In a unanimous vote on Monday (April 15), Gateway Seminary trustees elected Adam Groza as the seminary’s eighth president during their spring 2024 meeting. His term begins May 13.
“I came back to California in 2010 to be part of Gateway Seminary because I believe raising ministry leaders in the western United States is a necessity for Southern Baptists,” Groza said.
“I still believe in this mission, and I am humbled to be entrusted with this responsibility.”
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Groza, 48, was born in Pasadena, California, just over 30 miles west of the seminary’s campus in Ontario. He grew up in Arizona and graduated from Northern Arizona University with a bachelor’s in political science. Then he earned a master of divinity from The Master’s Seminary in northern Los Angeles.
Groza earned a Ph.D. and a Th.M. in philosophy of religion at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. While in seminary, he was ordained for ministry at Fairview Baptist Church in Rhome, Texas.
Before Gateway
Before joining Gateway in 2010 as vice president for enrollment and student service, Groza served SWBTS and Scarborough College as director of admissions.
Groza was announced as the official nominee on April 2 by the chair of the search committee, J. Robert White.
White, who served as executive director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board for 26 years, said “It was clear from our first interview with Dr. Groza that he possesses the integrity, godly character and academic experience to lead Gateway Seminary into the future.”
In addition to serving as vice president at Gateway, Groza is also an associate professor of philosophy of religion. Groza also serves as a research fellow at the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, teaching fellow at the Agricola Theological Institute in Finland, and teaches regularly at California Baptist University.
Groza has written several books and articles, including most recently “Unraveling Philosophy: An Interactive Guide,” which he co-authored with J. P. Moreland.
Groza and his wife of 23 years, Holly, who is also a southern California native, have four children.
Ferguson named VP of enrollment, student services
Trustees also approved Groza’s nomination of Kristen Ferguson as vice president of enrollment and student services on April 16. Ferguson joined Gateway in 2016 as director of online education and associate professor of educational leadership. In 2022, she was appointed associate dean of educational effectiveness.
“Dr. Ferguson was my first choice to lead the enrollment and student service offices and I look forward to what she will bring to the seminary in an executive leadership role,” Groza said.
“She is a capable and proven leader who has the respect of our faculty, staff and students.”
Ferguson currently serves as chair of the resolutions committing of the SBC and is a research fellow for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. She is an active scholar — her most recent book is “Excellence in Online Education” and focuses on fostering Christian community in a virtual environment.
Similar to Groza, Ferguson has deep California roots. She is from Barstow, California, a city in Southern California’s High Desert. She earned her bachelor’s of applied theology at California Baptist University before receiving a doctor of education and a master of divinity from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Kristen met her husband, Anthony, at CBU. He earned a Ph.D. and a master of divinity from SBTS and now leads Eleventh Street Baptist Church in Upland, California, as its pastor.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written and originally published by Gateway Seminary.
