Toccoa Falls College has a faculty sabbatical program. A qualifying faculty member steps away from teaching and campus service for a semester to focus on a particular project in their discipline while still supported by the College.

            In his thirteenth year at TFC, Dr. Curt Wanner is on sabbatical. He is laboring on a new book manuscript that will provide a Theology of Communication. While there is much written both in theology and in communication, the intersection in single volume works is rare. Dr. Wanner says, “I am convinced that a biblical understanding of communication is critical for the church to carry out its mission.” His research and experience show that evangelicals understand themselves as communicators of the Word, yet their model is often limited and focused. Testimony of God should be creative, communal, and joyful.  The biblical basis for a vibrant communication centers on creation, Adam, anthropology, and Jesus, all of which combine to generate space for thoughtful reflection. Understanding our communication impacts the gospel; understanding the impact of the gospel helps us understand our communication. “There are countless books on what Christ said; there are precious few on how Christ said it,” he remarks. 

            To qualify for sabbatical leave, Dr. Wanner provided a proposal of discipline content (theology, communication) and goals (book manuscript, two journal articles). Packaged into a sabbatical proposal form, he appeared before his senior peers on the Sabbatical Committee, and his candidacy advances to the Administration. There is another requirement that represents the sacrifice of the faculty—the Humanities Department must be able to cover his classes.  Just as the gospel takes place in community, so does the sabbatical. The Administration and the faculty combine resources to provide a sabbatical to qualified and motivated faculty members.

            Dr. Wanner is in a unique position to have the credentials to write on a Theology of Communication. He holds a Ph.D. in mass communication from the University of Georgia and an MA in communication from Regent University. At the same time, he holds the MDiv and the ThM degrees from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in theology. While his communication degrees focused on the Word and culture, his theology degrees focused on communication in culture.

            To learn more about how faith and communication combine in majors at TFC, visit https://tfc.edu/academics/degrees-and-programs/communication-studies or contact an Admissions representative at https://tfc.edu/admissions.