Buies Creek, N.C.—Dr. Michael Cogdill, founding dean of the Campbell Divinity School, will deliver the school’s hooding address on Friday, May 14, at 7 p.m. in Turner Auditorium of the D. Rich building. Cogdill has announced that he will step down from the dean’s position at the end of May and return to a faculty post. His replacement has not yet been announced.
A native of Spartanburg, S.C., Cogdill graduated from Mars Hill College in 1971 and received a Master of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and a certification in Clinical Pastoral Education from North Carolina Baptist Hospital in 1974. He went on to earn a Doctor of Ministry in 1976 from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Master of Science in sociology from North Carolina State University in 1983. Prior to joining the Campbell faculty as assistant professor of religion in 1978, Cogdill was pastor of First Baptist Church of Roseboro. He also served as pastor of Spilman Memorial Baptist Church of Kinston, N.C. from 1985-1988.
In 1984, Cogdill became associate professor of religion and sociology in Campbell’s Department of Religion and Philosophy. He became chair of the department in 1988.While serving in that capacity, he was also named the Lewis Edward Tyner Chair of Bible.
In 1996, Cogdill was selected to lead the newly established Campbell Divinity School. Since that time the school has grown to include five disciplines of study: the Master of Divinity degree, Master of Arts in Christian Education, Master of Divinity/Master of Business Administration, Master of Divinity/Master of Arts in Community Counseling and the Doctor of Ministry.
Cogdill attributes his call as a minister and his work as dean to his desire to serve God faithfully in church-related ministry.
In 1992, he received the Professor of the Year award, given by the student body, and Campbell’s Pine Burr yearbook was dedicated to Cogdill in 1997.
Bulletin: 16510
Date: May/5/10