Dr. French Arrington, left, School of Religion 2018 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year, poses with Dr. Terry Cross, dean of the School of Religion at the department breakfast where Dr. Arrington received his award
Dr. French Arrington was awarded the 2018 Lee University School of Religion Distinguished Alumnus Award at a department breakfast during Lee’s Homecoming.
Dr. Arrington currently teaches at the Church of God Theological Seminary. After obtaining degrees from Lee College and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Dr. Arrington received his Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary before returning to Lee College to teach Greek and New Testament.
“I had Dr. Arrington in the 1970s at Lee College and took every class he taught,” said Dr. Terry Cross, dean of the School of Religion. “His ability to interpret the New Testament text was life-changing for me. He required us to write exegetical papers that engaged the Greek text carefully and thoroughly, which might be expected in many Greek programs. However, he also required a sermon to be attached, developed from our detailed study. This pattern of study and presentation of it assisted me in preparing sermons for over a decade as a pastor.”
Dr. Arrington taught at Lee while earning his doctorate from St. Louis University, serving a total of 17 years. He then joined the faculty at the Church of God Theological Seminary, where he remained until his retirement.
He has served the Church of God as an ordained bishop and is currently the chair of the Doctrine and Polity Committee for the denomination. Dr. Arrington has written a number of important books for the benefit of ministers and laity. He has published a commentary on the book of Acts and most recently, “The Greatest Letter Ever Written: A Study of Romans.”
Supported by financial gifts from the Church of God in Indonesia, Dr. Arrington recently came out of retirement to teach at the Church of God Theological Seminary again.
“I nominated Dr. Arrington for the award this year because the School of Religion has been focusing on its 100th anniversary,” said Dr. Cross. “As the oldest school in the university, I felt choosing an educator with a remarkable commitment to the Church would be an important message to send to our alumni and students.”