Global InformationWilliam Randall Lolley information
W. Randall Lolley (1931-2022) was an American Christian clergyman of the Baptist tradition. His principal contribution to religious and academic life was a 14-year presidency (1974-1988) of the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in the town of Wake Forest, North Carolina. Lolley's leadership of the seminary—one of six owned by the Southern Baptist Convention—ended as a result of theological and political strife within the denomination.
Lolley became the first SBC institution or agency head to resign his position in protest of what some termed a "conservative resurgence," and others called a "fundamentalist takeover."[1] Subsequently, in recognition of his support of faculty in the face of criticism regarding their fidelity to traditional Baptist teaching, Lolley received the prestigious Alexander Meiklejohn Award for Academic Freedom, awarded in 1988 by the American Association of University Professors.[2]
Following his seminary resignation, Lolley returned to the pastorate of local Baptist congregations in North Carolina.
- ^ Pressley, Steve (2021). Randall Lolley: Thanks for the Memories. Macon, Ga.: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Inc. p. 3.
- ^ Pressley, Steve (2021). Randall Lolley: Thanks for the Memories. Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Inc. p. 163.