Beginning in the fall, Eugene Merrill will join Southern Seminary's faculty to serve as distinguished professor of Old Testament interpretation. Meanwhile, he will continue serving as distinguished professor of Old Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary.

Merrill is the author of numerous books, including Kingdom of Priests: A History of the Old Testament Israel and Deuteronomy in the New American Commentary Series.

 

Kenneth Mathews will also join Southern's staff this fall as a distinguished professor of Old Testament interpretation.

Since 1989, he has served as professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. Among the books he has authored are commentaries on Genesis in the New American Commentary Series, where he also serves as associate general editor.

 

Ralph Hodge has been named director of regional operations for LifeWay Christian Resources.

Hodge has been at LifeWay since May 1988, serving the past three years as director for LifeWay's Mid-South/Southeastern regions (Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida and Georgia). Hodge previously had been a pastor for 24 years.

 

Mike Harland has been named director of the LifeWay Worship Music Group for LifeWay Christian Resources.

Before joining LifeWay, Harland served as associate pastor for music at First Baptist Church in Carrollton, Texas, for three years. He holds a master of church music degree from New Orleans Seminary.

 

Bill Taylor, director of network partnerships, will retire from LifeWay on July 1.

During his last few years at LifeWay, Taylor has worked extensively to encourage and affirm the importance of ministers of education in churches. In 2004, he helped organize LifeWay's first Meet Me Across America ministry that took ministers of education across the country to assess churches' ministries and help design a Kingdom-focused plan to fulfill their missions.