Tom Fuller assumed the duties of associate dean at Beeson Divinity School on Oct. 1, 2019. He works in concert with the dean, faculty and staff of the school to ensure that Beeson fulfills its mission to prepare faithful ministers for the church of Jesus Christ. Since joining the faculty and staff in 2000, Fuller has served in several administrative roles and has taught courses in pastoral leadership and practical theology. He is a recognized leader in the fields of theological field education and assessment of student learning outcomes, contributing regularly to scholarly discussions through his research, speaking and writing. His recent publications include chapters in Preparing Ministry Leaders: A Practical Guide to Theological Field Education and Brimming with God: Reflecting Theologically on Cases in Ministry. He has served in leadership capacities for the Association for Theological Field Education and the Evangelical Association of Theological Field Educators, and he presently serves on the editorial board for the international journal Christian Higher Education. Fuller, an ordained Baptist minister, served as pastor of churches in Indiana and Alabama for 13 years and continues to serve churches through consulting, supply preaching and interim pastoral service. Tom is married to Allison, and he has three daughters, two stepdaughters and one stepson.
Education
- PhD, The University of Alabama
- MDiv, DMin, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
- BA, Samford University
Awards and Honors
- Co-Chair, Evangelical Association of Theological Field Educators, 2002-03 and 2019-present
- President, Association of Ministry Guidance Professionals, 2003-04
- Steering Committee, Association for Theological Field Education, 2011-13
- Annual award for faculty/staff service rendered to the Alpha Eta chapter of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity given to him (2015) and named in his honor in perpetuity
Publications
- "Mentoring the Administrator," a chapter in Mentoring: A Toolkit for Supervisor-Mentors in Theological Field Education (Rowman & Littlefield, forthcoming in 2019).
- “First, Take the Log Out of Your Own Eye,” a chapter co-authored with Rev. Roslyn Wright, in Brimming with God: Reflecting Theologically on Cases in Ministry (Wipf & Stock, 2015).
- “The Power of the Learning Community Model for the Development of Supervisor-Mentors,” in Reflective Practice, Vol. 35, 2015.
- “Evaluating Students,” a chapter in Preparing for Ministry: A Practical Guide to Theological Field Education (Kregel, 2008)
- “Study Abroad Experiences and Intercultural Sensitivity Among Graduate Theological Students: A Preliminary and Exploratory Investigation,” in Christian Higher Education, Vol. 6, No. 4, July/August 2007.
- “Themes in the Journal, Theological Education, 1964-2006: What Do They Say?,” in Christian Higher Education, Vol. 6, No. 4, July/August 2007.
- “Profiles of Ministry Survey: What We Have Learned at Beeson,” with Patricia A. Outlaw, in Interpretation, Fall 2003, Number 13.
Presentations
- “Elements of Strategic Planning for DMin Programs.” Association of Doctor of Ministry Educators, Birmingham, Alabama, April 17, 2015.
- “Developing Supervisor-Mentors in Communities of Practice.” Association for Theological Field Education, Santa Fe, New Mexico, January 22-24, 2015.
- “Perspectives on the Place of Field Education in an Accreditation Review.” Association for Theological Field Education, Williamsburg, Virginia, January 23-26, 2013.
- “Focusing on the Process as well as the Product: Using Student Engagement to Assess Learning Outcomes in Theological Field Education.” Evangelical Association of Theological Field Educators, Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 13-16, 2010.
- “Assessing Student Success in Ministry Field Education.” In-Service Guidance Association, Birmingham, Alabama, July 31 – August 2, 2008.
- “Assessing Student Competency.” Association for Theological Field Education, Dallas, Texas, January 17-21, 2007.
Research
- Student engagement in theological education
- Assessment of outcomes in theological education
- Initial and ongoing formation for ministry leadership
Involvement
- Evangelical Seminary Deans Council
- Association of Doctor of Ministry Educators
- Association for Theological Field Education
- Center for Pastor Theologians
- Evangelical Association of Theological Field Educators
- Evangelical Theological Society
