(VIENNA, Va.) – Reformed Theological Seminary, Washington is pleased to announce that the newly formed Stephen B. Elmer Chair of Old Testament will be assigned to Dr. John S. Redd, Jr. Dr. Redd currently serves as president of the Washington campus. Dr. Redd has also been promoted from associate professor to professor of Old Testament at the seminary.
The newly endowed professorship is named after Stephen B. Elmer (1924-2007), a native of New York who left a lucrative career to serve as a church member in Orleans, Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, he served as a role model and mentor to RTS Washington alumnus and donor Luke Gibson, who, together with his family has provided the core funding for this endowment.
“Mr. Elmer’s example of diligence, generosity, and Christian discipleship has influenced Luke and many others in their community, and it embodies RTS’ vision of training the next generation to be men and women devoted to serving Jesus Christ, his church, and the world,” said Dr. Redd. “We are thankful for this gift. The endowed professorship is a powerful tool for the Christian seminary because it provides important funding for our work that will continue in perpetuity.”
Before Dr. Redd began serving as president of RTS Washington in June 2012, he was dean of students and taught at RTS Orlando. “I am grateful for this new faculty chair and the opportunity to appoint Dr. Redd as the first professor at RTS to hold it,” said RTS Chancellor and CEO J. Ligon Duncan III. “This appointment speaks to the quality of his scholarship and leadership in the Washington campus.”
Stephen B. Elmer
After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy in 1946, Stephen B. Elmer (“Buzz”) served the U.S. Constabulary Forces in occupied Germany as command of headquarters in Heidelberg and the Russian Intelligence and Language School in Bavaria. In 1950, he resigned from the regular army to pursue a career in investments, which led him through various companies and positions: assistant vice president at the First Boston Corporation (1950-1959), head of European institutional sales for F.S. Smithers & Co. (1959-1963), and vice president for investment counsel at Loomis Sayles & Company (1963-1970). He also served as the director and chairman of the board of trustees of the Haydon Trust in Bermuda.
“Buzz was a dear friend and mentor to me and many others in the church in which I grew up,” said Mr. Gibson, “His ministerial heart and generous manner were an encouragement to me as a young man pursuing God’s call in my life.”
Stephen Elmer was a man beloved by his family and community. He was married to Isabel, and together they had four children: Monica, David, Lucy, and Victoria. A committed church member and an active community leader, he was a man whose faith in Christ moved him toward giving of his time and resources. He volunteered at the Cape Cod Hospital and at a local outreach that provided lunch for those in need.
RTS Washington
RTS Washington is part of a 50-plus-year endeavor to train pastors and other church leaders in the ministry of the gospel in the U.S. and around the world. If you would like to learn more about RTS Washington, please contact us at 703-448-3393 or visit rts.edu/washington-dc.