Bruce T. Gourley is the Interim Director of The Center for Baptist Studies at Mercer University.  He previously served as Associate Director from 2004 to 2007.

After completing his Bachelor of Arts (1988) with majors in Christianity and English from Mercer University, Macon, Bruce earned a Master of Divinity Degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (1992) in Louisville, Kentucky.  He is currently an ABD doctoral history student at Auburn University.

Following seminary, Bruce moved to Montana to pursue ministry and other opportunities.  From 1993 to 2002, he served with the Yellowstone Baptist Association as Baptist Campus Minister for the three colleges in Billings, Montana (Montana State University-Billings, Rocky Mountain College, and Yellowstone Baptist College).  From 1995-2002, Bruce taught Church History, New Testament and a variety of other courses at Yellowstone Baptist College, first as an adjunct, then as full-time professor.  During these years, Bruce also founded an Internet business, Yellowstone Net, a travel reservations and advertising platform for the Yellowstone National Park region that is now one of the most popular tourism websites worldwide.

Bruce is the author of one book, The GodMakers: A Legacy of the SBC? (1996), with two additional Baptist history volumes slated for publication in 2008 and 2009: History of First Baptist Church Huntsville, Alabama and A Capsule History of Baptists.  In addition, he has authored numerous published articles and book reviews for Baptist and historical journals.  Bruce is also the recipient of the Baptist History & Heritage Society's 2005 Carolyn Blevins Meritorious Service Award and the 2006 Norman W. Cox Award "For Best Article Published by the Baptist History and Heritage Society in 2005," for his article entitled "John Leland: Evolving Views of Slavery, 1789-1839." 

Since 2003, Bruce has served as the Online Editor for the Baptists Today news journal.  Bruce also currently serves on the Council of Advisors of the Baptist History & Heritage Society and is coordinator of CBF's church plants in Montana.

In addition, Bruce owns numerous websites other than Yellowstone Net, including BaptistLife.Com and Montana History Net.  He manages websites for a number of Baptist organizations and also maintains a personal website containing information on some of his other interests, one of which is photography. 

His wife, Debra Gourley, is a former special education teacher and graduate of Tift College, Mercer University (1988).  She also previously worked with the Georgia Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and is currently enjoying being a stay-at-home Mom to daughter Elizabeth Ann.