Contact: Stacey McCray, 704-552-6565

CHARLOTTE, NC, Feb. 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- Dr. E. Glenn Wagner, a nationally known religious leader who currently serves as executive director for The Park Ministries' Center for Leadership Development and Deployment, recently was appointed chancellor of the Oxford Graduate School.

Oxford Graduate School, located in Dayton, Tenn., is an accredited private institution that offers degree programs designed to prepare Christian leaders to integrate faith and society and effect positive change in their professions and spheres of influence.

As chancellor, Wagner will be responsible for raising awareness and building relationships for Oxford Graduate School, nationally and internationally.

"The opportunity to serve Oxford Graduate School in this capacity is exciting," said Wagner, who also is a member of Oxford's first graduating class of 1984. "I have a deep appreciation for the school's philosophy of teaching students practical applications of their Christian values to transform lives as well as the workplace."

Dr. Wagner brings to the position nearly three decades of experience in the ministry as a founding board member and vice president of Promise Keepers, the Christian men's movement, and as founder and president of FutureLead, a faith-based Charlotte organization dedicated to teaching pastors and senior-level executives how to lead by creating healthy cultures based on trust, respect and values.

In continuing his work at The Park (formerly the Charlotte Merchandise Mart) and with FutureLead, Dr. Wagner says the synergy between the three organizations' missions to equip leaders is a win-win, especially for those who want to enhance their leadership skills and extend their faith beyond Sunday morning.

"This is a unique opportunity for collaborative ministry," says Wagner.

The Park established its leadership center in early 2008 with a three-fold vision of establishing a leadership development program for corporate executives, clergy and community leaders; implementing an accredited graduate school of theology; and creating a Global Mission Training Center to help identify, train and place people in missionary work.

Bishop Claude R. Alexander Jr., senior pastor for The Park Ministries, says that Wagner's appointment leads The Park one step closer to fulfilling its vision.

"There's no better person to lead this effort than Dr. Wagner," says Alexander. "We have great expectations that The Park's partnership with Oxford Graduate School will produce even greater educational and training opportunities for Charlotte area leaders, increasing our capacity to make a difference not only in the Charlotte region, but in fact, the world."

Under Wagner's leadership, the church is currently working with Oxford to create a teaching center at The Park, where students will have the opportunity to take some coursework needed to earn a degree from the graduate school. Oxford is currently accepting applications for the program, with the first set of courses expected to begin at The Park in Fall of 2009.

Wagner hopes The Park will become a fully accredited satellite campus for the graduate school in the near future.

About The Park Ministries
Under the 18-year leadership of Bishop Claude R. Alexander Jr., The Park Ministries - which includes University Park Baptist Church and The Park South - has grown into one of the largest churches in the Carolinas with more than 10,000 members and over 80 specialized ministries to serve its congregation and the community. In 2006, The Park Ministries purchased the Charlotte Merchandise Mart, a 529,000-square-foot facility, with plans to relocate its main campus and create an exciting destination called The Park that will house a diverse mix of educational, healthcare, dining, entertainment and retail offerings.