JACKSON, Tenn. — July 11, 2013 — Greg and Kimberly Thornbury sat on the end of the bed in a guest room on the 51社区 campus after a lengthy day of interviews in 1998.
They had opportunities for jobs in Louisville, Ky., and Washington, D.C., but new Union President David S. Dockery was hoping to recruit them to Union to help him implement his vision for a Christian university.
鈥淚 think the Lord is leading us to here to Union,鈥� Kimberly told Greg. 鈥淚 think he is, too,鈥� Greg replied.
Greg originally came as instructor of Christian studies before moving into roles as professor, dean and vice president. Kimberly came as dean of students. The Thornburys quickly became key leaders on the Union campus, helping to give shape and meaning to Dockery鈥檚 vision.
Now, almost 15 years later, they are leaving Union to provide vision for someplace new 鈥� The King鈥檚 College in New York City, where trustees on July 9 elected Greg as the school鈥檚 president.
Greg has most recently been Union鈥檚 vice president for spiritual life and dean of the School of Theology and Missions. Kimberly is Union鈥檚 senior vice president for student services and dean of students. She will serve as The King鈥檚 College鈥檚 first lady and special assistant to the president for strategic planning.
鈥淚 sometimes say that Union is the Shire,鈥� Greg said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the happiest place in Christian higher education. It鈥檚 where people are able to pursue their vision of the good life. It has been a wonderful context in which to lead and to raise a family.鈥�
鈥淲e fell in love with Dr. Dockery鈥檚 vision and the people we met at this place, and even though it was so outside our comfort zone, we never regretted that decision,鈥� Kimberly said. 鈥淲e have loved serving with Dr. Dockery and the people here in senior leadership. Working with the students has been a complete joy.鈥�
Dockery congratulated Thornbury and The King鈥檚 College Board on his appointment as president.
鈥淭he King鈥檚 community will quickly find Dr. Thornbury to be a brilliant scholar, a gifted communicator and teacher, an astute interpreter of theology and culture, a thoughtful and collaborative administrator, a faithful churchman, a convictional evangelical, a devoted Christ-follower and a wise leader,鈥� Dockery said.
鈥淭hese special gifts, along with his years of superb service in Christian higher education, will provide him with the vision and perspective necessary to guide The King鈥檚 College into a bright and hopeful future in the days to come,鈥� Dockery continued. 鈥淲e certainly join with many others in wishing God鈥檚 grace and blessings for Greg and Kimberly Thornbury, as well as for the trustees, faculty, staff and students of The King鈥檚 College.鈥�
Located on Broadway in the heart of New York鈥檚 financial district, The King鈥檚 College was founded in 1938. Thornbury said he will seek to renew the college鈥檚 emphasis on the genius of Christianity that has shaped the ideas and key institutions of Western culture.
鈥淣ew York is the center of culture,鈥� Thornbury said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the center of the financial and cultural world. There is one freestanding Christian college in that city, and it must succeed. No one will ever get a chance to do this again. We need an institution of higher education that is articulating the cause of God and truth in the greatest city in the world. 鈥�
Thornbury said the core programs at The King鈥檚 College are the same areas that he cares about deeply.
鈥淭he mission of the college is to prepare the best and the brightest for leadership in strategic institutions of culture,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hose strategic institutions are business, finance, economics, media, culture, the arts and the church. If somebody could have written the script about the kind of college I would dream up, it would be The King鈥檚 College.鈥�
As dean of Union鈥檚 School of Theology and Missions, Thornbury recruited such faculty members as C. Ben Mitchell, Justin Barnard, Taylor Worley, Kevin Chen, Frank Anderson and others. He was heavily involved in starting new campuses in the Nashville and Memphis regions, launching Union鈥檚 Doctor of Ministry degree in expositional preaching in Memphis and Singapore and starting Union鈥檚 first fully online degree 鈥� the Master of Christian Studies.
鈥淲e came for Dockery鈥檚 vision,鈥� Thornbury said. 鈥淭he vision and mission that we were recruited to help build is a reality now. It has been a wildly successful payoff. That鈥檚 immensely satisfying, both professionally and personally.鈥�
Kimberly led Union to begin such programs as student leadership development, disability services, minority student services, the Hundley Center and Barefoots Joe. Under her leadership, graduation rates at Union have increased from 55 percent to 67 percent, and retention rates have increased more than 20 percent, making Union one of the top schools in Tennessee and in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities in that category.
She also provided key leadership at Union in 2008 after an EF-4 tornado struck the campus, and played a crucial role in helping the university rebuild 17 student housing buildings in six months.
Union has named Bryan Carrier as interim dean of students and James Patterson as interim dean of the School of Theology and Missions. Todd Brady, vice president for church relations, will assume leadership of Union鈥檚 office of spiritual life.
The Thornburys begin their new roles immediately and have already left Jackson for New York permanently. Union will welcome them back to campus sometime this fall to thank them for their years of service and to pray for them in their new positions.
鈥淚t was a completely wonderful 15 years,鈥� Greg said about his time at Union. 鈥溾�楬alcyon days鈥� is how I would put it. The halcyon days of Union.鈥�