John K. McVay, dean of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary (SDATS), recently announced that he has accepted the position of president of Walla Walla College (WWC) in College Place, Washington. WWC's current president, Jon Dybdahl, will retire this summer.

McVay brought his wife, Pam, and their two children - Marshall (now 18) and Macy (now 14) - to Berrien Springs in 1998 when he joined the Seminary faculty as associate dean of SDATS and professor of New Testament before becoming dean in 2000.

"Our eight years here at Andrews and the Seminary have been very good ones for us," said McVay. "We are experiencing a deep and palpable sense of loss even as we embrace the promise of our new assignment and acknowledge God's leading in it."

Prior to coming to Andrews, McVay served as a pastor in Iowa and Georgia, as well as professor, chair of the religion department, and, for a time, senior pastor at Pacific Union College in Angwin, Calif.

McVay received his BA in theology from Southern Adventist University in 1980, and his master of divinity from Andrews University in 1983. In 1995, he received his PhD in New Testament studies from the University of Sheffield, England.

In a recent release from the WWC board chair, Jere Patzer stated that, "we are pleased that John McVay has accepted our invitation to become the 23rd president of Walla Walla College. He is recognized around the world as a scholar, theologian, administrator and committed Adventist Christian. McVay and his wife, Pam, will represent WWC with distinction on campus as well as to our various constituencies. I am confident that he will continue to build on the legacy of excellence that Jon Dybdahl has nurtured so masterfully."