When Paul McNulty talks about his upcoming transfer to Charleston, South Carolina, it’s straightforward to get excited for him. This month he’ll conclude his 11-year tenure as president of Grove Metropolis School, and he and his spouse plan to settle into a brand new life in the identical metropolis as one among his three daughters and her household. He seems ahead to becoming a member of her in worship at Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA), and being concerned within the lives of his grandchildren.
McNulty got here to Grove Metropolis School after a authorized profession that included serving as chief counsel in the course of the Clinton impeachment, chief prosecutor for the September 11 investigations, and chief working officer for the U.S. Division of Justice. He has additionally been a PCA ruling elder for 30 years, serving first at McLean Presbyterian Church, then New Hope PCA in Fairfax, Virginia, which he helped to plant. He attends Hillcrest Presbyterian Church in Volant, Pennsylvania.
Grove Metropolis School, whereas based by Presbyterians and infrequently led by Presbyterians, has at occasions skilled the theological drift seen in mainline denominations. When McNulty got here to campus as a freshman in 1976, the school administration had lately begun hiring school to assist the varsity align extra intently with its mental and theological roots. ByFaith featured McNulty in a 2022 article on PCA members who additionally lead faculties.
McNulty spoke with byFaith’s Megan Fowler, who’s a Grove Metropolis School graduate, concerning the modifications he has seen at an establishment that each formed him and was in flip formed by his management. This interview has been edited for readability and size.
Grove Metropolis as an establishment has undergone a reasonably dramatic change in its values within the final 50 years. And also you figured into that in some attention-grabbing methods. May you go over how the tradition, and values, ethos of this establishment have modified?
[In the 1970s] Grove Metropolis was experiencing change within the eyes of [board president] J. Howard Pew in a approach that he thought was not in line with the varsity’s longstanding historical past. And the extra you examine Isaac Ketler, the extra that, sure, there actually was loads of intentionality round being a distinctively Christian school. So [Pew] introduced [Charles] MacKenzie on as president. Pew died that summer season, and MacKenzie confirmed up within the fall. Now the one who employed him was gone, and his mission was to deliver the school again, which is what Pew informed him to do. Charles MacKenzie labored for 20 years, bringing in new school and reaffirming Grove Metropolis’s Christian and conservative identification, however notably its Christian mission.
I confirmed up within the fall of ‘76. MacKenzie had about 4 or 5 years of bringing in some new faces, and a few of these new faces had been the important thing mentors for me as a freshman scholar. Rising up as a Roman Catholic in a working class group in Pittsburgh, I had no thought what a Christian worldview was. I had actually barely learn the Bible. I turned a Christian within the early years of highschool, however actually hadn’t made any progress in Christian formation at that time. At Grove Metropolis, I used to be uncovered to Andrew Hoffecker and a few of these actual stalwarts on campus that had been new hires. And so they had an unlimited impression on my life. And so MacKenzie took that work right through to the Nineties and has the massive Supreme Court fight in the course of all that.
After school, I used to be busy pursuing my calling as a lawyer, however very a lot of the thoughts that I had to try this as a Christian and pondering Christianly about public coverage. And I turned a PCA ruling elder at age 26, and for 28 years, I used to be additionally a nonstop ruling elder within the PCA. All that was taking place in my life and was very a lot the results of the influences that occurred within the late 70s.
In 2004, I joined the Grove Metropolis School board of trustees, and I had 10 years to see the place Grove Metropolis is. And when the school then did its search in 2013, 2014 for a brand new president, despite the fact that I used to be very a lot engaged with my authorized observe in Washington, I instantly considered that Christian identification, that work that MacKenzie had completed, and that chance to return again to my alma mater and make clear, emphasize that we’re an authentically Christian school.
That’s the narrative that had began in a very distinctive approach within the early 70s and what has been very a lot on my thoughts. And naturally, a candy a part of that is MacKenzie was nonetheless alive after I got here. He was very a lot conscious of what was on my thoughts and coronary heart. It was on his thoughts and coronary heart too. We had a chance to attach properly collectively about that.
After we talked to the school in 2022, you mentioned that you just wish to assist college students and assist the school be a spot of peacemaking. Is that one thing that you just nonetheless see a necessity for, creating that identification for Grove Metropolis School as a spot of peacemaking?
Yeah, for certain. I do have loads of concern about that, not a lot as a result of I see an absence of appreciation for peace in our group. It’s simply the other. I see our college students at present as all in favour of understanding how you can dwell faithfully on this world, which includes a big dose of peace. I see that curiosity as stronger than perhaps I’ve seen it in my 11 years as a result of the political setting is so troublesome and, frankly, unappealing to them. And they also’re questioning how you can navigate their relationships with others and how you can assume in trustworthy Christian methods about issues within the midst of a lot battle with restricted function fashions for the way to try this. In some methods, the problem has gotten greater since we talked [in 2022]. And election cycles don’t appear to assist that.
It’s been a pleasure, by the way in which, having Mike Pence on campus as a result of he actually tries to reveal another approach in his language and his Scripture-first method to answering questions and his extraordinary effort to attempt to put ahead an image of what it seems wish to be a Christian in public life. And the scholars have responded to it enthusiastically. It’s just a little little bit of a sign of their need to see one thing that’s nobler and extra inspiring within the political realm.
I believe that that is going to be an ongoing problem for a faculty like Grove Metropolis, to be conservative within the historic and conventional sense, however to at all times put Christ first and perceive how that impacts our pondering. It’s gonna be tougher and tougher to try this effectively.
Our problem is totally different from Covenant School’s, for instance. With a denominational college, rather a lot is spelled out within the church’s requirements and controls. However there’s some latitude for the Christian thoughts inside that set institutional construction. I see this with Geneva as effectively. However Grove Metropolis is non-denominational and represents a reasonably huge number of Christian doctrines, so it wants to repeatedly discover its widespread language. That’s been our problem for a very long time.
When you consider your 11 years right here, what have been among the issues you’ve got beloved probably the most about being president, both moments you bear in mind or simply components of the job you actually loved?
After I take into consideration the expertise, there have been 4 pillars in what we’ve been attempting to do. The at first is the Christian identification and to strengthen that, to make clear that, to affirm that it applies to all the pieces we do, that it’s simply the character of the soul of the campus. The second factor has been constructing relationships with the scholars. Thirdly, constructing tutorial power, and that includes bringing on individuals like Carl Trueman or beefing up our biblical and spiritual research division, including grasp’s packages and a nursing program, and renovating Rockwell Corridor. After which fourthly, the overall scholar expertise, and I put loads of emphasis on issues like athletics and eating and attempting to make it an pleasant group life.
After I take into consideration what I’ve loved probably the most, I might say that the second class of relationships is one thing I didn’t spend a lot time desirous about earlier than I took the job and didn’t have loads of expectations in that space. Nevertheless it’s been extremely rewarding, and what I’ll miss probably the most is simply the chance to have an effect on college students’ lives on a day-to-day foundation. I began off as a father, and now I’m form of the grandfather determine. What a blessing that’s. It’s simply superb.
On the coed expertise, our focus has been on new packages and creating nice reminiscences.The soccer story has been perhaps the only most encouraging and rewarding expertise simply due to the unimaginable transformation that has taken place in that space. In 2017, we had been 0 and 33 after we received that first sport. Six years later, we completed the season 10 and 0. However extra principally and extra importantly, the story of changing into a faith-first tradition and the Christian formation within the hearts of these younger males is simply superb.
A second that I’ll at all times bear in mind is after we clinched the 10-0 season, we clinched the PAC title, and we had been on the sphere. It was the second-to-last final sport as a result of we knew at that time we had clinched the title. And so they gave me the sport ball, and it’s the one time they’ve ever given a sport ball to anyone. And holding that ball and to be with these guys and desirous about the journey we had been on. And the way it occurred, by placing Christ first in this system, that’s what made me simply so excited.
Brenda and I’ve actually loved the campus life. We attempt to go to all the pieces we are able to. And that’s been such a beautiful expertise to see the excellence of their items being pulled collectively for achievement. It’s what makes an setting like this extraordinarily particular. It’s simply that approach of going about calling that’s very a lot part of the Grove Metropolis tradition to lean in and use items for the nice of the bigger group.
What do you and Brenda envision in your retirement?
There’s a PCA church in downtown Charleston known as Redeemer that our daughter and son-in-law and two grandkids go to. We’re actually excited concerning the alternative to attach with that church. I wish to do some writing. I’ve received some tasks in thoughts, and I might love to have the ability to see these materialize. I’ll proceed to work with the school’s Institute for Religion and Freedom and our new Middle for Religion and Public life. However I believe it’s wholesome for me to have a season the place I’m ready a bit and trusting in God’s provision for the way he can use me. It’s not that I haven’t needed to understand how he desires to make use of me, however it’s just a little little bit of a brand new step for me to pause for a second and to surprise, Is it on this congregation? Is it in another service that I haven’t had time to offer? That’s what I’m enthusiastic about as to how which may unfold.
It is a tough stage in my life. I’ve at all times been very mission-oriented and really busy, and now individuals come to me and say, “Hey, congratulations in your retirement.” And I believe, Oh, I’m not retiring. I nonetheless have loads of power. However sure, I’m in search of flexibility, and Brenda and I do need to have the ability to benefit from this season of life after we are in good well being and in a position to be a extra vital affect within the lives of our seven grandchildren.
