Beeson Podcast, Episode #532 Dr. Tom Fuller Jan. 19, 2021 >>Announcer: Welcome to the Beeson podcast, coming to you from Beeson Divinity School on the campus of Samford University. Now your hosts, Doug Sweeney and Kristen Padilla. >>Doug Sweeney: Welcome to the Beeson Podcast. I am your host, Doug Sweeney, here with my co-host, Kristen Padilla. We are in the middle of a series this week on the podcast in which we feature some of the new things the Lord is doing at Beeson. Last week we featured the Reverend Stephen Johnson, a brand new colleague who told us all about Beeson’s Thriving Pastors Initiative. This week, we’re featuring the Reverend Johnsons’ boss, Dr. Tom Fuller, Beeson’s Associate Dean. Dr. Fuller is no stranger to the Beeson community. He’s served here for many years, but he’s only been the Associate Dean of Beeson for one plus years. So, we want to let you hear from him about what the Lord has been doing in his life, what his job is like at Beeson, and about some of the other new initiatives at the divinity school. One of the first things I did after assuming Beeson’s Deanship more than a year and a half ago is ask Tom to serve with me as Associate Dean of Beeson. And not a day goes by that I am not glad that I did. I am proud to tell you that Tom is a wonderful man of God and gospel minister, a great administrator, and a good friend as well. I’m truly excited to share him with you on the podcast. Two brief announcements. First, our next preview day takes place on February 5th. It will take in person. We can’t wait to welcome another group of prospective students to campus. So, if you or someone you know is looking our way, please sign up on our website at BeesonDivinity.com/previewday. Second, our fall 2021 application deadline is March 1st. That’s not too far away. So, if we can help you or a loved one apply, feel free to drop us a line. We would love to hear from you. Now, Kristen, would you mind telling us just a little bit more about our guest today, Dr. Tom Fuller? >>Kristen Padilla: Hello, everyone. We are pleased to have the Reverend Dr. Thomas Fuller on the show today. As Doug has already mentioned, he is the Associate Dean at Beeson where he has served for almost 22 years now. In his role as Associate Dean he also serves as the Director of the Thriving Initiative. Tom is married to Allison and they have six children. Welcome, Dr. Fuller, to the podcast. >>Tom Fuller: Thank you very much. It’s a pleasure to be here. >>Kristen Padilla: Now, you go by “Tom” and that’s how you’re known here, so we may call you Tom from time to time on the show. But we would love for you to begin by just giving us a little snapshot into who you are, where you are from, and how you came to faith in Jesus Christ. >>Tom Fuller: It’s interesting that you mention the matter of what I’m called. I’m from here, this area, south of Birmingham, originally. Being back here in this place if you run into people who have known me over the years most of them will call me Tommy. So, yes, to answer your question, I’m from Hoover/Vestavia area. I grew up here and went to Samford for my undergrad. Then left here to attend Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville and was away there pastoring for a number of years in southern Indiana for nine years total. But then came back to the Birmingham area in 1996 and have been here since. It’s a very familiar place to me. I was a part of the Shades Mountain Baptist Church growing up here. Dr. Charles Carter, who has been such a friend and an integral part of the work at Beeson Divinity School for a number of years. He was my pastor growing up. He baptized me. It was through the ministry of Shades Mountain that I came to know and to hear the gospel and just cannot say enough about how that church family nurtured my faith, taught me the Bible, gave me a passion and understanding for what it means to serve and to witness for Jesus Christ. And in no small part were a part of the call experience that God brought to me and that prompted me to respond and enter into vocational Christian service. So, I came to faith as a young person at the age of eight and was baptized in those years. I was so fortunate to have the ministry of Dr. Carter and that church and so many other faithful teachers and friends there who encouraged me and helped build me up in the faith. I’m thankful for that to this very day. >>Doug Sweeney: Tom, those of us who are your friends know that you served as a pastor for a while in Indiana and in Alabama as well, before you came to Beeson. Then when you started to serve at Beeson you wore a lot of different hats over the years. Would you mind bringing our listeners up to speed on what your pastoral ministries were like and how your ministerial background has prepared the way for you as you serve now as the Associate Dean of the school? >>Tom Fuller: It’s interesting, when I went to Southern for my MDiv studies I did so at the time really having an idea vocationally of God using me and for my preparing to serve in an educational or academic setting or capacity. But then over the years my experience of serving the Church while a seminarian, and after, the Lord really changed that understanding of my call and I was just so gripped by the work of the local pastor. I decided to move away from the PhD studies I was engaged in and to commit myself there. I was so blessed by the experiences of those years. In that decision, really, did not see myself a future in any way being involved in the preparation of men and women for ministry. But after leaving Indiana and I came back to the Birmingham area to serve Valleyview Baptist Church in Leeds, to the east of Birmingham, and at that time Beeson, of course, had been up and running for eight years. It was not established when I had graduated from Samford and left. But coming back it was and I was recruited into service as a mentor for students doing their supervised ministry experience. I had some wonderful experiences in that respect. And through that came to have this opportunity to join the staff at Beeson to help direct the Doctor of Ministry program, but also to assist in the work of supervised ministry. In a brief time, Jill McCool, who was directing the supervised ministry program decided to leave and move back into counseling practice. So, I took on the director responsibilities for the supervised ministry program. I did that combination of things for about seven years. At which time we were blessed to have Dr. Mark Searby come and join us here on faculty, teaching in the area of pastoral leadership. He graciously took on the Doctor of Ministry responsibilities and I continued with the supervised ministry. But also at that time as I gave away one hat I inherited two others. The one being placement responsibility for leading our placement services and for our work of assessment and accreditation. So, continued to do that combination of three things over the period of 2007 to 2017 when Dr. Searby retired. I briefly took on DMin again, had that for a couple of years, and then here came this man named Doug Sweeney – and asked if I might be open to serving in this role as Associate Dean. So, that’s the history of that time. But the experience as a pastor has very much informed the work I do. I have hoped and wanted and committed myself to what I do here being very much an extension of that pastoral ministry, not that I have radically departed from it, but that the nature and shape of it has simply changed. I try to remain mindful of that as I carry out the work that I do in this place today. >>Kristen Padilla: Tom, what does an Associate Dean do? What does your work entail? What do you like best about serving in this role, other than serving with Dr. Sweeney of course? I’m sure that’s at the top of your list. (laughs) But what do you like about serving as Associate Dean? >>Tom Fuller: It is obviously a position where I’m supporting the work of the Dean and also the work of the faculty in a little bit more close up way, you may say. And the staff. But I guess I would say I really do enjoy being in a position to where not only am I able on the one hand to be a part of the conversations with Doug and with others in our leadership structure and about the direction of the school, but also on the other hand to be able to help and support and give leadership to all the efforts to try to make those things happen, to carry out those plans, and move in those directions. So, that’s a nice combination. Some days maybe more than others, but it’s a blessing to be involved in both aspects of the mission and work of the school. >>Doug Sweeney: Tom, you know I think that one of the reasons you make such a great Associate Dean is that you have academic expertise in the areas of field education and also the assessment of student learning outcomes. I’m not sure everybody listening to this podcast knows what field education is. I wonder if we could maybe bless them by letting them know what it is and why it’s an important part of the formation of their pastors here at Beeson? >>Tom Fuller: Well, I think most people are, of course, familiar with the term “internship” and that’s probably the term that gets used most commonly, whether it’s in theological education or other areas of graduate professional education. That in almost every instance requires some amount of practical experience interning under supervision. So, at one level you can just very basically say that theological field education is that in preparation for ministry. But as I’ve also tried, over the years, to impress upon our students and the field supervisors and mentors who work with them, theological field education really should be more than just getting some experience. I believe it certainly can be and should be. Because of the nature of theological education as more than just knowledge transfer, as more than just skill development, and in particular the way in which it involves our Christian and pastoral identities, the way it involves the ability to think theologically, to integrate the disciplines with daily practice and all of this. So, theological field education is that part of a divinity curriculum that tries to provide people with context and opportunities to develop skills and to take the knowledge they’ve learned and to learn what the application of that looks like and how that works in ministry. But also to help them learn how to continue to be faithful disciples and followers of Jesus Christ, even as they are leading others to do the same, which can be more of a challenge than some people may think. How to learn to think theologically about the work of ministry so that I’m just not the most well-informed person in a congregation about all things biblically theological on the one hand, but over here I’m just a ministry professional and practitioner. But those two really are woven together in a meaningful way and woven into the life of the minister, beginning as a student. And that they begin to develop disciplines and habits that will be so important for thriving in ministry going forward. Even during these days. I often tell students any ideas they have that, “Once I get done with seminary and I’m in ministry then I can begin to give attention again to these things, then I can begin to really concern myself about those things.” No, you’re usually going from the frying pan into the fire. (laughs) So, the attention to that here and now and learning about the priorities and commitments that are going to be necessary for ministry. That’s a lot of what theological field education is about, and should be, I think, at its best. >>Kristen Padilla: Dr. Fuller, you mentioned helping students even while they’re at Beeson learning to thrive in ministry and that’s just a nice segue into just asking a question about your work with the Thriving Pastors Initiative. As Doug has already said, we had our newest colleague, the Reverend Stephen Johnson, on the show to talk about Thriving Pastors. But you were work him closer than any of us do. Y’all are working on a number of things related to the initiative, especially, I know, the alumni conference that we’re planning this summer. Could you say a word perhaps about the alumni conference and what excites you about the Thriving Pastors Initiative and the work you’re doing with it? >>Tom Fuller: First of all, let me say, I’m so thankful the Lord has brought Stephen Johnson our way. He has been a blessing even in the short time that he’s been here and helping us to get so many of these things that are part of the Thriving Pastors Initiative underway. So, that’s been a bright spot of the past year. Our planning for the alumni conference has been another encouraging thing. Of course we had to abort those plans for this past ... What we had hoped would have been the first annual conference this past summer, because of COVID, and are hopeful that we are able to do that this coming summer. But that will really fulfill what has been, I think, a hope and vision of many here at Beeson for some time. Opportunity for Beeson alumni, faculty, and staff to come together again to renew those relationships that have been so meaningful to so many of us over the years and that has meant so much of what I think makes Beeson so valuable and meaningful to our graduates. As we often say, we know our graduates. We know our students. So, when they leave here we miss our students. I think most of them miss us from time to time. So, it’s certainly a great opportunity for us to be together again, to have that fellowship again, to connect them more with what the Lord is doing at Beeson in these days, and for us to re-connect with them to learn more of how we can pray for and support them in the work that they’re doing these days. So, we just have a lot of hopes and expectations that this is going to be a very helpful annual time of coming together to renew those ties that bind. And to encourage all of us in the work of ministry that we’re involved in. And Thriving Pastors in general beyond just the alumni conference is at its core - and this is in our initial purpose statement – is about connecting pastors with one another to deepen and strengthen relationships that they might thrive in ministry. So, the alumni conference is just one piece of that broader program. >>Doug Sweeney: As we mentioned at the top of the show, we’re in the middle of a little podcast series here where we’re trying to feature some of the things the Lord is doing that are new and exciting here at Beeson. And, Tom, you know one of the new and exciting things we’re developing at Beeson is an accelerated Master of Divinity program in collaboration with some of our colleagues here at Samford University. I happen to know that you have played a really significant role in the development of that program. Could you share just a word about that with our listeners? Just in case they know of anybody who might be interested? >>Tom Fuller: We’re very excited to be partnering with the department of biblical and religious studies that’s a part of the Howard College of Arts and Sciences at Samford University. As well as the Department of Christian Ministry, which is a newer department now, I guess, three, four years old, I believe. That’s based in the School of the Arts at Samford. With graduates coming through those departments ... Religion major, Christian Ministry major, Biblical Studies major ... those students who especially distinguish themselves, not only in terms of academic performance, but Christian maturity and readiness to move what would amount to a year early into their graduate theological studies, we have seen and known, of course, over the years many good graduates coming to us from the undergraduate programs here at Samford and we’re very thankful for them. And we’ve seen and known, among those, students who have really been especially ready to engage in theological studies and believe that this grants them an opportunity to accelerate that process a bit without compromising the educational integrity either of their undergraduate degree or of their seminary degree. So, we’re just really happy to now have in place this agreement, this pathway, that will allow students who do distinguish themselves that way, and who would desire to maybe take that year away from their undergrad studies to move directly into their seminary studies. Very thankful that they’ll have that opportunity now here through these programs here at Samford. >>Kristen Padilla: Doug also mentioned in the New Year podcast, Tom, about your discussions around developing a masters degree in Christian counseling. Could you give our listeners more insight into your discussions? Why is this a priority? Where are we in the development process? >>Tom Fuller: Well, we’re early in the development process, but also very encouraged about what kind of opportunities there are in this area. I guess, first of all, I believe there’s a real need. There’s a lot of interest in the field of counseling among persons wishing to prepare for a counseling career and vocation. There is not, to my knowledge, anything available in this region for preparation for counseling that is residential and that is faith-based. We have some good counseling preparation degree programs, graduate programs, at some of the area schools, but this would be, to my knowledge, the first such thing here in the central Alabama area, maybe in the entire state of Alabama that would be an MA in Christian counseling, pastoral counseling. Those are all terms we’re still working out. So, beyond meeting a need and giving us a real opportunity to help meet that need we have also heard from our MDiv graduates over the years that as they move through what has been a very good program of ministry preparation here at Beeson, that one area that they have discovered just so much need for, as they get into full time ministry, has been in the area of counseling. So, beyond the preparation of counselors, Christian counselors, through this program, I think it also holds promise for being a benefit to our MDiv students preparing for pastoral ministry otherwise, as these will be here under the same roof and there will be some cross hybridization that’s possible between the programs and courses available to MDiv students and so forth. So, that’s a lot of where we’re coming from and it’s still early, but very hopeful that that’s something we might be able to get underway here in the next year or two. >>Doug Sweeney: Kristen, I think it was the last episode, last week, when we talked a little bit as well about some of the new elective classes on offer here at Beeson. We talked about the class that Dr. Smith and Dr. Gardner taught this past fall on the African American Church that was so well received. I don’t think we talked about this, but I’m teaching a class right now for Jan Term on American Church History and I’m having a ball doing it – being back in the classroom and being with our students in that way. But another elective we offered this past fall was on Chaplaincy. Dr. Fuller, I want to ask you about that one, because you and I know that that elective course is related to a new emphasis we’re placing here at Beeson these days on preparing appropriately-called students for chaplaincy ministry of various sorts. I imagine this is something that some of our listeners might enjoy learning about as well. Could you give us the low down on Beeson’s new chaplaincy emphasis? >>Tom Fuller: Well, I think similar to what I was saying about the growing interest in counseling and preparation for counseling we see and hear much of the same of those interested in moving in the direction of chaplaincy ministries of one sort or another – whether it be military, whether it be hospital, whether healthcare settings, hospice, even these days marketplace and corporate kind of chaplains. Just a variety of expressions that can take. So, this elective course provided just a dip of our toe in the water, if you will, in this new direction to offer what amounted to a survey course of the various forms and expressions of Christian chaplaincy ministry. Dr. John Laing taught that for us and did an outstanding job of helping provide the students with a better understanding of the landscape there and some of the Christian foundations of those things. So, as we move forward to begin offering a bit more emphasis to how students can come prepare for that kind of ministry here we really feel like that this and other courses like it will help to enhance that attraction of students to Beeson if they feel the Lord calling them to prepare for chaplaincy ministry. Yet again I think that it can be an enriching piece even for some other students who are maybe preparing for other forms of ministry, but will have a greater appreciation for the work of chaplains with whom they will often have interactions and share ministry responsibilities in some fashion. So, very thankful for the first occasion of that elective course. And looking forward to expanding on that in some other ways to make Beeson a desirable place to prepare for that kind of ministry. >>Kristen Padilla: We’re just about out of time, but I want to end by asking you maybe to reflect on this past year. I talked to Doug about this in our New Year podcast, about leading a seminary through a pandemic. I know you were an integral part of that leadership team to how Beeson was going to respond in both the spring semester and then in this past fall semester. You have all the other things that are at work that are exciting at the same time, related to Thriving Pastors and these curriculum updates. So, I want to end just by asking you what is encouraging you these days? What are you excited about? Or maybe even perhaps what is God teaching you? Do you have a word of encouragement that you can just end on by sharing that with our listeners? >>Tom Fuller: I have given some thought to that. It’s interesting you asked, because it has occurred to me in this season, especially since the announcement has gone out about vaccines under development and now approved and beginning to roll out. The waiting and hoping that people have been doing for that and how this season has really brought into bold relief that matter for me of waiting and hoping. I know this sounds a bit like an advent message, maybe. But maybe that’s why the Lord brought it to my heart. This whole experience and not just this experience, but so many parts of our lives do require us to wait and to hope and it has helped focus for me the question, really, what are you waiting for and what is your hope in? I’m thrilled at the prospect of getting a vaccine shot. Hopeful that that’s going to do so much to change the circumstances under which we’ve all been living now for so long. But as thankful as I am for that I know that our hope and what we wait on is so much greater than that because there will be something else after this. There will always be something. Maybe it’s not a global pandemic, but there will be things great and small and this season and all that it has required, in an extraordinary way, has really impressed upon me how important our hope is firmly placed in Jesus Christ and the promises of the gospel. Regardless of what our circumstances are that we hold tight to that anchor and remain steadfast in those commitments amidst all of these other things. >>Doug Sweeney: Amen. Thank you, Dr. Fuller. Listeners, you have been listening to the Reverend Tom Fuller, an ordained Southern Baptist minister of the gospel, a fantastic academic administrator, and now the Associate Dean of Beeson Divinity School as well, a beloved member of our community. We’re really glad we had the opportunity to share him and some of the things the Lord is doing through his life and ministry with you today. Thank you, Tom, for being with us. Thank you listeners for tuning in. We love you and we are praying for you. So, please drop us a line if there’s any way, in specific, in which we can be praying for you. We appreciate your prayers for us and your support. We say goodbye for now. >>Kristen Padilla: You’ve been listening to the Beeson podcast. Our theme music is written and performed by Advent Birmingham of the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama. Our engineer is Rob Willis. Our announcer is Mike Pasquarello. Our co-hosts are Doug Sweeney and, myself, Kristen Padilla. Please subscribe to the Beeson podcast at www.BeesonDivinity.com/podcast or on iTunes.