Position Summary

This is a faculty position in the Department of Bible and Ministry teaching undergraduate students.  Responsibilities include active involvement in the Abila/Jordan Studies programs, teaching Bible courses for majors and in the university core curriculum, student advising, and normal committee assignments.

Department

The Bible and Ministry Department is a diverse program balancing academic and applied learning which is made up of the following majors:  Biblical and Theological Studies, Christian Ministry and Formation, Intercultural Studies, Outdoor Leadership and Humanitarian and Disaster Relief.  In addition, our department teaches four university core classes which every student takes.  These include Old Testament and New Testament Survey, Essentials of Evangelical Theology and Essentials of Christian Formation.  The department currently has 7 fulltime faculty.  Our department’s desire is to foster students to a thoughtful, life-long faith in Christ. We strive to develop students who are oriented towards Christ, grounded in Scripture, discerning in their thinking, redemptive in their action and mature in their disposition so that they will humbly and courageously pursue their calling to participate in God's global work.

Abila/Jordan Studies Program

The Abila/Jordan Studies Programs involve several elements:  The Abila Archaeological Project (AAP) is run by John Brown University, in partnership with the Lanier Center for Archaeology at Lipscomb University, excavating the ancient city of Abila in northwest Jordan.  Excavation normally happens in Jordan for six weeks every other year.  The Jordan Summer Studies Program takes students to excavate with the AAP and travel an additional two weeks around the region.  Students take up to twelve semester hours of courses through the trip.  The Bible Lands Study Trip (BLaST) travels on summers opposite the AAP to various countries in the historic lands of the Bible, generally for four to six weeks.  BLaST participants usually take six hours of classes. For more information on the various Abila/Jordan Studies initiatives see: https://www.jbu.edu/academics/bible/abila/

Institution

John Brown University’s mission is to provide Christ-centered education that prepares people to honor God and serve others by developing their intellectual, spiritual, and professional lives. Founded in 1919, JBU is a Christ-centered, Biblically-faithful, interdenominational university that represents the best of Protestant evangelicalism in our commitment to the following theological principles: the fundamental human need for conversion and lifelong discipleship; the centrality of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection for the redemption of human beings; high regard for, and obedience to, the Bible as our authority; and active involvement in a local church, in missions and in ministries that work for Biblical justice and serve people in need. At JBU, we seek to integrate faith and learning, foster holistic Christian formation, promote pragmatic liberal arts education, and prepare people to follow Christ’s call to serve others in all areas of life. Consistent with its evangelical identity, JBU’s board of trustees has articulated institutional commitments on certain theological issues or university practices. With God’s help, JBU seeks to live out these commitments faithfully and humbly with grace and truth. All employees must affirm JBU’s Employee Expectations and Articles of Faith.

With more than 2,300 students from 35 states and 37 countries, JBU offers approximately 50 undergraduate programs, seven fully online bachelor’s degrees, and 14 graduate degrees in business, education, cybersecurity, and counseling. JBU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and holds program-specific accreditations from various agencies. More information is available at jbu.edu/accreditation.

JBU has benefited from stable and excellent leadership throughout the organization. President Chip Pollard started in 2004 and has led the organization in consistently meeting enrollment goals, completing two capital campaigns and launching a third, completing two strategic plans and launching a third, 17 major building projects, encouraging efforts to recruit and retain diverse faculty, staff, and students, and navigating the educational and financial challenges of the pandemic successfully. He served on the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) board for thirteen years and as chair for five years. Most of the president’s cabinet has served for over 20 years, and all cabinet members have held volunteer leadership positions in the CCCU, ACSD, CIC, NACUBO, and other higher education associations. JBU’s board of trustees are people of deep Christian faith, generous spirit, and professional expertise, with an average length of service of 11 years. They are deeply committed to maintaining JBU’s mission to educate students to honor God and serve others.

JBU has experienced a season of God’s favor and blessing, for which we are grateful. In the last 20 years, JBU has received over $370 million in gifts and grants and has built or renovated over 90% of the university’s facilities. JBU has only about $4 million of debt on over $300 million of assets. During that same time, JBU’s endowment has grown from about $50 million to over $185 million, much of it dedicated to scholarships and academic programs and to support maintenance costs for new facilities. This financial strength has enabled JBU to retain excellent faculty and staff with consistent compensation increases and funds for faculty and staff development. JBU has not been immune to the economic and cultural challenges facing higher education, but it is positioned better than many institutions to respond.

JBU has received national recognition from many national newspapers and industry journals. For instance, in nine out of the last ten years, the Chronicle of Higher Education has named JBU on its “high honor roll” in its “Great Place to Work” survey. The Wall Street Journal has named JBU to its Best Colleges list since 2019, ranking us the top private school in Arkansas (2025) and top Arkansas university overall (2020, 2022, 2024). We are typically in the top 10% in our category (master’s level universities in the South) in U.S. News and World Report rankings.

JBU is located in Northwest Arkansas, a region predicted to have the third fastest job growth rate in the country behind only Austin, Texas and Charlotte, North Carolina. Three of the largest corporations in the world are located here—Walmart, Tyson Foods, and JB Hunt—and there is a growing technology, entrepreneurial, and art business ecosystem in the region. The quality of life is enhanced with a world-class art museum, Crystal Bridges, 25 miles from campus, over 400 miles of mountain biking trails, several state and national historic sites, parks, and large lakes, and a new $33 million whitewater rafting park just five miles south of campus. Siloam Springs has approximately 18,350 people with affordable housing and good private and public schools.

Important Dates

Position begins July 1, 2025. Screening process begins October 15, 2024 and continues until the position is filled.

Diversity

JBU desires to increase the diversity of its faculty, staff, and students to honor how all humans are created in the image of God, to reflect better the diversity of the Kingdom of God, to further our Christian commitment to justice, and to increase the quality of our educational experience. JBU is pursuing the goal of teaching and working in an intercultural environment and encourages applications from people interested in serving a diverse body of students. For more information, visit our diversity webpage.

Position Qualifications

• A Master’s degree in Archaeology or Biblical Studies with strong competence in the other field.
• A commitment to the integration of the Christian faith and mentoring students
• Ability to teach undergraduate courses.
• A committed follower of Jesus Christ
• A commitment to the integration of Christian faith and learning
• A commitment to working with a diverse population of students, faculty, and staff
• Must be willing to work with JBU’s summer study abroad programs sponsored by the Department of Bible and Ministry
• Must be willing to teach Bible core curriculum classes which include Old Testament Survey, New Testament Survey, Essentials of Evangelical Theology and Essentials of Christian Formation

Preferred Qualifications

• A terminal degree in Archaeology or Biblical Studies with strong competence in the other field.
• Strong candidates will be proficient in Greek and/or Hebrew and be able to teach both lower-level survey courses and upper-level major courses in Biblical Studies
• Demonstrated experience teaching undergraduate students
• Demonstrated experience with diverse populations
• Demonstrated experience in program administration and management
• A proven record of teaching excellence and scholarly potential

About John Brown University

John Brown University's mission is to provide Christ-centered education that prepares people to honor God and serve others by developing their intellectual, spiritual and professional lives. We are a Christ-centered, interdenominational university that leads the nation in integrating faith and learning, fostering holistic spiritual formation, promoting pragmatic liberal arts education, and preparing people to follow Christ’s call to serve others in all areas of life.

Connections working at John Brown University