Strategic Update from Provost
Moody Bible Institute’s senior vice president and provost, Dr. Timothy Sisk, announced today the retirements of Dr. Winfred Neely and Dr. Michael Rydelnik from their education leadership roles, effective June 30, 2025.
“We are grateful for how the Lord has used both of these men to influence the Kingdom and we pray for their next season of life and ministry,” said Sisk. “Beloved by their students and colleagues, they have faithfully served the Lord at Moody Bible Institute for a combined 56 years! Their leadership and heart for our students will be missed tremendously.”
As a long-time professor, theologian, missionary, pastor and church planter, Dr. Neely served in the undergraduate school, and then as the vice president and dean of Moody Theological Seminary, a position he has held since 2020. “I have had the immense privilege to serve Christ at Moody Bible Institute for the last 24 years of my life,” Neely shared. “They have been good years with many wonderful relationships with faculty and students forged over the years. Serving as the vice president and academic dean of Moody Theological Seminary is one of the major highlights of my life in ministry. I love Moody and share our deeply cherished convictions.”
Dr. Rydelnik first stepped on to the Chicago campus in 1974 as a Jewish Studies student and returned in 1994 as professor and program head in Moody’s 102-year-old historic Jewish Studies program. He has served as the vice president and dean of the undergraduate school since 2022. “In addition to teaching our wonderful students, the Lord has allowed me to broadcast with Moody Radio, publish with Moody Publishers, and speak at Moody Conferences,” Rydelnik said. He added, “Serving the Messiah Yeshua at Moody Bible Institute has been such a privilege, in fact, one of the best gifts God has given me. Gratefully, the Lord doesn’t allow any of us to retire from Kingdom work and even requires us to keep on serving Him, so I am looking forward to this new season of ministry at Moody.”
Although both are officially retiring from full-time educational responsibilities, they will continue to serve as adjunct faculty. Additionally, Dr. Neely will continue speaking and writing for Moody. Dr. Rydelnik will serve full-time with Moody Radio, continuing as the host and Bible Teacher on Open Line, be a regular contributor to other Moody Radio programs and help expand the reach of Moody Global Media.
New Education Leadership Structure Announced
With today’s announcement, Dr. Sisk also shared an adjusted leadership structure for the Education department at Moody. Effective July 1, 2025, Moody will move away from the current structure of separate deans for the undergraduate school as well as the seminary and instead have a new associate provost and dean of the undergraduate school (UGS) and seminary. This role will oversee both schools. This strategic change will bring with it increased operational efficiency as well as consistent leadership across Moody’s undergraduate school and seminary.
Sisk announced that Dr. Brian Tucker, current dean of the faculty for Moody Theological Seminary and New Testament professor, will serve as associate provost and dean of UGS and MTS. His appointment is effective July 1, 2025.
“As we seek to equip and train more men and women to serve the church, I am extremely excited about Dr. Tucker’s leadership of both schools and the great things to come,” added Sisk. “He is a proven leader, deeply committed to our biblical and theological distinctives, and trust that the Lord will use Him to build upon the foundation as we enter our 140th academic year.”
Reporting to the provost, Tucker in this new role will be responsible for the deans of faculty (undergraduate school and seminary), directors of Moody’s two centers (Advanced Global Leadership Studies and the Center for Compelling Biblical Preaching), director of the MTS Counseling Centers (Chicago and Plymouth), and director of Moody’s seminary campus in Plymouth, Michigan.
“Moody Bible Institute has played a significant role in shaping my life and ministry, and I am both honored and excited to step into this new role,” said Tucker. “I look forward to continuing Moody’s legacy of equipping men and women to faithfully proclaim the gospel, ensuring that our undergraduate and seminary students are biblically grounded, theologically rich, and practically prepared for Kingdom service.”
Tucker began his ministry as a youth pastor in southern Ohio, later expanding his roles to include serving as a music director, teaching pastor and a local church pastor in Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan. He is a published author, the recipient of the 2022 Faculty Citation Award from the Moody Bible Institute Alumni Association, and has served at Moody for 20 years.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Studies from Lee College as well as a Master of Arts in Religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. His Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry is from Michigan Theological Seminary, while his Doctor of Philosophy in Pauline Studies is from the University of Wales, Lampeter. He and his wife, Amber, have four daughters and three grandchildren.
For more information about Moody Bible Institute’s undergraduate school and seminary, please visit www.moody.edu.