President Brian Arnold announced Thursday (July 2) the appointment of Kody Gibson as Director of Enrollment and Communications. Gibson has over a decade of experience in Christian higher education, serving most recently as Vice President of Communications at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary prior to leading the seminary’s recruiting efforts for three years as Director of Admissions.
President Arnold expressed his excitement about Gibson’s strategic role at Phoenix Seminary. “Kody Gibson is the perfect fit for Phoenix Seminary. He possesses all the skills and knowledge to help our institution continue to grow, but it is his strategic mind and creative energy paired with his passion for Christ and love for the church that makes him such an asset to our team. He is everything we are looking for in leadership at our Seminary.”
During his tenure as Director of Admissions, Gibson led Southern Seminary to increases in new student undergraduate enrollment (22%), graduate enrollment (13%), and professional doctoral enrollment (34%), helping Southern become the largest Association of Theological Schools (ATS) institution.
In 2018, Gibson became Southern’s VP of Communications, overseeing branding and marketing for the Southern Baptist Convention’s flagship seminary. He created the seminary’s “Trusted for Truth” campaign and executed key communications initiatives such as website redesigns, content creation, and digital marketing.
“Kody brings world-class expertise in enrollment and communications for a growing seminary,” said Dr. J. Michael Thigpen, Provost and Executive Vice President at Phoenix Seminary. “Even more importantly, as a deeply devoted and faithful churchman, Kody understands and believes in the mission of Phoenix Seminary—to strengthen churches in Phoenix and around the world.”
Gibson will serve in executive leadership at the seminary, helping to craft and manage the brand of the institution as a top-tier theological school that focuses on training men and women for Christ-centered ministry in the Southwest and beyond.
“I’m so happy to be a part of the Phoenix Seminary family and serve her mission to build up the churches of Phoenix, the Southwestern region, and beyond by training biblically sound leaders with a shepherd’s heart. Dr. Arnold is a bright Christian scholar and leader who has a compelling vision for the seminary, one that prioritizes excellence in Christian scholarship that serves the Kingdom of God. There is real momentum at Phoenix Seminary, demonstrated by a constantly publishing faculty and initiatives like the Text & Canon Institute. Theological education done right is absolutely beautiful and I consider it a blessing to give my energy to seeing more faithful, biblical, and missional students sent out from Phoenix into all the world. I can’t wait to invite future students to be prepared here.”
Gibson received his B.A. from Ouachita Baptist University and his M.Div. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Juli, have three children: Liv (7), Campbell (4), and Joe Ryan (1).
