Camden Pulliam
Assistant Professor of Christian Studies, Senior Vice President of Institutional Relations
At a Glance
Biography
Dr. Camden Pulliam serves as Assistant Professor of Christian Studies, as well as Senior Vice President of Institutional Relations, at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary & Spurgeon College. In the latter role, he oversees Admissions, Church Partnerships, Communications, Financial Aid, Institutional Relations Initiatives, and Student Life and Events for the institution.
Dr. Pulliam earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and Psychology from Southwest Baptist University in 2010 and a Master of Divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2013. In 2020, he completed his Ph.D. at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; his dissertation is titled Paternal Pastors: An Evangelical Approach.
Before coming to Midwestern in 2013, Dr. Pulliam served on staff at churches in Indiana and Missouri as well as at his alma mater, SBU. He and his wife, Mallory, have three children – Hudson, Hallie, and Brooks.
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and Psychology from Southwest Baptist University
Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Ph.D. from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Faculty Q&A
The seminary is a para-church ministry. We are not God’s plan for reaching the world; the Church is. But, we are a special kind of para-church ministry. We are owned and operated by a group of churches (the Southern Baptist Convention), our students must come from gospel churches, and thus, our mission is to send students back into those churches prepared for real-life ministry. So when I teach, I actively incorporate elements that model the kinds of things a pastor or church leader does on a weekly basis. Instead of monological lectures, I foster debate in class, in order that my students might learn how to love one another amidst disagreements. Instead of writing papers, students write sermon manuscripts or Bible study lessons. Instead of taking tests, students interpret difficult passages of the Bible. In short, I want my students to take their coursework and use it in ministry someday. In other words, I aim to sharpen the iron precisely where the cutting occurs.
I love teaching at MBTS because it is an opportunity to give back. Southern Baptists have given so much to me throughout my life, and particularly, leaders at MBTS have given so much to me in the past decade. It is a great honor to do the same for those coming after me.
Our students amaze me with their godliness, Spirit-motivated sacrifice, and ardent desire to take God at his Word. I know of a 25-year old student who has memorized many books of the New Testament and leads weekly Bible studies with clusters of lost people in Kansas City. I know of alumni who have forsaken lucrative opportunities in the world to evangelize in hostile nations overseas, even while raising young families. I know of countless graduates who are just starting in pastoral ministry and have chosen to serve in normative churches (100 people or less) across the United States. None of these are easy assignments in the Kingdom, but our students take them willingly, knowing that an eternal weight of glory is theirs in Christ.
