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SHERMAN, TEXAS -- John Williams has been appointed chaplain at Austin College. He will continue to serve as the College's J.T. Stratton Brock Director of Church Relations, a position he assumed in 1993. Williams is a1984 graduate of the College.Tim Millerick, vice president of student affairs and athletics, said that the move into the chaplaincy was a natural step for Williams, who has been very involved in the religious life program of Austin College and has made good connections with the Presbyterian churches in the region through the Activators program. "Recognizing that good work, we are pleased to appoint him to the chaplaincy," Millerick said. "He has the energy and the enthusiasm as well as an understanding of the history, operations, and theology of the Presbyterian Church to successfully fulfill the role. I look forward to working with John as he uses his talents and gifts to build upon the rich heritage the religious life program has had throughout theCollege's history." Williams received a doctorate in religious studies from Southern Methodist University in May. His dissertation topic is "Between the Labyrinth and theAbyss: Presbyterians and Schism, 1837-1861." He earned a master's degree in divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 1987. Before joining the Austin College staff, he served as parish associate at North Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas for five years. Williams and his wife, Linnea, and two children live in Sherman. Henry Bucher served as the Austin College chaplain for the past 19 years and retired in June 2004. He will continue to teach at Austin College on a part-time adjunct basis. Austin College, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), is an independent, liberal arts college of 1,300 students located 60 miles north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas. Chartered in November 1849, it is the oldest college in Texas under original charter and name as recognized by the State Historical Survey Committee.Austin College is included in Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives, ranked among the "Best 351 Colleges" in the 2004 Princeton Review, and profiled in the 2004 edition of Kaplan's Insiders Guide to the 328 Most Interesting Colleges.
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