Nazarene Theological Seminary

Effective July 1, 2007, Dr. Darius Salter will leave the halls of NTS to return to the local church—Richardson (TX) First church of the Nazarene—as Pastor. 

When asked to reflect on his 16 years at NTS, Dr. Salter shared the following with us:  “I am appreciative for my sixteen years at NTS - especially for all the students.  I’m appreciative for their desire to learn and the great sacrifices they make to come here.  It has been my passion to teach them and I will miss them.  I have made an investment in the Kingdom of God by making an investment in ministers of the Gospel.”

Since 1991, Dr. Salter has served NTS as Professor of Christian Preaching and Pastoral Theology.  In addition, he also served as Director of the NTS Doctor of Ministry Program, 1991-1996, and Director of our Supervised Ministries Program, 1991-2001.  He earned the Master of Divinity Degree from Asbury Theological Seminary and the Ph.D. from Drew University.  Salter is married to Brenda, and they have four daughters: Heather, Heidi, Tabitha, and Ashley. He coaches fast-pitch softball, which all of his daughters have played.

Salter is the author of several books, including: Spirit and Intellect- Thomas Upham's Holiness Theology; What Really Matters In Ministry- Profiling Pastoral Success In Flourishing Churches; American Evangelism-Its Theology and Practice; and Prophetical/Priestly Words: Biblical Identity for the 21st Century Pastor. His latest book is a critical biography of Francis Asbury entitled America’s Bishop: The Life of Francis Asbury.

Dr. Salter serves as a camp meeting speaker and revival preacher across the U.S. He is founder of Redemptive Lift, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the welfare of those who live in the urban core of Kansas City.  His passion for helping those in need is evident in his generosity and involvement in various organizations and ministries, including his ongoing support of the Seminary’s Bresee Scholarship which provides financial assistance to NTS students who also work at the KC Rescue Mission.

Regarding Satler and his impact within the Seminary community, NTS President Ron Benefiel shared the following:
“Darius Salter has made numerous contributions to the NTS community over the past 16 years in addition to his contributions in the classroom.  He is an excellent preacher and has not only modeled preaching for our students, but also served the church and represented NTS well in his preaching in churches and camp meetings across the country.  His scholarship and ability as an author has enabled him to make a significant contribution in the publication of five books, including an extensive biography of the life and ministry of Francis Asbury.  Darius has also been a model for our students of Christian compassion not only in his personal life, but also by leading numerous missions of care for those in need.” 

 

 

Dr. Darius Salter: From a Student's Perspective

"Dr. Salter has the ability to captivate an audience while sharing amazing insights into the Word of God.  In the classroom he freely shared tools to his effectiveness, but also shared his heart of getting the Word of God to the people in a transforming manner.  Richardson Church of the Nazarene, watch out!" 
Dr. Salter has a deep and sincere passion for people in need, which he shows by giving of himself and his resources to spread the love of God.  He illustrates, encourages, and promotes effective utilization of theological, Biblical, and ministerial knowledge in practical expressions of God's mission and communication of the gospel.  He does this both through his teaching and his daily life of Christ-centered ministry.

 

“Dr. Salter has had one of the most profound impacts upon my ministry. He taught me how to preach. Though he would probably say that ‘preaching is not taught, it is caught,’ that didn’t stop him from trying to teach all of us Nazarene pastors to become preachers.  Dr. Salter could offer some incredible advice. One day, he told us, ‘Don’t get in the way of the gospel. Don’t try to get cute. Just tell the story and let the gospel speak for itself.’ It is tempting, sometimes, when Sunday’s scripture texts seem dry and the words won’t come, it is tempting to make the gospel say something that isn’t there. That’s when I remember Salter’s words.