University News

York UniversitY Leadership Changes

Provost

Dr. Billy Lones, who has served as associate professor of criminal justice and chair of that department at York College, has been named the next provost of York College as of June 1.

In his announcement to the campus, President Sam Smith shared, “I am pleased to announce that Dr. Billy Lones has been selected as the next Provost of York College. In a season of transition from college to university I felt it was important to select a highly qualified individual who also carried the trust of our outstanding faculty.

“Dr. Lones’ educational background, career experience, and time in the classroom all enrich the skills that will launch him towards serving as senior academic officer of our institution. Dr. Lones will focus his attention on the continuing development of our academic programs, valuing our incredible faculty, and challenging them to teach students to be prepared for their career while engaging them with a Christ-centered

focus.”

Lones began his service to York College in 2004 and has filled various roles, including planned giving officer and dean of the online college. His most impactful and long-lasting role began in 2008, when the college added the criminal justice major, and he was asked to design the curriculum and head the program. Since its founding, criminal justice has grown into one of largest majors on campus, currently enrolling 37 majors.

Reflecting on the upcoming challenge, Dr. Lones said, “I am extremely grateful and humbled for the opportunity to serve as the next Provost of York College/University. It is a great honor to be chosen to serve in this role and help build upon the institution's solid foundation of academic excellence. I look forward to working with the administration, faculty, staff, students, and community as we continue to fulfill the institutional mission of transforming lives through Christ-centered education.”

Lones succeeds Dr. Shane Mountjoy, who stepped down from the role at the end of the spring semester. Lones completed his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree at the Jones School of Law, Faulkner University in 2000.

Billy and his wife, Christi, who has served as a faculty member in the history department since 2008, have two children, Cooper (14) and Calleigh (13.)

Lones

VP of Student Life

John Jewell, who has served for many years in ministries in Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Brazil, and Africa, will begin serving as York College’s new vice president of student life this summer. Jewell has most recently served as the pulpit minister of the Westworth Church of Christ in Westworth Village, Texas. He and his wife, Samantha, are the parents of three children, Jonah (20), Andy (17), and Ben (13).

Jewell, who completed his degree in theology at Lipscomb University said, “I’m excited about what God has in store for the York College students and how He might use my family’s ministry and mission experiences to enhance this vital, formative part of their lives. College students are fun and are so full of promise and hope, which is why I feel privileged to have this chance to pour into them.”

The Jewells launched and continue Jewell to direct WellSpring Ministries in Malawi, Africa, an institution that provides education, food, clothing, and medical care for impoverished children.

Jewell’s missionary experience began in 2003 when he served as pulpit minister for Igreja de Cristo do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil. He later worked with the Comunidade de Cristo in Natal, Brazil. He and Samantha are both bilingual and have consistently demonstrated a heart for healing people in ministry wherever they have served. They both look forward to this new adventure and are quickly impressed with the opportunities in York.

According to President Smith, “John brings a deep knowledge of building community, leading teams, and pointing people to the Lord. His gifts will help him to seamlessly step into this role to provide our students with an incredible experience outside of the classroom, and a safe experience which supports their academic endeavors while attending York University.

“John will focus on developing a Student Life team that is attentive to the needs of college students in 2022 and beyond. He and his incredible family have literally moved all over the world to serve the Lord through various mission fields including Brazil and Malawi. With the Jewells’ continued mission efforts in Malawi, we hope to build a bridge of academic opportunities through York University for those students in the mission field. Their work will also create unique mission-trip opportunities for our students in the future.”

Chair of the Bible Department

Dr. Garrett Best, former minister for the Oliver Creek Church of Christ in Bartlett, Tenn., will assume chair of the Bible Department faculty of York College this summer. Best has been in ministry since 2010 when he first served as preaching minister for the Oliver Creek congregation. He has also served as minister for the Nicholasville Church of Christ in Kentucky. He has been in his most recent role at Oliver Creek since 2019. Best succeeds Dr. Frank Wheeler, who retired this year after 34 years as a York College faculty member, serving as chair of the Bible Department since 1992. "We are so excited about having Garrett and his family join the York College community beginning this fall," Dr. Smith said. "He brings such a wealth of talent, experience and energy, and his love for the local church is recognized all over the Mid-South. He has a passion for ministry that is contagious, and we can't wait to see his impact on our students, Best our campus and the York community. Churches where he has ministered have loved him, and his academic credentials are impeccable. He is a perfect fit for this leadership position at York."

A native of Gardendale, Ala., Best graduated from FreedHardeman University in 2010 with a double major in Spanish and Bible. He then began ministry work with the Oliver Creek church while also beginning his studies toward the Master of Divinity degree at Harding School of Theology in Memphis, which he completed in 2014. He and his family then moved to Kentucky where Best spent four years studying for and completing a Ph.D. program with Asbury Theological Seminary while also working with the aforementioned Kentucky congregation. "I am humbled by this opportunity to serve at York College as it begins a new phase of history as York University," Best noted. "I look forward to investing time inside and outside the classroom in order to foster a Christ-centered community at York while also helping students cultivate a love for the local church as a vital part of faith in Christ. Further, I hope to help position the institution as a resource for churches regionally and globally.” "This is such an exciting time for this college as it transitions to university status," he added, "and I look forward to celebrating and honoring the rich heritage of faith and scholarship which has characterized the institution in the past while participating in the mission-propelled future of York University."

Best has been married for 12 years to Robin, his "high school/youth group sweetheart," and their family includes son Jackson (6) and daughter Anna (3).

Associate Dean of Online Learning

Dr. Ben Griffin, currently president of the board for Suncoast Christian Academy and minister for the Suncoast Church of Christ in Lake Worth (Palm Beach County), Fla., will take on a newly created position as York College's associate dean and director of the master's degree program in organizational and global leadership, according to an announcement from Dr. Shannon Leinen, dean of online learning and academic initiatives at the College. "This is an exciting time for York College as we begin our transition to York University, and Dr. Griffin fits perfectly into that transition," Dr. Leinen explained. "York's online market is exploding with interest among various student groups, especially those who want to be fully prepared for job opportunities in organizational leadership. The corporate Griffin world is looking for those who have the educational background, the training and the experience to fill such roles. Dr. Griffin has the academic credentials and the corporate experience to facilitate this online training."

Griffin, a native of Pensacola, Fla., holds the doctorate in education from Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas, in organizational leadership and conflict resolution. He earned the master of arts degree in management from Lancaster Bible College in Pennsylvania and his bachelor's degree in ministry from Theological University of America in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He is currently completing a master of divinity program in Bible exposition at Lancaster Bible College. "I am excited about the opportunities to serve an online market of York College that is growing and deserving," Griffin said when accepting the position. "Providing leadership training that will enhance skills in both job, community and church settings is a role I feel that God has blessed me to fill. This is a pivotal time of my life to let God lead me in helping others to learn how to lead. I'm so grateful to become part of the York College...and eventually...the York University...family."

After high school, Griffin joined the U.S. Army and served for nine years. After that he entered into a preacher training program and then began full-time preaching at age 26 at a church in Pensacola and then later at a church in Sarasota. He has authored and published six books since then, mostly related to Christian living, leadership, evangelism, and ministry service.

The father of five adult children and seven grandchildren, Griffin met his wife, Alanna, a 1983 graduate of Rochester University, in the early 1990s and were married in 1994. The Griffin family will begin to move to York in early to mid-June so that he can begin his new role on campus on July 1. n