnus of Asbury Seminary, published his “spiritual odyssey” entitled The Triumphs of His Grace (Wipf and Stock, 2023) That book told the story of his early life in a “radical Holiness tabernacle” (his words). He walked away from that potentially soul-killing situation as a 17-year-old high school senior, he says, “with my freedom as a flame and holiness as my thirst.”  Threads of grace woven into the whole cloth of God’s perfect will in his life have taken him to his present situation when he is 95 years old and president emeritus of three institutions of Christian higher education, including Asbury Seminary, where he served as president from 1982-1994. He announces publication of his latest book, Seeing All Things Whole: My Calling to Fulfill (Wipf and Stock, 2024), which is the sequel to the Triumphs.   

“Imagine an unwanted child from a loveless home,” the Amazon entry for his book says, “becoming president of three institutions of Christian higher education with a voice for world Wesleyan leadership. This is the life story of David McKenna. Beginning as a child growing up in a radical Holiness tabernacle, he survived that experience, enrolled in a Christian college, discovered the healthy meaning of holiness, achieved the highest academic degree, and received his calling to ministry. As the youngest college president in the nation, he took Spring Arbor Junior College to a four-year Christian liberal arts institution. The call then came to the presidency of Seattle Pacific College, where financial crisis required turnaround management before advancing to status as a Christian university. God’s call then took McKenna to the presidency of Asbury Theological Seminary, renowned among seminaries for both biblical preaching and world missions in its Wesleyan heritage. McKenna retired from the presidency in 1994 in order to give full attention to his love for writing. Forty-six books confirm his legacy to the Free Methodist Church, the world Wesleyan movement and, especially, Christian higher education.” His book is available on Amazon. 

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