Riverside, Calif. (Nov. 21, 2019) – Dr. Anthony Chute, associate dean of the School of Christian Ministries, has been named the SoCal Baptist Ministries Endowed Professor at California Baptist University.

“I am both honored and humbled by this appointment,” said Chute, professor of church history. “I want to honor the appointment by being a faithful steward of my academic work such that my teaching, writing and service reflects historic Christian orthodoxy from a Southern Baptist perspective.”

The SoCal Baptist Ministries Endowed Professorship is funded by donations from SoCal Baptist Ministries and an anonymous donor in addition to institutional funds from the CBU endowment match program. This is the second $1 million endowed professorship established at the School of Christian Ministries, and it is the first to have a full-time faculty appointed to and supported by the endowment. The funds allowed the School of Christian Ministries to create a new endowed position and freed up institutional funds to hire an additional professor.

Dr. Chris Morgan, dean of the School of Christian Ministries, said qualifications for the professorship include having an established record of excellence in teaching, leadership and/or publishing. The professor’s role will include, but not be limited to, some combination of the following: teaching, writing, research, service, enhancing community among and investing in students and an active relationship with School of Christian Ministries leadership and faculty, Morgan added.

Chute has been a professor of church history and Baptist history at CBU for 17 years and served as associate dean for eight years.

Morgan said Chute has an established record of publishing, serves local churches and enhances community among students and alumni.

“He exudes love for the Lord, His church, students and CBU. He is a man of grace and truth,” Morgan said. “The School of Christian Ministries is blessed to have him and I am honored to serve alongside him.”

In teaching, Chute said his goal is that the students will love the Lord more as they learn about the importance of the Bible and the history of the church.

“Most students have never heard the story of the church so I try to help them to see God’s faithfulness throughout church history. I also try to show them how Christians have read the Bible long before our time so we can be faithful to the truths with which we have been entrusted and so we can avoid the errors others have made in the past,” Chute said. “In short, the Lord has been faithful to his church and we should be faithful to Him. “