Labberton is a scholar and academic leader, pastor, accomplished author, and leading voice in various ministries
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03/12/13
The Fuller
Theological Seminary Board of Trustees has announced that Mark Labberton
has accepted the call to serve as the seminary’s fifth president, beginning
July 1, 2013.
Announcing
Labberton’s unanimous election by the trustees, Board Chair Clifford L. Penner
said, “Along with my fellow trustees, I am delighted to welcome Mark Labberton
to the presidency of Fuller Seminary. We are excited and inspired by the
outstanding qualities and accomplishments he brings to this position. He is a scholar
and academic leader, pastor for more than 25 years, accomplished author, and
leading voice in many international ministries. Mark brings strong spiritual
leadership, a wide range of experiences, and the vision to guide Fuller into a
new era of global leadership in seminary education. As a Fuller alumnus (MDiv) and professor, he
fully comprehends Fuller’s rich and diverse legacy.” Read more about Dr. Labberton's journey to the presidency.
“I feel an incredible sense of joy and hope to be given
this opportunity,” said Labberton. “Thanks to Rich Mouw’s generous,
gracious, and irenic leadership, Fuller is well positioned to influence how the
gospel is communicated, understood, and embodied in the world.”
Richard J. Mouw, who announced last May his retirement from the Fuller presidency as of June 2013 and will return to Fuller in a
faculty role following a study leave during the 2013-14 academic year, says: “Mark
Labberton is an excellent choice to be the next president of Fuller. I know him
to be a very gifted Christian leader who will be able to take Fuller into an
exciting new future.”
Labberton
has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Whitman College, a Master of Divinity degree
from Fuller, and a PhD in theology from the University of Cambridge,
England. In 2009, Labberton joined
Fuller’s faculty as the Lloyd
John Ogilvie Associate Professor of Preaching and director of the Lloyd John
Ogilvie Institute of Preaching.
Prior to coming to Fuller, Labberton
served for 16 years as senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley,
California. Before that, he was senior
pastor at Wayne Presbyterian Church in Wayne, Pennsylvania. Labberton
co-founded the Christian International Scholarship
Foundation (now ScholarLeaders International), which funds the theological
education of Christian leaders from the Majority World. He has also worked
closely with John Stott Ministries (now Langham Partnership), which provides books,
scholarships, and seminars for Majority World pastors. He continues to
contribute to the mission of the global church as a senior fellow of the
International Justice Mission.
A frequent
lecturer and preacher at conferences, in congregations, and at academic
gatherings, Labberton has authored First
Things: A Theology of the World, the Church, the Pastor, and the Sermon
(2013); The Dangerous Act of Loving Your Neighbor: Seeing Others Through the
Eyes of Jesus (2010), and The Dangerous Act of Worship: Living God’s
Call to Justice (2007).
Labberton encourages prayers for Fuller "at such a
turbulent time in the church and in the world, when tangible demonstrations of
God's love are needed." He also welcomes prayers for his new role as
president, as he seeks to foster “careful understanding, deep and diverse
community, courageous and wise decision making, and effective creativity to
address the challenges facing seminary education."
From the East Bay of
Northern California, Mark Labberton and his wife, Janet Morrison Labberton,
have two sons, Peter, 24, and Sam, 18.
Read more about Labberton's appointment here.