Calvary Baptist’s Struecker staying here but will teach for seminary in North Carolina

The administration at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary wanted Rev. Jeff Struecker to leave Columbus and join the faculty on its North Carolina campus

“I told them I was not interested in leaving Calvary Baptist Church,” he said.

But that does not mean the college has not gained Struecker as an instructor.

Come January, in addition to his duties as Calvary’s lead pastor, Struecker will work as an assistant professor for the same school from which he received his Ph.D.

The school has been preparing ministers since 1950.

His new job was announced recently in a church news release.

Struecker said the majority of his work for Southeastern will be done through Skype but he will make a couple of trips to the school’s campus and be in the classroom.

He will be working with students in the graduate programs and his emphasis will be on Christian leadership.

Struecker said he had been talking with the school for some time and is excited about the opportunity.

He will be teaching about the practical part of being a pastor, recruiting volunteers, conducting a funeral, preparing a budget, etc., most of which, is not taught in a seminary.

"If I can make an impact on the quality of leaders that are coming out of our seminary from my role as lead pastor at Calvary Baptist Church, I'm going to do it," he said.

Struecker said this will be more than a teaching experience. It will be a learning experience.

“I learn as much from the students as they learn from me,” Struecker said. “ I am energized being around them. They have some great ideas.”

Struecker has long had a passion for building strong leaders. He devotes a lot of his time at Calvary to building skills and developing leadership principles in the lives of the staff and church.

This year, Calvary began a pastoral residency program designed to prepare a man to be an effective pastor. A chosen person comes to the church and works as a staff member while seeing how a church operates.

“The person gets hands-on experience,” Struecker said.

The news release said Struecker sees this as a strategy to help build the Kingdom by developing pastors who are well prepared to lead Jesus' church. Finding qualified candidates for the program is vital to its success.

Struecker, a former U.S. Army Ranger who was at the Battle of Mogadishu, has received many awards and commendations during his time of service, including the following: David L. Grange Best Ranger Competition in 1996; U.S. Army ROTC, Noncommissioned Officer of the year in 1998; Ranger Tab; Combat Infantryman’s Badge; Pathfinder Badge; Master Parachutists Wings; Military Freefall Master Parachutist Wings. His military experience Operation Desert Storm and more than a dozen tours throughout Afghanistan and Iraq.

Struecker has written five books. He and his wife, Dawn, have five children: Aaron, Jacob, Joseph, Abigail and Lydia.

This story was originally published November 15, 2017 at 1:33 PM with the headline "Calvary Baptist’s Struecker staying here but will teach for seminary in North Carolina."