Ellis Named New Dean of Logsdon School of Theology

Hardin-Simmons University has announced that Dr. Robert (Bob) Ellis, will be the next dean of HSU’s Logsdon School of Theology. His term as dean will begin February 1, 2018.

The announcement comes five months after Ellis was named Interm Dean following the retirement of Logsdon’s previous dean, Dr. Donald Williford. Ellis will be the fourth dean for HSU’s Logsdon School of Theology since its beginning in the 1980’s.

“Now more than ever we need ministers trained to meet spiritual needs,” said HSU President Eric Bruntmyer. “Bob’s commitment to the embodiment of a strong, Biblically-informed theology of love and compassion makes him a superb choice to lead Logsdon into the next chapter of its story.”

HSU’s Logsdon School of Theology is home to both undergraduate and ATS-accredited seminary programs. As such, Ellis will be responsible for a wide scope of theological education and ministry preparation, including Logsdon Seminary programs which span across Texas through extension campuses in San Antonio, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Corpus Christi, McAllen, and Lubbock.

Ellis is a product of Hardin-Simmons, earning his Bachelor of Science in Religion in 1977. He attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned both his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Ellis has also engaged post-doctoral study at the University of Cambridge and is the author of numerous publications, including the widely-used Learning to Read Biblical Hebrew: An Introductory Grammar (Baylor University Press, 2006). In 1992, Ellis was named a Distinguished Alumnus of Logsdon.

Tenured at HSU since 1996, Ellis has served as the Phillips Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew, and previously directed both the Master of Arts in Religion and Master of Divinity programs. Until his appointment as Interim Dean, Ellis served as the Associate Dean for Academics at Logsdon Seminary and Liaison to the Association of Theological Schools.

While the corpus of Ellis’ teaching career has been at HSU, he also served a decade as an Associate Professor of Old Testament at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Additionally, Ellis has also served as an adjunct at the Baptist Theological Seminary in Bucharest, Romania and at the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary in Ogbomosho, Nigeria.

Beyond the classroom, Ellis is a sought-after teacher and preacher in both academic and congregational settings and has served as an interim pastor for numerous congregations. Ellis, and his wife Teresa (who is an HSU faculty member and Logsdon’s Theological Librarian) are active members in Abilene’s First Baptist Church where they teach a Sunday School class. Both are deacons and have been regularly engaged in international mission efforts.