BA, Baylor Univ., Waco, TX, 1970
MA, Princeton Theological Sem., Princeton, NJ, 1973
DT, University of Basel, Switzerland, 1978
Sloan was born in Coleman, Texas, in 1949, but was reared in Abilene, Texas, where he graduated from Cooper High School in 1967. He attended Baylor from 1967 to 1970 and was a member of the baseball team his freshman year. He graduated ahead of his class, earning a bachelor of arts degree cum laude in 1970. He was a member of Alpha Chi National Honor Society and the Honors Program, graduating "With Distinction." He then attended Princeton Theological Seminary, where he earned the master of divinity degree magna cum laude in 1973. He conducted post-baccalaureate research in church history at the University of Bristol, England, from 1973-74 and earned the Doktor der Theologie degree insigni cum laude from the University of Basel, Switzerland, in 1978.
Sloan joined the faculty of Baylor's Department of Religion in 1983 after holding teaching positions at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth and at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene. In 1990 he became the first holder of the George W. Truett Chair in Evangelism at Baylor, and in 1993 he was appointed dean of Truett Seminary. Baylor regents in February 1995 named Sloan to succeed Dr. Herbert H. Reynolds as president of the University.
Sloan has held positions as pastor or interim pastor of more than 20 churches in Texas, Oklahoma, New Jersey, and in Germany. From 1991-92 he was president of the Southwest Commission on Religious Studies. He is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the Southwest Biblical Seminar, the Institute for Biblical Research, the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion and Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas. He has authored two books, assisted with editing of several books, and published more than 50 articles and chapters for scholarly or ecumenical journals and publications. He has presented numerous academic papers and received several awards and grants for his scholarship. Sloan served as the designated "Convention Preacher" for the 1991 Baptist General Convention of Texas, which met that year in Waco.
He has held several civic positions in the Waco area, including service on the Cooper Foundation Board and the Compass Bank Advisory Board. He also has served as school board president of the Lorena Independent School District and has been a member of the Greater Lorena Chamber of Commerce. Recently, Sloan was selected for induction in the Little League Hall of Excellence, along with Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr.
Sloan is married to the former Sue Collier of Cisco, Texas, also a 1970 graduate of Baylor. They are members of the First Baptist Church of Waco. The Sloans have seven children: Charissa (B.A. '95, M.A. '96), Bryan (B.A. '98), Eraina (B.A. '99), Michael, Alathea, Sophia, and Paul. Four of the children are Baylor students.