Gathering

My first encounter with Ted, in January of 2003, happened while I was walking from the Trull building and Ted was getting out of his Volvo. me from all over the country. The gathering of invisible arms of support, especially from Ted, carried me during such time of deep sorrow. Ted made the drive from AusHe greeted me and I introduced myself. Instantly, a connection was made. We were “homies,” both born and reared in South Carolina—myself, Charleston, Ted, Orangeburg. I learned he was new to the seminary, just like me. Whenever we encountered each other on campus, greetings were exchanged, and smiles ensued.

My time at Austin Seminary was hard and challenging. But I made it my business to attend chapel when Ted was preaching. Ted always had a great illustration and always there in the sermon, you had an encounter with God. His sermons always left me with hope for confronting all that would come my way. God is faithful to us all.

The chapel was that place of gathering, where Ted lifted your spirits, where the music was always purposeful and beautiful, and where Ted always offered support. The sacredness of the chapel, the pure sincerity of Ted’s leadership, gave me hope. This gathering place where many times Ted administered the sacraments, in community with all who received.

On June 17th, 2015, my life was forever changed. My beloved mother, Ethel Lee Lance, along with two cousins and a childhood friend, were murdered in Emanuel AME Church, in Charleston. Very soon after the announcement of this tragedy, Austin Seminary gathered around tin to Dallas to visit with me and to ask me, “What can we (seminary) do for you?” What a special visit I had with Ted. When Ted told me about plans for the Ethel Lance Memorial Circle and the Ethel Lance Social Justice Award for a graduating senior, I could not stop crying about how the sense of family—community, a place of gathering— would honor her life and death. What a special thing to do for my mother! The Ethel Lance Memorial Circle has become a place of gathering that is sacred ground, a place, only feet from the chapel, where many gatherings have taken place. I have heard from many students over the years how, sitting on the benches gave them peace and a subtle urge to action. Ted makes this happen. All my memories from my matriculation at Austin Seminary include being under the leadership of Ted Wardlaw, and my becoming a member of the board of trustees happened under Ted’s watch. Thank you, Ted, and May God Bless you and your family with grace upon on you on the new journey.

– The Reverend Sharon W. Risher (MDiv’07) Member of the Board

FOR THE GLORY OF GOD AND TO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST,” the opening phrase of Austin Seminary’s Mission Statement, seems to me to capture the essence of Ted Wardlaw’s ministry as the Seminary’s president for the past twenty years. The single-mindedness of purpose of that statement, I believe, has been the guiding light of Ted’s tenure as Austin’s leader. And the fact that our president has demonstrated consistently the resolve to lift up, to maintain, and to encourage the Seminary community to focus on its central mission—through often challenging times—has served as a significant blessing to the Seminary for the past two decades.

What is it that has enabled Ted Wardlaw to be such a successful seminary president? The answer to that question are qualities of leadership that every Presbyterian seminary would covet for their president. Obviously, Ted is a person of sincere faith in the Lord. He believes in the Church of Jesus Christ, in the Reformed Tradition, and in the Presbyterian denomination. Without those essential bedrock commitments to the mission and ministry of the church, personal qualities, attributes, and skills are secondary. Ted’s success as president of Austin Seminary is grounded in his faith.

For the past twenty years, I have observed his leadership role on behalf of Austin Seminary, and for the last ten years, have been fortunate enough to see first-hand, as a member of the board of trustees, his dedicated, skilled, principled, thoughtful, energetic, determined, sincere, and unquestionably loving work as our president. One might say that Ted Wardlaw is the “total package” of what a seminary president ought to aspire to be: theologian, preacher, teacher, pastor, confidante, collegial partner, fellow scholar, administrator, fundraiser, and, most importantly, friend. In my view, Ted has been, and continues to be, accomplished—nay, outstanding—in all of those roles.

I am not able to express my full appreciation for the yeoman service Ted has provided Austin Seminary over the past twenty years, but in an effort to do so, I think it is advisable to return to our Mission Statement. The reason for doing so, in my mind is simple: President Ted Wardlaw takes the Mission Statement seriously.

During Ted’s presidency, he has faithfully and consistently emphasized the fact that Austin is unapologetically a Presbyterian seminary that is rooted, theologically, in the Reformed Tradition. His leadership has demonstrated, without question, that our primary focus is to prepare individuals for the parish ministry, by educating and training them in a residential setting. In addition, he has taken seriously the goal of providing resources to the larger church—evidenced not only by his personal commitment but by the commitment of the entire faculty— to participate in and contribute to the life and work of individual churches in our denomination, and beyond. In addition, Austin’s faculty, under Ted’s direction, has consistently demonstrated its skill and devotion to engaging in serious theological discussion and scholarship.

And finally, I believe that Ted Wardlaw’s sincere and committed leadership of Austin Seminary, as our president for the past twenty years, is rooted in the fact that he has always taken seriously the final charge in our Mission Statement, “… to be a winsome and exemplary community of God’s people.” I believe that the Seminary has been able to achieve that goal during the Wardlaw years because we have been led by a “winsome and exemplary” man of God.

Well done, good and faithful servant!

–Archer Frierson Chair of the Board of Trustees (2015-2020)