A message from Board of Trustees Chair Jeffrey A. Taylor

Aug. 27, 2026

Friends,

The search for MTSO’s next president has launched.

Working with our search firm, Academic Search, we have created a search profile of the school and the position that we expect will be helpful to those who wish to learn more about this opportunity.

You’ll find the profile here. This is a public document that you may share as you see fit.

Also, I’m pleased to share the names of our Presidential Search Committee members:

Search Co-chair Jeff Taylor, Board of Trustees chair
Search Co-chair Cyndy Garn, trustee
Alex Giffin, student
Maggie Jackson, trustee
Myron McCoy, trustee
Leigh Precise, chief operating officer
Tim Van Meter, associate professor of Christian education and youth ministry
Ed Yuhas, trustee

I am grateful to these colleagues for their work setting this search in motion. I also thank everyone in the extended MTSO community for your support of our school.

Advertising and outreach will unfold over the next few days, and recruitment of candidates will continue up through the application deadline.

You can help with the search by considering people in your networks who might be strong candidates for the position. Please send nominations to MTSOPresident@academicsearch.org. All nominations are confidential and will go directly to our search partners from Academic Search.

I will be in touch as the confidential search process unfolds.

Gratefully,

Jeffrey A. Taylor
Chair, Board of Trustees
Co-chair, Presidential Search Committee

Previous messages

March 11, 2026

Dear Friends,

In the February 2026 Campus View, we received the news that President Jay Rundell will retire in June 2027, concluding 21 years of remarkable leadership at Methodist Theological School in Ohio. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I write with deep gratitude for Jay’s faithful service and for the steady, imaginative leadership he has offered this community since 2006.

During his presidency, MTSO has not simply adapted to change in theological education – it has helped shape it. Jay has encouraged the faculty to innovate while remaining grounded in our Wesleyan heritage. He has strengthened the school’s financial footing, broadened pathways for students preparing for ministry in a changing world, and deepened our commitment to forming leaders who serve both church and society with wisdom and compassion. Through seasons of challenge and opportunity alike, he has led with clarity, humility, and an abiding trust in the school’s mission.

Just as important as any institutional milestone has been Jay’s personal presence. He has listened carefully, engaged thoughtfully, and fostered a culture marked by intellectual rigor, spiritual depth, and genuine hospitality. Many in our community can point to a conversation, a moment of encouragement, or a shared vision that reflects his deep care for this place and its people.

As we give thanks for Jay’s leadership, we also turn toward the future with intention. The Board of Trustees is committed to a search process that is both thorough and grounded in prayerful discernment. Before defining the profile of our next president, we are listening carefully to the community to better understand MTSO’s calling in the years ahead – its opportunities, its challenges, and the gifts most needed in its next leader.

On March 2, trustees gathered on campus for the first of several listening events, engaging in extended conversations with faculty, students, staff, alumni, and friends. We heard deep appreciation for MTSO’s theological distinctiveness, a strong desire to expand our reach and accessibility, and a shared hope for leadership that will both honor our history and guide us confidently into a rapidly changing landscape. Additional listening opportunities will follow to ensure broad participation across the community.

We are now forming a presidential search committee that will reflect the breadth and wisdom of the MTSO community. At the same time, we are reviewing proposals from executive search firms to assist us in conducting a national search with integrity, transparency, and care.

There will be many occasions between now and June 2027 to celebrate Jay’s contributions more fully. For now, we simply offer our sincere thanks for the vision, steadiness, and faithfulness he has brought to his work. We are grateful beyond measure for his leadership and for the strong and hopeful future toward which he has helped position this beloved institution.

With gratitude and hope,

Jeffrey A. Taylor
Chair, Board of Trustees