Gardner-Webb Hosts Dr. Russell Moore, ‘Christianity Today’ Public Theologian, on March 1, 2022

Speeches Offered Through the C.O. and Eliza Greene Endowed Lectureship Series and Dimensions

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—A national theologian, author and speaker will visit the Gardner-Webb University campus on March 1 and present three speeches. Dr. Russell Moore, public theologian at “Christianity Today” and director of Christianity Today’s Public Theology Project, will speak for the C.O. and Eliza Greene Endowed Lectureship Series hosted by the M. Christopher White School of Divinity at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the Tucker Student Center. In addition, Moore will be the guest speaker for Dimensions at 9:25 a.m. in Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center.

Dr. Danny West, professor of preaching and pastoral studies and director of the Doctor of Ministry program and Ministry Leadership Development, said the School of Divinity faculty, staff and students are pleased that Moore is giving the Greene lectures. “Dr. Moore embodies the spirit of this endowed lecture series by his very public stance on matters of faith, and for his bold witness for the cause of Christ,” West acknowledged. “An academic and a faithful pastor, Dr. Moore will challenge us all to be more obedient followers of Jesus Christ.”

The C.O. and Eliza Greene Endowed Lectureship was established in 1993 in honor of the Rev. and Mrs. C.O. Greene of Lawndale, N.C. C.O. Greene served for 14 years as the director of missions for the Kings Mountain Baptist Association. Prior to that ministry, he served as pastor of six churches, four within Cleveland County and two others in North Carolina. The lectureship is administered by the GWU School of Divinity’s Pittman Center for Congregational Enrichment and is funded by family members, friends, and members of churches where Greene served as pastor. Established to preserve the legacy of excellence that characterized Greene’s ministry, the lectureship addresses various dimensions of pastoral ministry.

The title of Moore’s lecture is “Integrity and the Ministry of Leadership.” He served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission from 2013 to 2021. “The Wall Street Journal” has called Moore “vigorous, cheerful, and fiercely articulate.” He was named in 2017 to Politico Magazine’s list of top 50 influence-makers in Washington, and has been profiled by such publications as the Washington Post and the New Yorker.

Dr. Robert Canoy, professor of theology and dean of the School of Divinity, praised Moore for his unwavering convictions. “Dr. Moore’s commitment to our Lord and the Church have always guided his thinking both as a theologian and as a denominational figure,” Canoy observed. “Rather than being an ‘ivory tower’ scholar who, as someone once said, ‘says more and more about less and less to fewer and fewer,’ he has much to say that Christians of all backgrounds are eager to hear.”

Moore also served as provost and dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., where he also taught theology and ethics. He is the author of several books, including “The Courage to Stand: Facing Your Fear Without Losing Your Soul,” “Onward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel,” and “The Storm-Tossed Family: How the Cross Reshapes the Home.” A native Mississippian, he and his wife Maria are the parents of five sons.

For more information about the C.O. and Eliza Greene Lectures, email Lisa Hollifield at [email protected].

The Pittman Center for Congregational Enrichment aims to offer educational and enrichment opportunities for both laity and clergy who are not enrolled as degree-seeking students in the Gardner-Webb University School of Divinity. The Center’s goal is to be a full-service provider to the churches by delivering a full range of support services to congregations through classes, seminars, and conferences on the Gardner-Webb University campus.

Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to six professional schools, 14 academic departments, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at Gardner-Webb.edu.