Rolland D. McCune (June 3, 1934 – June 17, 2019) was an American theologian and ordained Baptist minister (First Baptist Church of Warsaw, Indiana). He was professor of
Systematic Theology
Systematic theology, or systematics, is a discipline of Christian theology that formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the Christian faith. It addresses issues such as what the Bible teaches about certain topi ...
at the
Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary
Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary is an independent Baptist seminary in Allen Park, Michigan, operated in association with the Inter-City Baptist Church in Allen Park. The institution, which was established in 1976, enrolls men for graduate pro ...
in
Allen Park, Michigan
Allen Park is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 28,638.
Ford Motor Company is an integral part of the community. Many of the company's offices and facilities lie within the city limit ...
, where he had been the President of the Seminary for ten years and then Dean of the Faculty for six years. He was active at the Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary from 1981 to 2009.
He is the author of several books and numerous articles and course syllabi in Christian theology and related topics.
Dr. McCune was born and raised near
Berne, Indiana
Berne (English: ɜːn is a city within Monroe and Wabash townships, Adams County, Indiana, United States, located south of Fort Wayne. The population was 4,173 at the 2020 Census. Berne is widely known for its Swiss heritage, architectur ...
. He earned the Bachelor of Arts degree at
Taylor University
Taylor University is a private, interdenominational, evangelical Christian university in Upland, Indiana. Founded in 1846, it is one of the oldest evangelical Christian universities in the country.
The university is named after Bishop William ...
, Fort Wayne Campus (Indiana), and the Bachelor of Divinity,
Master of Theology
Master of Theology ( la, Theologiae Magister, abbreviated MTh, ThM, or MTheol) is a post-graduate degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries. It can serve as a transition degree for entrance into a PhD program or as a stand ...
, and Doctor of Theology degrees at
Grace Theological Seminary
Grace Theological Seminary (GTS) is a conservative evangelical Christian seminary located in Winona Lake, Indiana. GTS is now part of Grace College & Seminary and is associated with Charis Fellowship, before 2018 known as the Fellowship of Grace B ...
in
Winona Lake, Indiana
Winona Lake is a town in Wayne Township, Kosciusko County, in the U.S. state of Indiana, and the major suburb of Warsaw. The population was 4,908 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Winona Lake is located at (41.220818, -85.817118). It is now contiguo ...
. He has made six trips to the Middle East, visiting such countries of the Bible as Italy, Turkey, Greece, Jordan, Israel, and Egypt. Twice he participated in the Bible Geography Seminar at the Institute of Holy Land Studies in Jerusalem. He was
ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
to the ministry by the First Baptist Church of Warsaw, Indiana.
Dr. McCune
pastor
A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...
ed churches in Missouri, and Indiana, and has had numerous interim pastorates in Indiana, Minnesota, and Michigan. For fourteen years he was on the faculty of the
Central Baptist Theological Seminary of Minneapolis
Central Baptist Theological Seminary of Minneapolis is an Independent Baptist seminary in Plymouth, Minnesota. The seminary moved from Minneapolis to its present location in 1996.
Accreditation
Central Baptist Theological Seminary of Minneapol ...
, serving in the capacities of Professor, Registrar, and Dean. He at one time served on the Board of Trustees of The
Minnesota Baptist Association and on the faculty of the
Indiana Baptist College
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th st ...
in Indianapolis. In 1977 he was chosen by his college alma mater for honorary membership in the Delta Epsilon Chi, the honor society of the
American Association of Bible Colleges. In 1986 he was conferred with an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree by
Pillsbury Baptist Bible College
Pillsbury Baptist Bible College was an independent Baptist college in Owatonna, Minnesota, United States (1957–2008). Pillsbury described itself as a " biblical arts college." It offered a four-year program leading to the degrees of Bachelor of ...
, Owatonna, Minnesota. He began his ministry in Allen Park in 1981. Central Baptist Theological Seminary of Plymouth, MN conferred an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, upon McCune in May 2019.
Dr. McCune has written numerous articles and extensive course syllabi in Systematic Theology, Presuppositional
Apologetics
Apologetics (from Greek , "speaking in defense") is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse. Early Christian writers (c. 120–220) who defended their beliefs against critics and ...
, New Evangelicalism,
History of Israel
Israel, also known as the Holy Land or Palestine, is the birthplace of the Jewish people, the place where the final form of the Hebrew Bible is thought to have been compiled, and the birthplace of Judaism and Christianity. In the course of ...
, Basic Bible Doctrine, and
Dispensationalism
Dispensationalism is a system that was formalized in its entirety by John Nelson Darby. Dispensationalism maintains that history is divided into multiple ages or "dispensations" in which God acts with humanity in different ways. Dispensationali ...
, and a teacher's handbook on the
Book of Daniel
The Book of Daniel is a 2nd-century BC biblical apocalypse with a 6th century BC setting. Ostensibly "an account of the activities and visions of Daniel, a noble Jew exiled at Babylon", it combines a prophecy of history with an eschatology (a ...
.
Promise Unfulfilled: The Failed Strategy of Modern Evangelicalism' was published by Ambassador-Emerald in 2004, and has been described as "the most penetrating evaluation of th
o date
O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''o'' (pronounced ), plu ...
.
[Review of Rolland D. McCune's ''Promise Unfulfilled''](_blank)
/ref>
Dr. McCune was married to the former Daisy Heller of near Berne, Indiana, and they have three married children. He died on Monday June 17, 2019 at his home in Florida at the age of 85 after a brief struggle with pancreatic cancer.
Publications
* ''A Systematic Theology of Biblical Christianity: Volume 1: Prolegomena and the Doctrines of Scripture, God, and Angels'', Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary, 2009, .
* ''A Systematic Theology of Biblical Christianity: Volume 2: The Doctrines of Man, Sin, and the Holy Spirit'', Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary, 2009, .
* ''A Systematic Theology of Biblical Christianity: Volume 3: the doctrines of Salvation, the Church, and Last Things'', Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary, 2010,
* ''Promise Unfulfilled: The Failed Strategy of Modern Evangelicalism'' Ambassador Emerald International, 2004, .
* "The Self-Identity of Fundamentalism" ''Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal'', Spring 1996
* "Doctrinal Non-Issues in Historical Fundamentalism" ''Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal'', Fall 1996
* "The Formation of the New Evangelicalism (Part One): Historical and Theological Antecedents" ''Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal'', Fall 1998
* "The Formation of the New Evangelicalism (Part Two): Historical Beginnings" ''Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal'', Fall 1999
* "The New Evangelicalism and Apologetics" ''Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal'', Fall 2001
References
*Much of this biographical account is taken from the ''Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal'' 9 (Fall 2004); an issue dedicated to Dr. McCune.
External links
Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCune, Rolland D.
1934 births
2019 deaths
American theologians
Christian fundamentalism
American evangelicals
Taylor University alumni
People from Berne, Indiana