SALISBURY — The Rev. Dr. Nilous Avery and the Rev. Dr. Mark Key took their seats on the Hood Theological Seminary board of trustees at its May meeting in Salisbury.

Avery and Key were elected to the board at the previous meeting in February 2017. In announcing the board additions, Hood President Vergel Lattimore: “These two outstanding new trustees represent the commitment of Hood Theological Seminary to continuing ecumenical outreach, as well as commitment to excellence in ministerial preparation. They are wonderful examples of dedicated leadership within their respective communities and denominations and they add enlarged perspectives to a fine cadre of current board members.”

Avery is pastor of the historic Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church of Salisbury, where he has served since October 1992. He received a bachelor of arts and master’s of divinity from Shaw University in Raleigh and a doctorate of divinity from Hood seminary.

In October 2014, he was elected president of the General Baptist State Convention of N.C., one of the largest and oldest African-American organizations in the Southeast. A native of Asheville, Avery is a former educator and administrator in the Asheville City Schools. He has served  on numerous commissions, community foundations and boards — including the Shaw University board of trustees, the National Baptist Convention,USA board and Salisbury-Rowan County Interdenominational Ministers Fellowship. Avery also served eight years on the board of Rowan County Department of Social Services.

Key is senior pastor of Mount Tabor United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem, where he has served since 2012. Previously, he served churches in High Point, Trinity and Charlotte and was director of congregational development for the Western N.C. Conference of the United Methodist Church for seven years.

Key received a bachelor of arts in religion from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a master’s of divinity from Duke Divinity School and a doctor of ministry degree in congregational development from Seabury Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. He also studied at New College, Edinburgh University, Scotland.

Key received the Harry Denman Evangelism Award from the Western N.C. Conference of the UMC. He has served on mission trips to Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. Currently, he serves on the board of the YMCA (Robinhood Branch) in Winston-Salem and has served on the Asheboro United Way board and the Board of Ordained Ministry of the Western N.C. Conference.

Hood Theological Seminary, 1810 Lutheran Synod Drive, is a graduate and professional school sponsored by the A.M.E. Zion Church and approved by the University Senate of the United Methodist Church. Its student body currently includes people from many different denominations. As a theological seminary, it provides for the church an educational community in which Christian maturity and ministerial preparation take place together.