FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – The Emmanuel College Board of Trustees is pleased to announce Dr. Ronald G. White as Interim President.

“Ron White is certainly not a stranger to Emmanuel College,” said Bishop Tommy McGhee, who has served as EC’s Acting CEO since May, as he introduced Dr. White to faculty and staff on Wednesday, Sept. 3. “He is connected well to our denomination, and he served here for 22 years in addition to his time here as a student.” 

A 1969 graduate of Emmanuel, Dr. White worked in enrollment management at Emmanuel from 1980 to 2002. He also served as the Director of Singers for many of those years.

Currently, Dr. White is a full-time faculty member in the graduate school at Columbia College in South Carolina in the higher education and divergent learning programs. He is also an associate consultant with Noel-Levitz in strategic enrollment planning and recruiting. From 2002 to 2013, he served as Vice President for Enrollment Management at Columbia College.

“I am delighted that Dr. Ron White has been elected by the Emmanuel College Board of Trustees to serve in the role of Interim President,” said Mrs. Linda Thomas, EC Board of Trustees Chair. “His credentials certainly qualify him; but, more importantly, his heart for the ministry of this college strengthens his commitment to work diligently for its success. He understands that we are a Christ-centered institution dedicated to the mission of equipping our students to make a Godly impact on the world. Fellow board members and I look forward to working closely with Dr. White in the days ahead.”

In his opening comments, Dr. White said Emmanuel’s future direction would come not from one man or one woman, but by working together, as a community, on behalf of this college and the Kingdom of God.

“I’m honored to be selected as your Interim President,” Dr. White said. “I hope each of you believes in your heart, as I do, that God is still with us. That’s in our name, and I believe it is reality.

“I hope that gives you hope. It gives me hope because I know where my hope is placed, and I know where our source is; our source is in God,” he said.

As Dr. White emphasized the importance of prayer in addition to the work and collaboration required to operate a college, he said, “Prayer precedes strategy.” He announced plans to organize a network of prayer partners around the globe as well as a regular time of prayer each week on campus for faculty, staff and students.

In addition to prayer, he said we need to have faith in God and to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us to the most effective and productive strategies.

Those strategies, he shared, would seek to strengthen revenue, follow proven business practices, and think ahead in preparation for the next president.

 “While I do not yet know all the details of what I will be doing, I have a plan, and I will need your help,” he said.

“This is going to be the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced. I am not up to the challenge, but God in me is,” he added. “That’s where I’m standing, and I hope that’s where you’re standing – God in you is able to help you stand up to whatever challenges you face.”

Dr. White’s wife, Carol, is a 1971 graduate of Emmanuel and served on EC’s music faculty for 22 years. Their sons, Seth (2000) and Britt (2001, 2002), are also alumni as well as other relatives.

“Emmanuel is in our blood,” he said. “We have loved this institution, and we’ve given our time, our energy, our service, our money. We have always had a dear place in our hearts for Emmanuel and everything that goes on here.”