Mark Rutland
Encyclopedia
Mark Rutland is a missionary, evangelist, ordained minister of the International Ministerial Fellowship, and the third and current President of Oral Roberts University
in Tulsa, Oklahoma
. He was elected to that position following a vote by the Oral Roberts University
Board of Trustees on January 28, 2009. His acceptance of the offer to become the university's president makes him the first person to hold that office who is not a member of the family of the institution's founder and first president: the evangelist and faith healer
, Oral Roberts
. Prior to his election as President of Oral Roberts University
, Rutland served as the President of Southeastern University of the Assemblies of God
in Lakeland, Florida
, from 1999 to 2009. Additionally he has served as Pastor of Calvary Assembly of God in Orlando, Florida
, and as an Associate Pastor at Mount Paran Church of God in Atlanta, Georgia
(Rutland, 1987 p. 177). He is the founder of Global Servants, formerly known as the Trinity Foundation, an organization centered on missions and evangelism around the world, and the House of Grace, a home for tribal girls threatened by sexual slavery in Chiang Rai City, Thailand
. He also has a thirty-minute syndicated radio program entitled "Herald of Joy". Rutland is married to Alison Rutland (née Permenter) and has three children.
but grew up and was raised throughout the southeastern United States
, including Florida
and Georgia
, until finally coming of age in Maryland
. He met his future wife, Alison, in his junior year of high school, where she was a member of the cheerleading squad. Upon graduation from high school, Rutland entered the University of Maryland, College Park
initially to earn a degree in public relations and to pursue a career in politics
(Rutland, 1987 p. 2). Eventually, however, he began to pursue a career in Christian
ministry and upon graduation from the University of Maryland, he enrolled in the Candler School of Theology
at Emory University
. Rutland credits this change in direction to several supernatural experiences that took place in his youth. He became a born-again Christian while attending a evangelical youth camp in Blue Lake, Alabama, and it was there that Rutland believes to have received a mandate from God calling him to be a preacher (Rutland, 1987 p. 4). Some years later, his wife Alison, also a born-again Christian, indicated that she too had received a word from God that Rutland was to become a minister and it is his wife's confirmation that he credited as the deciding factor in his decision to abandon his dreams of politics and pursue a life of ministry.
Upon completion of study at Emory University
, Rutland's first assignment was at the Little River United Methodist Church in Woodstock, Georgia
(Rutland 1987, p. 8). Later, he became a pastor at Oak Grove United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. During his tenure at Oak Grove, Rutland claims that his marriage was disintegrating and that he attempted suicide. (Rutland, 1987 p. 16). It was at a "Conference on Power for Ministry Today" held at a Ramada Inn in Atlanta, Georgia
in December, 1975, that Rutland was baptized in the holy spirit
as evidenced by speaking in other tongues
(Rutland, 1987 p. 23). Rutland credits this experience as the real turning point in his life (Rutland, 1987 p. 23).
s and conferences in a number of churches and it was during this period that he believes God began calling him to the mission
field. His first mission was to the country of Mexico
in 1977 where he worked with American missionary couple Jim and Helen Mann in the village of Laborcitas (Rutland, 1987 p. 51-53) While Rutland undertook many other missions to Mexico, his foray into missions did not begin in earnest until 1979 when, after he believed he had received a revelation that God would be sending him all over the world to carry out missions, he traveled to the country of Ghana
(Rutland, 1987 p. 77) Initially, Rutland was forced to wait in London, England, for several days as the airport in Accra, Ghana, was closed as a result of an attempted coup on May 15, 1979, by forces loyal to future leader of Ghana, Flight Lieutenant
Jerry Rawlings
.
Rutland's mission to Ghana
in 1979 consisted of a 28-day crusade in which he preached in many places and churches throughout the country, including the cities of Accra and Kumasi. In Kumasi, he worked a great deal with a man named Brew Riverson, the President of the small Methodist
training college in the city Wesley College
and whom he had become acquainted with several years before at a rally he had held in Atlanta, Georgia
.
In the following years, Rutland carried out many other evangelistic missions to many countries, including Ghana
; among the many places where Rutland undertook missions in the subsequent years were Nigeria
, India
, Benin
, Colombia
, Peru
, Thailand
, and Mexico
among others (Rutland, 1987). It was also during this time that he founded the Trinity Foundation, later renamed Global Servants. Originally intended to be an evangelistic organization operating within the United States
, Global Servants became an evangelistic missions association that has carried out operations all over the world from the founding of bible training schools in many different countries to the founding of the House of Grace in Chiang Rai City, Thailand
, in 1988. The House of Grace was started as a place of refuge for young ethnic Akha girls at risk of becoming ensnared in the lucrative Southeast Asia
n sex slave
trade.
, to serve as a Associate Pastor for a period of two years (Rutland, 1987 p. 177). After completing his two years at Mount Paran, Rutland took the helm of the financially struggling and leaderless Calvary Assembly of God in Orlando, Florida
, in 1990.
When Rutland arrived at Calvary, the church was reeling from the effects of a financial crisis (bankruptcy was thought to be inevitable), a sexual scandal, and drastically reduced membership. During Rutland's leadership of Calvary Assembly of God from 1990 to 1995, he oversaw the reduction in the church's debt by $4 million from $15 million. Calvary was and continues to be among the largest Assembly of God
congregations in the United States and during Rutland's leadership of the church, attendance increased from 1,800 to 3,600.
in Lakeland, Florida
At that time, Southeastern University was struggling financially, facing many maintenance issues, and was suffering from declining enrollment. In the ten years since he took over the institution, Southeastern transitioned to become a full university and experienced greater than a tripling in its enrollment, increasing from around 1,000 to greater than 3,000. As well, more than $50 million has been invested in various construction and renovation projects on campus, including new dormitories, a new cafeteria, administrative offices, a fitness center and a bookstore.
in Tulsa, Oklahoma
, elected Rutland as the 3rd President of the institution. Rutland's selection came about after he was recommended by the university's presidential search committee to the Board of Trustees. The committee had been formed following the resignation of the school's former president, evangelist and son of the institution's namesake, Richard Roberts
, in 2007. Roberts' resignation came on the heels of a financial scandal and a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by several former faculty members of the university, as well as numerous claims of misuse of funds and impropriety directed against his wife, Lindsay Roberts. Rutland's election marks the first time in the history of Oral Roberts University
that a person not a member of the Roberts family will hold the office of president.
Rutland was selected from a pool of more than 130 applicants to lead the university and he assumed the office of the President on July 1, 2009, taking the reins of the institution from Interim President Dr. Ralph Fagin, who was appointed to the position following the resignation of Richard Roberts
in 2007. Although Oral Roberts
was not personally involved with the selection process, Rutland is reportedly the only person he seriously considered to take over the presidency of the university. Rutland initially told ORU he was not interested in the position, and would not even submit a resume, but was eventually persuaded to accept the post by ORU board chairman Mart Green
. According to an Associated Press report, Rutland will be making a yearly salary of $275,000. Rutland has stated that his main goals as president will be to expand the university's enrollment, as well as work to restore trust between the university and the public with a "level of transparency, authenticity, and being [as] straightforward as possible." In keeping with his goals for the university, Rutland decided to take on the responsibility for preaching at nearly all of the school's chapel services himself. It has been reported that Rutland hopes to be able to increase enrollment from its current level at just over 3,000 to as much as 6,500
Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University , based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States, is an interdenominational, Charismatic Christian, comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from 49 U.S. states along with a significant number of international students from 70 countries...
in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. He was elected to that position following a vote by the Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University , based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States, is an interdenominational, Charismatic Christian, comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from 49 U.S. states along with a significant number of international students from 70 countries...
Board of Trustees on January 28, 2009. His acceptance of the offer to become the university's president makes him the first person to hold that office who is not a member of the family of the institution's founder and first president: the evangelist and faith healer
Faith healing
Faith healing is healing through spiritual means. The healing of a person is brought about by religious faith through prayer and/or rituals that, according to adherents, stimulate a divine presence and power toward correcting disease and disability. Belief in divine intervention in illness or...
, Oral Roberts
Oral Roberts
Granville "Oral" Roberts was an American Pentecostal televangelist and a Christian charismatic. He founded the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association and Oral Roberts University....
. Prior to his election as President of Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University , based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States, is an interdenominational, Charismatic Christian, comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from 49 U.S. states along with a significant number of international students from 70 countries...
, Rutland served as the President of Southeastern University of the Assemblies of God
Southeastern University of the Assemblies of God
Southeastern University is a private Christian liberal arts university located in Lakeland, Florida, USA. It was established in 1935 in New Brockton, Alabama as a Bible college, relocated to Lakeland in 1946, and became a liberal arts college in 1970. The school has four colleges and is the largest...
in Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
, from 1999 to 2009. Additionally he has served as Pastor of Calvary Assembly of God in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, and as an Associate Pastor at Mount Paran Church of God in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
(Rutland, 1987 p. 177). He is the founder of Global Servants, formerly known as the Trinity Foundation, an organization centered on missions and evangelism around the world, and the House of Grace, a home for tribal girls threatened by sexual slavery in Chiang Rai City, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. He also has a thirty-minute syndicated radio program entitled "Herald of Joy". Rutland is married to Alison Rutland (née Permenter) and has three children.
Early life
Rutland was born in Commerce, TexasCommerce, Texas
Commerce is a city in Hunt County, Texas, United States, located in rural East Texas. The population was 7,669 at the 2000 census, however recent growth and its proximity to Interstate 30 and the eastern Metroplex has put the population around 9750...
but grew up and was raised throughout the southeastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, including Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, until finally coming of age in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. He met his future wife, Alison, in his junior year of high school, where she was a member of the cheerleading squad. Upon graduation from high school, Rutland entered the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
initially to earn a degree in public relations and to pursue a career in politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
(Rutland, 1987 p. 2). Eventually, however, he began to pursue a career in Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
ministry and upon graduation from the University of Maryland, he enrolled in the Candler School of Theology
Candler School of Theology
Candler School of Theology, Emory University, is one of 13 seminaries of the United Methodist Church. Founded in 1914, the school was named after Warren Akin Candler, a former President and Chancellor of Emory University and a Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South...
at Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
. Rutland credits this change in direction to several supernatural experiences that took place in his youth. He became a born-again Christian while attending a evangelical youth camp in Blue Lake, Alabama, and it was there that Rutland believes to have received a mandate from God calling him to be a preacher (Rutland, 1987 p. 4). Some years later, his wife Alison, also a born-again Christian, indicated that she too had received a word from God that Rutland was to become a minister and it is his wife's confirmation that he credited as the deciding factor in his decision to abandon his dreams of politics and pursue a life of ministry.
Upon completion of study at Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
, Rutland's first assignment was at the Little River United Methodist Church in Woodstock, Georgia
Woodstock, Georgia
Woodstock is a city in Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. The population was 23,896 at the 2010 census.Originally a stop on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, Woodstock is now considered part of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
(Rutland 1987, p. 8). Later, he became a pastor at Oak Grove United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. During his tenure at Oak Grove, Rutland claims that his marriage was disintegrating and that he attempted suicide. (Rutland, 1987 p. 16). It was at a "Conference on Power for Ministry Today" held at a Ramada Inn in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
in December, 1975, that Rutland was baptized in the holy spirit
Baptism with the Holy Spirit
Baptism with the Holy Spirit in Christian theology is a term describing baptism in or with the Spirit of God...
as evidenced by speaking in other tongues
Glossolalia
Glossolalia or speaking in tongues is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables, often as part of religious practice. The significance of glossolalia has varied with time and place, with some considering it a part of a sacred language...
(Rutland, 1987 p. 23). Rutland credits this experience as the real turning point in his life (Rutland, 1987 p. 23).
Missions work
After his experience in 1975, Rutland began preaching revivalChristian revival
Christian revival is a term that generally refers to a specific period of increased spiritual interest or renewal in the life of a church congregation or many churches, either regionally or globally...
s and conferences in a number of churches and it was during this period that he believes God began calling him to the mission
Proselytism
Proselytizing is the act of attempting to convert people to another opinion and, particularly, another religion. The word proselytize is derived ultimately from the Greek language prefix προσ- and the verb ἔρχομαι in the form of προσήλυτος...
field. His first mission was to the country of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in 1977 where he worked with American missionary couple Jim and Helen Mann in the village of Laborcitas (Rutland, 1987 p. 51-53) While Rutland undertook many other missions to Mexico, his foray into missions did not begin in earnest until 1979 when, after he believed he had received a revelation that God would be sending him all over the world to carry out missions, he traveled to the country of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
(Rutland, 1987 p. 77) Initially, Rutland was forced to wait in London, England, for several days as the airport in Accra, Ghana, was closed as a result of an attempted coup on May 15, 1979, by forces loyal to future leader of Ghana, Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
Jerry Rawlings
Jerry Rawlings
Jerry John Rawlings is a former leader of the Republic of Ghana and now the African Union envoy to Somalia. Rawlings ruled Ghana as a military dictator in 1979 and from 1981 to 1992 and then as the first elected president of the Fourth Republic from 1993 to 2001...
.
Rutland's mission to Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
in 1979 consisted of a 28-day crusade in which he preached in many places and churches throughout the country, including the cities of Accra and Kumasi. In Kumasi, he worked a great deal with a man named Brew Riverson, the President of the small Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
training college in the city Wesley College
Wesley College, Kumasi
Wesley College is a training college in Kumasi in Ghana. It was opened in 1924 for the training of teachers, catechists and ministers. Founded by the Methodist Church. Between New Tafo and Old Tafo towns.-Notable alumni:*Kofi Abrefa Busia*-External links:...
and whom he had become acquainted with several years before at a rally he had held in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
.
In the following years, Rutland carried out many other evangelistic missions to many countries, including Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
; among the many places where Rutland undertook missions in the subsequent years were Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
among others (Rutland, 1987). It was also during this time that he founded the Trinity Foundation, later renamed Global Servants. Originally intended to be an evangelistic organization operating within the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Global Servants became an evangelistic missions association that has carried out operations all over the world from the founding of bible training schools in many different countries to the founding of the House of Grace in Chiang Rai City, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, in 1988. The House of Grace was started as a place of refuge for young ethnic Akha girls at risk of becoming ensnared in the lucrative Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n sex slave
Sexual slavery
Sexual slavery is when unwilling people are coerced into slavery for sexual exploitation. The incidence of sexual slavery by country has been studied and tabulated by UNESCO, with the cooperation of various international agencies...
trade.
Later pastoral work
In 1987, Rutland was invited by the Senior Pastor of Mount Paran Church of God in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, to serve as a Associate Pastor for a period of two years (Rutland, 1987 p. 177). After completing his two years at Mount Paran, Rutland took the helm of the financially struggling and leaderless Calvary Assembly of God in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, in 1990.
When Rutland arrived at Calvary, the church was reeling from the effects of a financial crisis (bankruptcy was thought to be inevitable), a sexual scandal, and drastically reduced membership. During Rutland's leadership of Calvary Assembly of God from 1990 to 1995, he oversaw the reduction in the church's debt by $4 million from $15 million. Calvary was and continues to be among the largest Assembly of God
Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
congregations in the United States and during Rutland's leadership of the church, attendance increased from 1,800 to 3,600.
President of Southeastern University
In 1999, Rutland was asked to become the new president of Southeastern University of the Assemblies of GodSoutheastern University of the Assemblies of God
Southeastern University is a private Christian liberal arts university located in Lakeland, Florida, USA. It was established in 1935 in New Brockton, Alabama as a Bible college, relocated to Lakeland in 1946, and became a liberal arts college in 1970. The school has four colleges and is the largest...
in Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
At that time, Southeastern University was struggling financially, facing many maintenance issues, and was suffering from declining enrollment. In the ten years since he took over the institution, Southeastern transitioned to become a full university and experienced greater than a tripling in its enrollment, increasing from around 1,000 to greater than 3,000. As well, more than $50 million has been invested in various construction and renovation projects on campus, including new dormitories, a new cafeteria, administrative offices, a fitness center and a bookstore.
President of Oral Roberts University
On January 28, 2009, the Board of Trustees of Oral Roberts UniversityOral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University , based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States, is an interdenominational, Charismatic Christian, comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from 49 U.S. states along with a significant number of international students from 70 countries...
in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, elected Rutland as the 3rd President of the institution. Rutland's selection came about after he was recommended by the university's presidential search committee to the Board of Trustees. The committee had been formed following the resignation of the school's former president, evangelist and son of the institution's namesake, Richard Roberts
Richard Roberts
Richard Roberts may refer to:* Richard Roberts , British engineer* Richard W. Roberts, American judge*Richard Roberts , Anglican Archdeacon of St Asaph...
, in 2007. Roberts' resignation came on the heels of a financial scandal and a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by several former faculty members of the university, as well as numerous claims of misuse of funds and impropriety directed against his wife, Lindsay Roberts. Rutland's election marks the first time in the history of Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University , based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States, is an interdenominational, Charismatic Christian, comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from 49 U.S. states along with a significant number of international students from 70 countries...
that a person not a member of the Roberts family will hold the office of president.
Rutland was selected from a pool of more than 130 applicants to lead the university and he assumed the office of the President on July 1, 2009, taking the reins of the institution from Interim President Dr. Ralph Fagin, who was appointed to the position following the resignation of Richard Roberts
Richard Roberts
Richard Roberts may refer to:* Richard Roberts , British engineer* Richard W. Roberts, American judge*Richard Roberts , Anglican Archdeacon of St Asaph...
in 2007. Although Oral Roberts
Oral Roberts
Granville "Oral" Roberts was an American Pentecostal televangelist and a Christian charismatic. He founded the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association and Oral Roberts University....
was not personally involved with the selection process, Rutland is reportedly the only person he seriously considered to take over the presidency of the university. Rutland initially told ORU he was not interested in the position, and would not even submit a resume, but was eventually persuaded to accept the post by ORU board chairman Mart Green
Mart Green
Mart Green is the founder and CEO of Mardel Christian and Educational Supply and of Every Tribe Entertainment, and an heir to the Hobby Lobby family of companies which was founded by Mart's father David Green....
. According to an Associated Press report, Rutland will be making a yearly salary of $275,000. Rutland has stated that his main goals as president will be to expand the university's enrollment, as well as work to restore trust between the university and the public with a "level of transparency, authenticity, and being [as] straightforward as possible." In keeping with his goals for the university, Rutland decided to take on the responsibility for preaching at nearly all of the school's chapel services himself. It has been reported that Rutland hopes to be able to increase enrollment from its current level at just over 3,000 to as much as 6,500
Published works
- Launch Out into the Deep, Rutland's memoir and autobiography, originally published in 1987.
- The Finger of God
- Hanging by a Thread
- Behind the Glittering Mask
- Streams of Mercy
- God of the Valleys
- Nevertheless
- Dream
- Character Matters
- Power
- Holiness
- Resurrection
- Most Likely to Succeed