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Ken Magnuson Named New Executive Director
On May 4, 2020, the Executive Committee of the Evangelical Theological Society accepted the recommendation of the Executive Director Search Committee and unanimously selected Ken Magnuson as the Society's second Executive Director. David S. Dockery, chair of the search committee remarked that the committee reviewed applications and nominations from a large group of qualified individuals. "It soon became clear," he noted, "to every member of the committee that Ken Magnuson, based on his outstanding education, years and breadth of experience, scholarship, administrative gifts, relational abilities and people skills, as well as his Christian character and commitment, was extremely well suited for this key role in the life of ETS. We are thankful for the fine leadership that Mike Thigpen has provided and are extremely hopeful about Ken Magnuson's guidance for the Society for the years ahead." ETS President, Craig S. Keener, commented, "All of us on the Executive Committee affirm Ken Magnuson and are grateful to the Lord for the prospect of leadership that will continue the wonderful legacy we have already experienced with Mike Thigpen."
Ken Magnuson has been on the faculty of Southern Seminary since 1999. He has served as Professor of Christian Ethics, Chair of the Department of Worldview and Culture, and as Director of The Commonweal Project on Faith, Work, and Human Flourishing. He serves as a deacon in his church, on the editorial board for Themelios, and as a board member for the American Friends of Tyndale House (Cambridge, UK). Magnuson holds a PhD in Theological Ethics from Cambridge University, and MDiv and BA degrees from Bethel Seminary and Bethel University (MN). He teaches and writes on discipleship and moral issues, including marriage and sexuality, singleness, and infertility and reproductive technology. He has published journal articles and contributed chapters to several books, and has recently completed Invitation to Christian Ethics, published by Kregel (forthcoming in 2020). He serves on the steering committee of the ETS Christian Ethics program unit. Ken and his wife Katherine have four children.
Magnuson will begin this new post June 15, 2020. He succeeds J. Michael Thigpen who has served the Society as Executive Director since 2009. Thigpen is leaving the position to serve as Executive Vice-President and Provost of Phoenix Seminary. On hearing the selection, Thigpen noted, "I believe Ken Magnuson is the right person to lead ETS in this next season. Ken's temperament, experience, godly character, and outlook on the role of the Society in the church and the academy are a wonderful fit to move us forward."