New Chancellor for Denver Seminary

  • Pam Burton
  • Jun 2, 2011
MacDonald and Grounds

Longtime friend and alumnus of Denver Seminary, Gordon MacDonald, was appointed Chancellor of Denver Seminary by the Board of Trustees, effective August 1, 2011. MacDonald follows in the footsteps of Dr. Vernon Grounds, who held the title of Chancellor from 1979 until his death in September 2010.

Gordon MacDonald has a long history with Denver Seminary, having graduated with an M.Div. in 1966. He served as Interim President of the Seminary during the 2008-2009 academic year and was awarded the Doctor of Divinity degree at the 2011 Denver Seminary Spring Commencement. In his letter to the Board of Trustees nominating MacDonald for the honorary doctoral degree, Seminary President Mark Young wrote,

 “Gordon MacDonald has served the local church, the global Church, and Denver Seminary with distinction during his forty plus years of ministry as a pastor, speaker, author, and leader. His ministry embodies the core commitments of the seminary—biblical authority, vigorous scholarship, charitable orthodoxy, redemptive relationships, and global concern. His ability to communicate the truth of Scripture with clarity and compassion models what we desire for our graduates.”

MacDonald may be best known for the numerous books he has written or co-authored with his wife, Gail. His best known book is Ordering Your Private World which won the Gold Medallion and the Platinum Awards from the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association. Among his other books are The Resilient Life, Building Below the Waterline, Who Stole My Church?, which was nominated as a finalist for The Christian Book Award by the Evangelical Christian Press Association and received a starred review from Publishers' Weekly, and the soon to be released Going Deeper (October 2011). In addition, he serves as editor-at-large with Leadership Journal, a publication of Christianity Today, Inc.

Pastor MacDonald brings a wealth of experience to Denver Seminary, having served as president of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and chairman of the board of World Relief Corporation, an NAE-associated relief and development organization committed to the alleviation of suffering and poverty in the areas of HIV/AIDS, micro-enterprise development, refugee resettlement, and disaster assistance. He has been a pastor for over 40 years, serving most recently as senior minister at Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts. He also mentors leaders in business and ministry from all over the globe.

Pastor MacDonald states, “My connection to Denver Seminary is almost sixty years in duration. When I was a boy, my home church enthusiastically supported the seminary. That made an impression on me. As a student, I followed Dr. Vernon Grounds into seminary life, and he changed me. As a pastor, I sent more than a few students the seminary’s way and I was never disappointed. Now, I have the privilege of associating with Dr. Mark Young’s team to see what I can do to encourage and support him and the Seminary’s great faculty.  It’s a very special day for my wife, Gail, and me.” 

Pastor MacDonald's academic background includes a B.A. from the University of Colorado (1962), and as stated before, an M.Div. from Denver Seminary (1966). Barrington College (which later merged with Gordon College) awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree in 1979. Gordon and his wife Gail MacDonald have been married 50 years; they have two married children and five grandchildren.

Pamela Burton, Director of Communications
303-762-6948

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