Duke Kimbrough McCall
Encyclopedia
Duke Kimbrough McCall is a Christian
religious leader who has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Southern Baptist Convention
(SBC) Executive Committee, as president of two seminaries, as president of the Baptist World Alliance
, and a Baptist
preacher.
, McCall grew up in Memphis, Tennessee
, one of five children of John W. McCall, a judge, and Lizette Kimbrough McCall, a leader in Southern Baptist mission support.
McCall attended Furman University
, Greenville, South Carolina
, from which he graduated as valedictorian in 1935.
While attending Furman, McCall met Greenville resident Marguerite Mullinnix. The couple married shortly after McCall's graduation and raised four sons.
Following his first wife's death in 1980, McCall married Winona McCandless, the widow of Louisville telephone company executive Paul McCandless.
in Louisville, Kentucky
, earning the Th.M. degree in 1938 while serving as a fellow to the Seminary's president, John R. Sampey. McCall then earned a Ph.D.
from the seminary in 1941. While completing his Ph.D., he served as pastor of a small Baptist church in Woodville, Tennessee.
McCall’s first full-time pastorate, during the early years of World War II
, was at Broadway Baptist Church, in Louisville.
In 1943, McCall become president of the Baptist Bible Institute of New Orleans, Louisiana
, which less than three years later became New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
.
’s central coordinating body, leading it during a time of growth that eventually saw the SBC become the largest Protestant faith group in the United States. He also led the SBC's war relief efforts.
was from 1951 to 1982. During that time the seminary's student body grew from 800 to more than 2,000 students at the end of his tenure, ranking as the second largest of the 200 accredited theological schools in the United States.
Soon after becoming president, McCall integrated the seminary's classrooms in defiance of Kentucky's segregationist state law. Later, at the height of the civil rights movement, McCall invited Martin Luther King Jr. to speak on campus, making Southern the only SBC institution to host the Baptist civil rights leader.
McCall completed three capital campaigns, one of them funding the construction of the James P. Boyce Centennial Library; another endowing the Billy Graham Chair of Evangelism; and a third that, at more than $10 million, was then the largest-ever seminary campaign.
McCall organized Southern into three graduate schools—theology, Christian education, and church music. In 1984, a school of church social work was added, and became the first seminary-based school of social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. He also led the seminary to launch Boyce Bible School (now called Boyce College), an adult education division for students without college prerequisites.
in which Protestant, Catholic and Jewish leaders discussed the week's headlines in light of faith.
, representing 37 million Baptists in 120 nations. He had long been active in the Alliance, beginning with his attendance at the first BWA-sponsored Baptist World Youth Conference, in Prague, Czechoslovakia, when he was 16 years old.
In 1982, McCall ran for and lost in the SBC presidential election to James T. Draper
In 1990, McCall and several others established the Baptist Cooperative Missions Program, which provided resources to help launch the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
, an alternative association of about 2,000 moderate and progressive Baptist congregations.
, Virginia, and in the naming of the Duke McCall Welcome Center on the Southern Seminary campus in Louisville, Kentucky.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
religious leader who has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
(SBC) Executive Committee, as president of two seminaries, as president of the Baptist World Alliance
Baptist World Alliance
The Baptist World Alliance is a worldwide alliance of Baptist churches and organizations, formed in 1905 at Exeter Hall in London during the first Baptist World Congress.-History:...
, and a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
preacher.
Childhood, college and marriage
Born in Meridian, MississippiMeridian, Mississippi
Meridian is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi. It is the sixth largest city in the state and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area...
, McCall grew up in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, one of five children of John W. McCall, a judge, and Lizette Kimbrough McCall, a leader in Southern Baptist mission support.
McCall attended Furman University
Furman University
Furman University is a selective, private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Furman is one of the oldest, and more selective private institutions in South Carolina...
, Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
, from which he graduated as valedictorian in 1935.
While attending Furman, McCall met Greenville resident Marguerite Mullinnix. The couple married shortly after McCall's graduation and raised four sons.
Following his first wife's death in 1980, McCall married Winona McCandless, the widow of Louisville telephone company executive Paul McCandless.
Early career
After deciding to pursue ministry instead of law, McCall declined his acceptance from Vanderbilt Law School to enroll at Southern Baptist Theological SeminarySouthern Baptist Theological Seminary
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary , located in Louisville, Kentucky, is the oldest of the six seminaries affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention . The seminary was founded in 1859, at Greenville, South Carolina. After being closed during the Civil War, it moved in 1877 to Louisville...
in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, earning the Th.M. degree in 1938 while serving as a fellow to the Seminary's president, John R. Sampey. McCall then earned a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from the seminary in 1941. While completing his Ph.D., he served as pastor of a small Baptist church in Woodville, Tennessee.
McCall’s first full-time pastorate, during the early years of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, was at Broadway Baptist Church, in Louisville.
In 1943, McCall become president of the Baptist Bible Institute of New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, which less than three years later became New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
The New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary is a private, non-profit institution of higher learning affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, located in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the first institution created as a direct act of the Southern Baptist Convention. Missions...
.
Denominational leadership
In 1946, McCall became Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the SBC Executive Committee, the Southern Baptist ConventionSouthern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
’s central coordinating body, leading it during a time of growth that eventually saw the SBC become the largest Protestant faith group in the United States. He also led the SBC's war relief efforts.
Presidency of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
McCall’s tenure as president of The Southern Baptist Theological SeminarySouthern Baptist Theological Seminary
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary , located in Louisville, Kentucky, is the oldest of the six seminaries affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention . The seminary was founded in 1859, at Greenville, South Carolina. After being closed during the Civil War, it moved in 1877 to Louisville...
was from 1951 to 1982. During that time the seminary's student body grew from 800 to more than 2,000 students at the end of his tenure, ranking as the second largest of the 200 accredited theological schools in the United States.
Soon after becoming president, McCall integrated the seminary's classrooms in defiance of Kentucky's segregationist state law. Later, at the height of the civil rights movement, McCall invited Martin Luther King Jr. to speak on campus, making Southern the only SBC institution to host the Baptist civil rights leader.
McCall completed three capital campaigns, one of them funding the construction of the James P. Boyce Centennial Library; another endowing the Billy Graham Chair of Evangelism; and a third that, at more than $10 million, was then the largest-ever seminary campaign.
McCall organized Southern into three graduate schools—theology, Christian education, and church music. In 1984, a school of church social work was added, and became the first seminary-based school of social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. He also led the seminary to launch Boyce Bible School (now called Boyce College), an adult education division for students without college prerequisites.
Writing and television
McCall wrote several books, including What is the Church?, God’s Hurry, and A Story of Stewardship. For 30 years he wrote a monthly opinion column, Thinking Aloud. In the early 1960s he helped inaugurate a weekly interfaith dialogue, Moral Side of the News, on Louisville's WHAS-TVWHAS-TV
WHAS-TV channel 11 is the ABC affiliated television station in Louisville, Kentucky. Owned by Belo Corporation, the station's transmitter is located in Floyd County, Indiana, near the community of Floyds Knobs...
in which Protestant, Catholic and Jewish leaders discussed the week's headlines in light of faith.
Later career
In 1980, McCall was elected to a five-year term as president of the Baptist World AllianceBaptist World Alliance
The Baptist World Alliance is a worldwide alliance of Baptist churches and organizations, formed in 1905 at Exeter Hall in London during the first Baptist World Congress.-History:...
, representing 37 million Baptists in 120 nations. He had long been active in the Alliance, beginning with his attendance at the first BWA-sponsored Baptist World Youth Conference, in Prague, Czechoslovakia, when he was 16 years old.
In 1982, McCall ran for and lost in the SBC presidential election to James T. Draper
In 1990, McCall and several others established the Baptist Cooperative Missions Program, which provided resources to help launch the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is a Christian fellowship of Baptist churches formed in 1991. Theologically moderate, the CBF withdrew from the Southern Baptist Convention over philosophical and theological differences, such as the SBC prohibition of women serving as pastors. The Cooperative...
, an alternative association of about 2,000 moderate and progressive Baptist congregations.
Honors
McCall has been recognized through the endowment of the Duke K. McCall Chair of Christian Mission and World Christianity at the Baptist Theological Seminary at RichmondBaptist Theological Seminary at Richmond
Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond is a free-standing seminary in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded in March 1989 by Virginia Baptists related to the Southern Baptist Alliance and Baptist General Association of Virginia...
, Virginia, and in the naming of the Duke McCall Welcome Center on the Southern Seminary campus in Louisville, Kentucky.