Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Encyclopedia
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS), located in Louisville, Kentucky
, is the oldest of the six seminaries affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention
(SBC). The seminary was founded in 1859, at Greenville, South Carolina
. After being closed during the Civil War, it moved in 1877 to Louisville at the corner of 5th St. and Broadway and later moved to its current location in Louisville. Southern is one of the world's largest theological seminaries, with an FTE (full-time equivalent) enrollment of over 2,000 student and over 170 FTE faculty.
and a group of Kentucky business leaders who promised to underwrite the construction of a new campus, the seminary relocated to Louisville, Kentucky
, in 1877.
In 1926, during the administration of Southern president Edgar Y. Mullins, the seminary occupied, "The Beeches," a 100 acre (0.404686 km²) suburban campus east of the city center designed by the Frederick Law Olmstead firm. The campus now contains 10 academic and residential buildings in Georgian architecture
and two housing villages for married students.
. Thirty years later, in 1968, Southern was one of the first seminaries to be accredited by its regional accrediting body, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
.
In 1951, President Duke McCall integrated
the campus, in defiance of Kentucky state laws that established segregation at public facilities. Later, at the height of the Civil Rights movement
, Southern was the only SBC agency to host a visit by the minister and leader, Dr. Martin Luther King. As a result, many donors withheld their gifts to Southern, and some demanded McCall's resignation because Dr. King had spoken in the seminary chapel.
In 1953, President McCall and the trustees reorganized the institution along the lines of a small university. The curriculum was distributed among three graduate-professional schools—Theology, headed by Dean Penrose St. Amant; Religious Education, led by Dean Gaines S. Dobbins; and Church Music, under Dean Forrest Heeren.
In 1984, Dr. Anne Davis became founding dean of the Carver School of Church Social Work, which launched the first seminary-based Master of Social Work program to be accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (1987). The school was disbanded in 1997 by a subsequent seminary administration. It decided that secular social work was inappropriate for a seminary, and replaced the program with a school for training evangelists, missionaries and church-growth specialists.
In 1968, Southern helped establish Kentuckiana Metroversity
, a local consortium of two seminaries, two state universities, a community college and two private colleges. They offer a joint library catalog, cross-registration of any student in any member institution, and faculty and cultural exchanges. In 1970, Southern helped create the Theological Education Association of Mid-America (TEAM-A), one of he United States' first seminary "clusters," a consortium of five schools related to the Presbyterian, Wesleyan Methodist
, Disciples of Christ, Roman Catholic and Baptist traditions. They provide inter-institutional team teaching, cross registration among students, and a joint library catalog.
Today the seminary is governed by a board of trustees nominated and elected by the SBC. It receives almost one-third of its $31 million annual budget from the SBC Cooperative Program, the unified financial support system that distributes gifts from the congregations to the agencies and institutions of the denomination. In fiscal year 2007-08, Southern received $9.5 million through the Cooperative Program. Its endowments and invested reserves totaled $78 million.
Southern is currently organized into four schools:
Christ
, the mission of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is to be totally committed to the Bible as the Word of God, to the Great Commission as our mandate, and to be a servant of the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention by training, educating, and preparing ministers of the gospel for more faithful service."
Southern was one of the first seminaries in the nation to offer the PhD degree, beginning in 1895. During the 1970s and 1980s, it had the largest accredited PhD program in religion in the United States. It was the first seminary in the nation to offer courses in religious education, beginning in 1903. This program ultimately expanded into a School of Religious Education in 1953.
In 1908, William Owen Carver founded the seminary's department of missions, one of the oldest in the world.
In 1910, Southern established the Norton Lectures, a series of lectures on "Science and Philosophy in their Relations to Religion." Recent speakers have included William A. Dembski
, Marvin Olasky
and Alvin Plantinga
.
In 1953, Southern became one of the few seminaries to offer a full degree course in church music.
In the 1980s, Southern became the first seminary or divinity school to establish a school of church social work offering an accredited, seminary-based M.S.W. degree.
In 1993, the seminary's current president R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
came into office re-affirming the Seminary's historic, "Abstract of Principles," which was part of the original charter of Southern created in 1858. The charter stated that every Professor who wishes to teach at Southern must agree to "teach in accordance with, and not contrary to, the Abstract of Principles hereinafter laid down" and that "a departure" from the principles in the Abstract of Principles would be grounds for resignation or removal by the Trustees.
Dr. Mohler, following these instructions, required that current professors affirm, without any spoken or unspoken reservations, the Abstract of Principles. Professors were also asked to affirm the "Baptist Faith and Message" of the Southern Baptist Convention, since Southern is an agency of the SBC. An overwhelming majority of the faculty, who could not affirm the doctrines stated in these documents, resigned. Mohler described the situation recently when he stated, "I said, in sum, if this is what you believe, then we want you to stay. If not, then you have come here under false pretenses, and you must go." Since then, Southern has attracted many distinguished biblical scholars who adhere to the Abstract of Principles.
In 2005, Southern revised its pastoral care and counseling major. It ended the counseling program which it had been offering since the 1950s, under Dr. Wayne Oates
and his colleagues. It replaced it with the "Nouthetic Counseling
" or Bible-based counseling program, one championed by Dr. Jay E. Adams
since the 1970s. The dean of Southern Seminary's school of theology stated that the change was necessary because a successful integration of modern psychology and theology was not possible. This move reflects the perceived disparity which the Southern administration believes is found between theological anthropology and the secular anthropology assumed by modern psychology. One of the main differences between the two lies in the, "doctrine of sin," and specifically that of the, "total depravity," of mankind. Other seminaries adhering to this biblical counseling model include Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
, Master's Seminary
, Westminster Theological Seminary
among others.
After endowing the Billy Graham Chair of Evangelism in 1966 (the first such professorship in any Baptist seminary), Southern expanded it in 1994 into the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth. It is the first program in the SBC dedicated solely to training missionaries and evangelists.
Faculty
Former presidents
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, is the oldest of the six seminaries affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
(SBC). The seminary was founded in 1859, at Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
. After being closed during the Civil War, it moved in 1877 to Louisville at the corner of 5th St. and Broadway and later moved to its current location in Louisville. Southern is one of the world's largest theological seminaries, with an FTE (full-time equivalent) enrollment of over 2,000 student and over 170 FTE faculty.
Campus
In the wake of the Civil War, the seminary suspended classes for several years. With the financial help of several wealthy Baptists, including John D. RockefellerJohn D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
and a group of Kentucky business leaders who promised to underwrite the construction of a new campus, the seminary relocated to Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, in 1877.
In 1926, during the administration of Southern president Edgar Y. Mullins, the seminary occupied, "The Beeches," a 100 acre (0.404686 km²) suburban campus east of the city center designed by the Frederick Law Olmstead firm. The campus now contains 10 academic and residential buildings in Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
and two housing villages for married students.
Administration and organizational structure
In 1938, Southern was among the first group of seminaries and divinity schools accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and CanadaAssociation of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada
The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada is an organization of seminaries and other graduate schools of theology. ATS has its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and has more than 250 member institutions...
. Thirty years later, in 1968, Southern was one of the first seminaries to be accredited by its regional accrediting body, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
.
In 1951, President Duke McCall integrated
Racial integration
Racial integration, or simply integration includes desegregation . In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws on diverse traditions, rather than merely...
the campus, in defiance of Kentucky state laws that established segregation at public facilities. Later, at the height of the Civil Rights movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
, Southern was the only SBC agency to host a visit by the minister and leader, Dr. Martin Luther King. As a result, many donors withheld their gifts to Southern, and some demanded McCall's resignation because Dr. King had spoken in the seminary chapel.
In 1953, President McCall and the trustees reorganized the institution along the lines of a small university. The curriculum was distributed among three graduate-professional schools—Theology, headed by Dean Penrose St. Amant; Religious Education, led by Dean Gaines S. Dobbins; and Church Music, under Dean Forrest Heeren.
In 1984, Dr. Anne Davis became founding dean of the Carver School of Church Social Work, which launched the first seminary-based Master of Social Work program to be accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (1987). The school was disbanded in 1997 by a subsequent seminary administration. It decided that secular social work was inappropriate for a seminary, and replaced the program with a school for training evangelists, missionaries and church-growth specialists.
In 1968, Southern helped establish Kentuckiana Metroversity
Kentuckiana Metroversity
The Kentuckiana Metroversity, Inc., is a consortium of seven institutions of higher education in the Louisville-Jefferson Area. Students attending any one of these schools can take classes at any other school within the consortium...
, a local consortium of two seminaries, two state universities, a community college and two private colleges. They offer a joint library catalog, cross-registration of any student in any member institution, and faculty and cultural exchanges. In 1970, Southern helped create the Theological Education Association of Mid-America (TEAM-A), one of he United States' first seminary "clusters," a consortium of five schools related to the Presbyterian, Wesleyan Methodist
Wesleyan Church
"Wesleyan" has been used in the title of a number of historic and current denominations, although the subject of this article is the only denomination to use that specific title...
, Disciples of Christ, Roman Catholic and Baptist traditions. They provide inter-institutional team teaching, cross registration among students, and a joint library catalog.
Today the seminary is governed by a board of trustees nominated and elected by the SBC. It receives almost one-third of its $31 million annual budget from the SBC Cooperative Program, the unified financial support system that distributes gifts from the congregations to the agencies and institutions of the denomination. In fiscal year 2007-08, Southern received $9.5 million through the Cooperative Program. Its endowments and invested reserves totaled $78 million.
Southern is currently organized into four schools:
- The School of Theology
- The Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Church Growth
- The School of Church Ministries
- Boyce CollegeBoyce Collegeis the undergraduate school of Southern Seminary. Albert Mohler started the program in 1998 to begin the training of future minsters. Boyce College aims to train future ministers of the gospel.The following degrees are offered:...
Academics, philosophy, and faculty
The seminary's mission statement is: "Under the Lordship of JesusJesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
, the mission of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is to be totally committed to the Bible as the Word of God, to the Great Commission as our mandate, and to be a servant of the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention by training, educating, and preparing ministers of the gospel for more faithful service."
Southern was one of the first seminaries in the nation to offer the PhD degree, beginning in 1895. During the 1970s and 1980s, it had the largest accredited PhD program in religion in the United States. It was the first seminary in the nation to offer courses in religious education, beginning in 1903. This program ultimately expanded into a School of Religious Education in 1953.
In 1908, William Owen Carver founded the seminary's department of missions, one of the oldest in the world.
In 1910, Southern established the Norton Lectures, a series of lectures on "Science and Philosophy in their Relations to Religion." Recent speakers have included William A. Dembski
William A. Dembski
William Albert "Bill" Dembski is an American proponent of intelligent design, well known for promoting the concept of specified complexity...
, Marvin Olasky
Marvin Olasky
Marvin Olasky is editor-in-chief of WORLD Magazine, the author of more than 20 books, including The Tragedy of American Compassion, and Distinguished Chair in Journalism and Public Policy at Patrick Henry College...
and Alvin Plantinga
Alvin Plantinga
Alvin Carl Plantinga is an American analytic philosopher and the emeritus John A. O'Brien Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. He is known for his work in philosophy of religion, epistemology, metaphysics, and Christian apologetics...
.
In 1953, Southern became one of the few seminaries to offer a full degree course in church music.
In the 1980s, Southern became the first seminary or divinity school to establish a school of church social work offering an accredited, seminary-based M.S.W. degree.
In 1993, the seminary's current president R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
Mohler's approach to Muslims is driven by his belief in the relevance of the Christian Gospel to all people.-Media appearances:Mohler appeared on MSNBC's Donahue on August 20, 2002. The subject was Christian evangelization of Jews...
came into office re-affirming the Seminary's historic, "Abstract of Principles," which was part of the original charter of Southern created in 1858. The charter stated that every Professor who wishes to teach at Southern must agree to "teach in accordance with, and not contrary to, the Abstract of Principles hereinafter laid down" and that "a departure" from the principles in the Abstract of Principles would be grounds for resignation or removal by the Trustees.
Dr. Mohler, following these instructions, required that current professors affirm, without any spoken or unspoken reservations, the Abstract of Principles. Professors were also asked to affirm the "Baptist Faith and Message" of the Southern Baptist Convention, since Southern is an agency of the SBC. An overwhelming majority of the faculty, who could not affirm the doctrines stated in these documents, resigned. Mohler described the situation recently when he stated, "I said, in sum, if this is what you believe, then we want you to stay. If not, then you have come here under false pretenses, and you must go." Since then, Southern has attracted many distinguished biblical scholars who adhere to the Abstract of Principles.
In 2005, Southern revised its pastoral care and counseling major. It ended the counseling program which it had been offering since the 1950s, under Dr. Wayne Oates
Wayne Oates
Wayne Edward Oates was an American psychologist and religious educator who coined the word 'workaholic'.Born to a poor family in Greenville, South Carolina in June 1917, Oates was abandoned by his father in infancy and was brought up by his grandmother and sister while his mother supported them by...
and his colleagues. It replaced it with the "Nouthetic Counseling
Nouthetic Counseling
Biblical counseling Biblical counseling Biblical counseling (also known as nouthetic counseling from the Greek word noutheteo ("to admonish or warn.") is a form of Christian counseling that aims to use devotional instructions in the Bible to treat psychological problems. It treats psychological...
" or Bible-based counseling program, one championed by Dr. Jay E. Adams
Jay E. Adams
Jay E. Adams is an American Reformed Christian author who is mostly known for his book, Competent to Counsel, in which he states that any Christian is more competent to counsel than any secular psychologist...
since the 1970s. The dean of Southern Seminary's school of theology stated that the change was necessary because a successful integration of modern psychology and theology was not possible. This move reflects the perceived disparity which the Southern administration believes is found between theological anthropology and the secular anthropology assumed by modern psychology. One of the main differences between the two lies in the, "doctrine of sin," and specifically that of the, "total depravity," of mankind. Other seminaries adhering to this biblical counseling model include Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is a seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention , created to meet a need in the SBC's East Coast region. It was voted into existence on May 19, 1950 at the SBC annual meeting and began offering classes in the fall of 1951 on the original campus of Wake...
, Master's Seminary
Master's Seminary
The Master's Seminary was founded in 1986 by Dr. John MacArthur and is located on the campus of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California...
, Westminster Theological Seminary
Westminster Theological Seminary
Westminster Theological Seminary is a Presbyterian and Reformed Christian graduate educational institution located in Glenside, Pennsylvania, with a satellite location in London.-History:...
among others.
After endowing the Billy Graham Chair of Evangelism in 1966 (the first such professorship in any Baptist seminary), Southern expanded it in 1994 into the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth. It is the first program in the SBC dedicated solely to training missionaries and evangelists.
Recent budget deficit
It was announced on December 16, 2008, that Southern would impose budget cuts, a hiring freeze, halt capital construction projects and potentially lay-off employees, due to an anticipated budget deficit of $3.2 million. The deficit was caused by decreasing endowment funds and fewer donations in the wake of the economic crisis of 2008. On January 14, 2009, Southern announced that 20 full-time and 15 part-time non-faculty employees would be laid off.Notable associates
Alumni- Charles C. BaldwinCharles C. BaldwinCharles C. Baldwin is a former Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force.-Biography:A native of New Haven, Connecticut, Baldwin is an ordained Southern Baptist pastor. He is a graduate of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary...
, Chief Chaplain U.S. Air Force 2004–2008 - LaVerne ButlerLaVerne ButlerLaVerne L. Butler was a prominent Southern Baptist pastor and college president in Kentucky who was a leader in the "Conservative Resurgence" in his denomination during the 1970s and 1980s.-Background:...
, Pastor of 9th & O Baptist Church in Louisville, 1969-1988; president of Mid-Continent UniversityMid-Continent UniversityMid-Continent University is a four-year, liberal arts Christian institution located near Mayfield, Kentucky.- History :The university opened in January 1949 in Clinton, Kentucky. The University is now located four miles north of Mayfield....
in MayfieldMayfield, KentuckyAs of the census of 2000, there were 10,349 people, 4,358 households, and 2,667 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,549.8 people per square mile . There were 4,907 housing units at an average density of 734.8 per square mile...
, 1988-1997, leader of conservative resurgence in Southern Baptist Convention in 1970s and 1980s - Douglas CarverDouglas Carver (chaplain)Chaplain Douglas Lanier Carver, USA is a retired American Army officer who served as the 22nd Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army...
, Chief Chaplain U.S. Army 2007–present - Chris ClarkeChris Clarke (missionary)William Christopher Clarke, known as Chris Clarke , is a non-traditional Southern Baptist minister and missionary in Kentucky, who carries the gospel message to people at equestrian events, including horse shows, horse auctions, or rodeos.-Early life and education:Born in Salem, Kentucky, Clarke...
, missionaryMissionaryA missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
to the equestrianEquestrianismEquestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
community in Kentucky and neighboring states - W.A. Criswell, late pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, TexasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
; author; and former president of the Southern Baptist Convention - Miguel A. De La TorreMiguel A. De La TorreMiguel A. De La Torre is a professor of Social Ethics and Latino/a Studies at Iliff School of Theology, a religious scholar, author, and an ordained minister.-Biography:...
, prolific author on Hispanic religious life; social ethics professor at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, CO, 1999–present. - Amzi DixonAmzi DixonAmzi Clarence Dixon was a well-known pastor, Bible expositor and evangelist, popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. With R.A. Torrey he helped edit the influential journal The Fundamentals which helped give fundamentalist Christianity its name...
, late pastor of Moody ChurchMoody ChurchThe Moody Church is a historic Protestant church in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. right|thumb|270px|-Building:...
, Chicago, IL; and Metropolitan TabernacleMetropolitan TabernacleThe Metropolitan Tabernacle is a large Reformed Baptist church in the Elephant and Castle in London. It was the largest non-conformist church edifice of its day in 1861. The Tabernacle Fellowship have been worshipping together since 1650, soon after the sailing of the Pilgrim Fathers...
, London, England. - Steven FurtickSteven FurtickSteven Furtick is an American pastor and author. He is the Lead Pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Furtick and wife Holly have three children, Abbey, Elijah and Graham.)...
, pastor of Elevation Church, Charlotte, NC; and author of Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare To Ask God for the Impossible - Clarence JordanClarence JordanClarence Jordan , a farmer and New Testament Greek scholar, was the founder of Koinonia Farm, a small but influential religious community in southwest Georgia and the author of the Cotton Patch translations of the New Testament. He was also instrumental in the founding of Habitat for Humanity...
, late founder of Koinonia Farm (forerunner of Habitat for Humanity) and Greek scholar who translated the New Testament into a Cotton Patch version using the vernacular of the Civil Rights era in the South. - R.T. Kendall, pastor of Westminster ChapelWestminster ChapelWestminster Chapel is an evangelical church that has been based in central London since 1840. Situated in Buckingham Gate, just from Buckingham Palace and just off Victoria Street, the chapel has long been a popular place of worship for Evangelical Christians. The current building, seating around...
, London, England, 1977-2002. - David Gordon LyonDavid Gordon LyonDavid Gordon Lyon was an American theologian.-Biography:Lyon was born in Benton, Alabama, the son of a doctor. He received his A.B. from Howard College in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1875. He studied at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary under Crawford Howell Toy, and went to Germany, where he...
, Hollis ChairHollis ChairThe Hollis Chair may refer to one of several Chairs established at Harvard College:* Hollis Chair of Divinity* Hollis Chair of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy...
at Harvard Divinity SchoolHarvard Divinity SchoolHarvard Divinity School is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States. The School's mission is to train and educate its students either in the academic study of religion, or for the practice of a religious ministry or other public...
and founding curator of Semitic MuseumSemitic MuseumThe Semitic Museum at Harvard University was founded in 1889, and moved into its present location at 6 Divinity Avenue in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1903.... - Grady NuttGrady NuttGrady Lee Nutt was a Southern Baptist minister, humorist, television personality, and author. His humor revolved around rural Southern Protestantism and earned him the title as "The Prime Minister of Humor."...
, religious humorist and national television personality; died in air crash, 1982. - Harold H. Oliver, Professor of Philosophical Theology at Boston UniversityBoston UniversityBoston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
(1965-1996). - William Bell RileyWilliam Bell RileyWilliam Bell Riley was known as "The Grand Old Man of Fundamentalism." After being educated at normal school in Valparaiso, Indiana, Riley received his teacher's certificate. After teaching in county schools, he attended college in Hanover, Indiana, where he received an A.B. degree in 1885...
, late founder of the World Christian Fundamentals AssociationWorld Christian Fundamentals AssociationWorld Christian Fundamentals Association, was an interdenominational organization founded in 1919 by the Baptist minister William Bell Riley of the First Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was originally formed to launch "a new Protestantism" based upon premillennial interpretations of... - Jeff StrueckerJeff StrueckerJeff Struecker is an author and former U.S. Army Ranger who was involved in the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. He also participated in the 1989 invasion of Panama and in Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm...
, received his M. Div. from Southern; Current Army Ranger Chaplain, U.S. Army - Edwin O. Ware, Sr.Edwin O. Ware, Sr.Edwin Oswald Ware, Sr. , was a Baptist clergyman and educator who is considered to have been the principal founder of Louisiana College in Pineville, Louisiana in Rapides Parish. He was both the college's financial agent, 1906–1907, and its first president, 1908-1909. Louisiana College marked its...
, Kentucky native who was first president of Louisiana CollegeLouisiana CollegeLouisiana College is a private institution of higher education located in Pineville, Louisiana, affiliated with the Louisiana Baptist Convention, serving a student body of approximately 1,300 students. The college operates on a semester system, with two shorter summer terms...
in Pineville, LouisianaPineville, LouisianaPineville is a city in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is adjacent to the city of Alexandria, and is part of that city's Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,829 at the 2000 census....
Faculty
- George Arthur ButtrickGeorge Arthur Buttrick-Biography:George Arthur Buttrick was born in Seaham Harbour, England on March 23, 1892. He attended the Victoria University of Manchester and moved to the United States. He served as a pastor in Quincy, Illinois, Rutland, Vermont, Buffalo, New York, and New York City. He gave a lecture series at...
- Michael HaykinMichael HaykinDr. Michael A.G. Haykin is the Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality and Director of The Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary....
- Donald HustadDonald HustadDonald Paul Hustad has been a recognized leader in evangelical church music for six decades. Although he is an esteemed musician, composer, and teacher, Hustad’s richest legacy resides in his informed criticism of evangelical church music and his well-developed philosophy of worship communicated...
, member of the Billy Graham Team, professor of church music at Southern, 1966–86; fellow of the Royal College of Organists, London. - Basil Manly, Jr., author of the Seminary Hymn, was founding professor of Old Testament on the original faculty.
- Wayne E. OatesWayne OatesWayne Edward Oates was an American psychologist and religious educator who coined the word 'workaholic'.Born to a poor family in Greenville, South Carolina in June 1917, Oates was abandoned by his father in infancy and was brought up by his grandmother and sister while his mother supported them by...
, late author of best-selling pastoral care text The Christian Pastor, SBTS professor, 1947–74; first to coin the term, "workaholic"; nationally known authority on theology and health care. - Archibald T. RobertsonArchibald Thomas RobertsonArchibald Thomas Robertson was an American biblical scholar born at Cherbury near Chatham, Va. He was educated at Wake Forest College and at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky. , where he was thereafter instructor and professor of New Testament interpretation...
, author of a widely used Greek grammar text. - Frank Stagg, noted Greek scholar and authority on the Book of Acts and the Gospel of Luke.
- Kurt WiseKurt WiseKurt Patrick Wise is an American young earth creationist who serves as the Director of Creation Research Center at Truett-McConnell College. He has a PhD in geology from Harvard University.-Biography:...
- Head of Center for Theology and Science (since August 2006 - August 2009)
Former presidents
- 1888 James Petigru BoyceJames Petigru BoyceJames Petigru Boyce served as a Southern Baptist pastor, theologian, author, and seminary professor.- Education and early life :Boyce was educated at Brown University under Francis Wayland, whose evangelical sermons contributed to Boyce’s conversion, and at Princeton Theological Seminary under...
(titled Chairman of the Faculty, 1859–87) - 1888-1895 John Albert BroadusJohn Albert BroadusJohn Albert Broadus was an American Baptist pastor and professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, one of the most famous preachers of his day...
- 1895-1899 William Heth Whitsitt
- 1899-1928 Edgar Young MullinsEdgar Young MullinsEdgar Young Mullins was a Baptist minister and educator, who from 1899 until his death was the fourth president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention.-Biography:Mullins entered Texas A&M College at 16, and after graduation studied...
- 1929-1942 John Richard Sampey
- 1942-1950 Ellis Adams Fuller
- 1951-1982 Duke Kimbrough McCallDuke Kimbrough McCallDuke Kimbrough McCall is a Christian religious leader who has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, as president of two seminaries, as president of the Baptist World Alliance, and a Baptist preacher.-Childhood, college and marriage:Born in...
- 1982-1993 Roy Lee Honeycutt
- 1993–present R. Albert Mohler, Jr.R. Albert Mohler, Jr.Mohler's approach to Muslims is driven by his belief in the relevance of the Christian Gospel to all people.-Media appearances:Mohler appeared on MSNBC's Donahue on August 20, 2002. The subject was Christian evangelization of Jews...
Further reading
- Mark R. Wilson. William Owen Carver's Controversies in the Baptist South (Mercer University Press; 2010) 235 pages. Biography of a prominent professor (1868–1954) at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary who was involved in several major controversies in the denomination.