This year, Criswell alumnus Fred MacDonald was hired by the Dakota Baptist Convention to serve as executive director and treasurer, succeeding Garvon Golden, who retired. The Dakota Baptist Convention is made up of seven Baptist associations in North and South Dakota, and is associated with the Southern Baptist Convention.
MacDonald received his Bachelor of Science in Marketing Education from Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota, in 1982. He earned a Master of Divinity with an emphasis in pastoral ministry from Criswell College in 1996. He then earned a Doctor of Ministry from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis, Tennessee, in 2002.
MacDonald’s time at Criswell has greatly influenced his academic and ministerial career.
“Criswell was a transformative time in my life. The passion for the integrity of God’s Word and the commitment to developing servants of God drew me to the school and had a great impact on my life. The lessons I learned from men like Roy Metts and George Davis are lessons that I have been able to apply and pass on to others. Criswell was and continues to be for me a living application of 2 Timothy 2:2,” MacDonald said.
MacDonald was baptized in Rapid City, South Dakota, during his teen years, and, as he reflects on his life, he feels blessed by the opportunity to serve the very people who were such a significant influence on him.
“Serving in the Dakotas is a great blessing. I could not have possibly imagined when I was baptized as a 16-year old boy by my pastor and mentor Wendell Mosser at the old Knollwood Baptist Church in Rapid City, that one day I would be given the honor of serving pastors, churches, and associations like the ones I grew up in. I think I understand what a newly crowned King David meant when he cried out to God, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house that You have brought me this far” (2 Sam. 7:18),” MacDonald said.
MacDonald has served in pastoral roles and participated in multiple evangelistic opportunities in New Mexico and South Dakota. His latest work includes serving as Director of Association Missions for the Pecos Valley Baptist Association in New Mexico, where he helped establish partnerships with Hope Baptist Centre in Pretoria, South Africa.
He is also a published author of various devotionals and training materials for ministry, including 50 Days through 1 Corinthians, 21 Days on the Mount with Jesus, and Seeking God’s Face: 40 Days of Spiritual Preparation, and Finding Peace without Going to Pieces.
