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Carol Taylor succeeded 40-year president Robert Spence in 2013.
SBJ photo by Jessica Rosa
Carol Taylor succeeded 40-year president Robert Spence in 2013.

Evangel president announces retirement

Posted online

Last edited 12:22 p.m., Jan. 9, 2020

Carol Taylor, Evangel University’s fourth president, today announced plans to retire.

The school’s leader since 2013 and first female president in university history, Taylor plans to exit her position in August. However, she agreed to stay on board until her successor is hired, according to a news release.

“With the extraordinary work that faculty and staff have done over the past several years, I believe that now is the right time to transition,” Taylor said in the release. “I’m confident that the university is poised for continued growth with the next leader.”

School officials are working with national executive search firm CarterBaldwin Executive Search, which has Christian higher education experience, to find Taylor’s successor. The goal is to have the new president in place to start the fall semester in August.

Under Taylor’s tenure, donations and grants have exceeded $35 million, and this year, enrollment is up nearly 9%.

Taylor started during a large transition for Evangel, which in 2013 consolidated with Central Bible College and Assemblies of God Theological Seminary amid declining enrollments, according to Springfield Business Journal archives. Evangel remains an AG university.

“I’m grateful for the leadership of Dr. Taylor, not only through the consolidation but also in positioning Evangel University for a bright future,” Assemblies of God General Superintendent Doug Clay said in the release. “Evangel University, with the embedded seminary, is uniquely positioned in the Assemblies of God fellowship to give students the education and training they need to fulfill their God-given callings.”

At Evangel, Taylor succeeded 40-year president Robert Spence. Taylor previously served as president at Vanguard University in California and vice provost at Biola University in California, along with teaching at state universities in Florida, Nebraska and Michigan.

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