MPCS Welcomes Dr. Matt Kerlin as New Head of School

Mount Paran Christian School is pleased to announce Dr. Matt Kerlin as the new Head of School, beginning June 1, 2024. 

To identify its new school leader, the MPCS Board of Trustees partnered with CarterBaldwin Executive Search. Through an exhaustive national search that engaged with candidates from across the country, the MPCS Board of Trustees appointed Dr. Kerlin as the school’s next Head of School. He will take the helm from retired Head of School Dr. David Tilley who has been serving as Interim Head of School since May.

Dr. Kerlin is currently the Head of School at Southlake Christian Academy in Huntersville, NC. He was formerly the Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs and Assistant Dean of Spiritual Life at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, and the former Senior Campus Minister for Baptist Campus Ministries at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  

A shepherding, pastoral leader with deep relational capabilities, Dr. Kerlin is also highly intellectual and highly educated. His experience as both a preacher and a teacher will be invaluable to the MPCS community. Dr. Kerlin earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Louisiana State University, a Master of Arts in Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Doctor of Philosophy in Historical Theology from Baylor University, and an MBA from Samford University. 

Dr. Kerlin and his wife of 33 years, Jonlyn, are parents of three adult children. Dr. Kerlin will join the MPCS community next summer.

MPCS Board of Trustees Chairman George Ethridge shared, “Dr. Kerlin is a strategic thinker and team builder who has the vision and foresight to drive MPCS to new heights. The Board is incredibly excited about the hiring of Dr. Kerlin, as we believe that God has guided the Kerlins to MPCS.”