The Rev. E.J. Swatsell will oversee the university’s new Christian Leadership Institute, including its Discipleship Living-Learning Center. He will also be on point for all other aspects of campus ministry, including the university’s chapel sessions and church partnerships. In addition, he will play a major role in fundraising for Tusculum’s spiritual initiatives.
“Our students and the rest of the Tusculum family will benefit significantly from E.J.’s enthusiasm and commitment to serve the Lord,” said Dr. David Cook, provost and vice president of academic affairs. “His varied experiences of delivering the message of God’s love and leading people to a deeper relationship with Christ will produce even greater spiritual development on campus. We also know he will excel at further expanding our connections with churches in the region and securing needed financial resources for our faith enrichment activities.”
Tusculum was ranked No. 1 in 2023 in a list of the best Christian colleges in Tennessee by Bible Keeper, a Christian website.
Swatsell’s background
Swatsell served as associate pastor of Cedar Creek Church of God in Greeneville from 2010-2019. His emphasis was directing student ministry, and he conducted weekly meetings, gatherings and special activities that drew as many as 100 teenagers. He facilitated substantial growth in ministry and other facets of the church.
He also performed many functions associated with upper-level ministry positions – preaching, teaching, baptisms, funerals, weddings and visitations. His fundraising prowess included a $26,000 scrap metal drive and an annual peanut butter eggs fundraiser that collected an average of $15,000 a year.
These days, Swatsell serves in the young adult ministry at First Church of God in Greeneville, where he and his family worship.
His spiritual guidance also extends to his service as chaplain for the Greeneville Fire Department since 2016. He ministers to the department’s personnel as they perform their duties and supports community members on the other side who have emergencies, experience grief or work their way through recovery. He is a member of the national Federation of Fire Chaplains and the Tennessee Federation of Fire Chaplains.
Swatsell was licensed in 2010 and ordained in 2012 in the ministry by the Tennessee Ministries of the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana).
Outside the ministry, Swatsell has achieved tremendous success. That includes producing about $1 million in sales during his four years as owner and operator of Back Porch Antiques. A fourth-generation farmer, he is now the owner of a 100-year-old family farm that raises beef cattle.
Since February, Swatsell has served as an academic advisor in the Educational Talent Search program at Tusculum. This program serves middle school and high school students whose parents or guardians have not earned a bachelor’s degree and who are income eligible.
He has been responsible for coordinating outreach efforts to 145 high school students in Carter and Unicoi counties. The program provides services and programs that helps students succeed in high school and encourages them to enroll in college. He is transitioning from this position to move into his spiritual duties at Tusculum.
The South Greene High School graduate has a bachelor’s degree in history from Milligan University, a master’s degree in Appalachian studies from East Tennessee State University and a nonprofit fundraising certificate from the University of Tennessee.
“I look forward to using my gifts to benefit the university in my new role, and I seek to make a positive impact,” Swatsell said. “I would like to use my abilities and experience to assist university leaders in growing spiritual development curriculum and programming. As efforts continue, I am focused on seeing spiritual development become an even larger emphasis at Tusculum. Christ’s servant leadership will be a model for me as I develop programming and ministry opportunities.”
New endeavors
The Christian Leadership Institute is a multidimensional program designed primarily to support students but also enrich the faith lives of community members. It consists of three phases, and the first includes the Discipleship Living-Learning Center.
The center will invite first- and second-year students to live in university-owned houses with fellow Pioneers who want to further strengthen their relationship with God. They will engage in Bible study, including learning from local pastors and other Christian leaders, and participate in other ministry activities.
The university will use two houses – one for each gender – in the beginning with additional ones being added in the future. Living with these first- and second-year students will be older students, who will serve as peer mentors. These mentors will hold weekly discipleship sessions with the younger students, assist with operation of the Bible sessions and help students with any other spiritual resources they need.
Swatsell is enthusiastic about the center. He and Dr. Cook will train the peer mentors.
“Surrounding students with like-minded learners allows them to draw from the strengths of each other,” Swatsell said. “The center will foster spiritual growth and will create a sense of unity and solidity for the program within university life. Student leaders will develop from the program, and that will be an asset to the university.”
The Christian Leadership Institute’s first phase also includes the Christians in Business Dinner. The dinner has a two-fold purpose. The first to raise funds for the $2,000 annual scholarships given to the first- and second-year students in the Discipleship Living-Learning Center.
The second is to recognize the recipient of the Christian Leadership Award. Tusculum held the first-ever dinner in May and honored the late Chuck Bowlin, who served as president and CEO of Greeneville Energy Authority. The dinner will be an annual event.
The second phase will include the use of discipleship assistants in Tusculum’s residence halls, additional resources for the university’s chapel services and development of The Calling Conference. The conference will empower students to discern their calling by connecting with Christian professionals from a variety of fields.
In the third phase, the Christian Leadership Institute will create community-centered programming and conferences for Christians serving in an array of professions. Tusculum also plans to establish a Christian leadership academic major, which will be geared toward undergraduate students who want to work in Christian ministries.
”The Christian Leadership Institute is designed to develop Christian leaders,” Swatsell said. “As students grow in that capacity, their desire to serve will increase, too. Christ exemplified servant leadership and was the perfect example. The world and Tusculum can never have enough servant leaders and will certainly be enhanced by our Christian Leadership Institute.”
Church relations and chapel
Since the arrival of Dr. Scott Hummel as president, Tusculum has placed considerable emphasis on expanding its connections with local churches. Many churches have adopted Tusculum’s athletic teams, and students have a number of opportunities to participate in spiritual programs on campus through churches and other organizations.
Tusculum has established a Church Partnerships Working Group that Dr. Cook and Swatsell will lead together. This group consists of Tusculum employees, who worship with multiple denominations and find ways to bond with additional local churches. Swatsell will take the lead on the formal outreach with assistance from the other members.
Another staple at Tusculum is weekly voluntary chapel sessions. Swatsell wants to take them to the next level.
“I look forward to working with local ministers and fellow university members to ensure we continue to have a productive, enjoyable and meaningful chapel experience,” he said. “As the model grows, we may implement community and university service opportunities as a way to follow Christ’s example of servant leadership.”
To learn more about Tusculum’s campus ministries, please visit https://site.tusculum.edu/campus-ministries/. Additional information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu.
