After a half-year search by the 10 trustees of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, Jeff Iorg has been elected to succeed the retired William O. Crews as the next seminary president. The decision was announced in the beginning of their April 26-27 meeting on campus.

Iorg will assume the presidency on Aug. 1, making him the seminary’s seventh president.

"Now it is time to move forward together," Iorg told trustees. "You have agreed with God, and we have agreed together with God that I am to be your president. How humbling and exciting, all at the same time."

Iorg has served many notable positions in the Convention. He was not only an instructor at the seminary’s Pacific Northwest Campus since 1990, he has been the executive director-treasurer of the Northwest Baptist Convention since 1995.

"Dr. Iorg is just the right person for this key leadership position," said Crews, the seminary's chancellor. "His superb leadership at the Northwest Baptist Convention and experience at the local church along with his teaching experience uniquely qualifies him to lead this seminary."

In March, Iorg was elected to the full trustee board. Among other positions, he was also the founding pastor of Greater Gresham Baptist Church in Gresham, Ore., and also has served as pastor of a church in Missouri and as a staff pastor in Texas.

Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary is a Cooperative Program ministry of the Southern Baptist Convention and operates five campuses in Northern California, Southern California, the Pacific Northwest, Arizona and Colorado.