The Great Commission Magazine of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Spring 2019

SPRING 2 019

4 Years, 4 Strategic Initiatives, For the Glory of God

It’s more than a college.

It’s a calling.

The College at Southeastern equips students to give their lives for the cause of Christ in the Church, among the nations and in every aspect of society.

Come visit us or learn more at collegeatsoutheastern.com.

Wake Forest, NC /collegeSE

@DannyAkin

A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT SOUTHEASTERN Baptist Theological Seminary is a Great Commission school. From our undergraduate program through our doctoral degrees, we are committed to biblical fidelity, expansive ministry preparation and spiritual vibrancy. We hope to one day see worshipers gathered in heaven from every nation, tribe, people and language (Rev. 7:9).

Everything on our campus revolves around a passion to take the gospel from the small town of Wake Forest, North Carolina to the ends of the earth. Our students and graduates are pursuing the nations for the glory of King Jesus following our Lord’s mandate in Matthew 28:18-20.

Last words are meant to be lasting words, and that means that Jesus’ final command is our first priority: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” We go because he has told us to go. We go and make disciples, devoted followers of Jesus, because our King told us to make disciples. We go and make disciples of all nations because that is our evangelistic and missionary vision.

We stand on the entirety of God’s Word as truth for every aspect of life. Today, our graduates are making an impact in all 50 states and in over 40 countries worldwide. Yet, the task is not complete, because there still remains three billion

people who have never heard the name of Jesus. We believe we are responsible to extend the reach of the gospel in the critical years ahead.

With a rapidly growing student population contrasted by a volatile economy and a decrease in denominational giving, the need for financial partners could not be greater and the potential for impact cannot be stronger. Every year, we send 500 gospel-prepared warriors to join over 16,000 graduates who are on mission for Christ, advancing the Kingdom of God. We believe For the Mission will allow Southeastern to be more effective in her responsibility to send graduates around the world to proclaim the good news.

As the body of Christ, we believe it is imperative to continue the God-given mandate we have received. We must equip more, to send more, to reach more. The time to act is now. We need partners who will join us in training and sending generations of students around the globe.

It is our prayer that For the Mission will set Southeastern on a trajectory to be more effective in fulfilling the Great Commission for the glory of God and the advancement of his kingdom. All of us can play a part in advancing his mission around the world!

Daniel L. Akin, President

Angela Zion Photography

Left: Dr. Akin during a visit with 2+2 students in Thailand Top Right: Dr. Akin with his parents, Emma and Lowell Akin, and his sister, Joy King Right: The Akin family at the SEBTS presidential inauguration in October 2004 Bottom: Dr. and Mrs. Akin with their children and grandchildren in 2018

Around Southeastern

This Page: White Christmas Next Page: Southeastern hosted Andrew Peterson and friends for the 19th annual Behold the Lamb of God tour, as well as the first ever Rabbit Room Symposium.

Rebecca Hankins

Great Commission Magazine of

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Spring 2019 Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Wake Forest, NC Daniel Akin President

Contents Spring 2019

Read and share online! sebts.edu/magazine

What’s Happening at Southeastern 8 Yarnell Emphasizes Anabaptist Sacrificial Commitment to the Great Commission and Cross of Christ During Page Lecture Series 9 Southeastern Classic Celebrates Record-Breaking Year in Fundraising

Bruce Ashford Provost (sabbatical)

10 Southeastern Remembers First African-American Professor Logan Carson

Keith Whitfield Acting Provost, Dean of Graduate Studies

11 Southeastern Theological Fellowship Dinner Celebrates Five Institutional Scholars

Ryan Hutchinson Executive Vice President for Operations

12 Timothy Barnabas Conference Encourages Students in Ministry Leadership

Art Rainer Vice President for Institutional Advancement Financial and Alumni Development Jonathan Six, Director George Harvey - General Counsel & Director of Planned Giving Drew Davis - Associate Director Chris Allen - Denom. Relations & Ministry Teams Coordinator Michelle Ard - Events & Alumni Relations Coordinator

13 God Promises to Never Leave, Akin Reminds Fall 2018 Graduates 13 Death is Necessary for Life, Platt Charges Students at Spring 2019 Convocation 14 Southeastern Announces Two Additions to Faculty for Spring 2019 14 Thom Rainer to Join SEBTS Faculty 16 Identity Encapsulates the Theme of GO Conference 2019 18 New and Upcoming Faculty Works

Natan Carvalho - Data Management Coordinator Megan Chadwick - Graphic Designer Jonathan Goforth - Development Officer Barbara Harvey - Administrative Assistant Jeff Hedgepeth - Grant Writer Luke Hinson - Administrative Assistant

Featured Stories

Becca Warren - Development Officer Billy Vernon - Administrative Assistant

22

Marketing and Communications Amy Whitfield, Director Emily Flowers - Graphic Designer Rebecca Hankins - Photographer Sam Morris - E-Marketing Specialist Jordan Parris - Administrative Assistant Lauren Pratt - News and Information Specialist Ryan Thomas - Lead Graphic Designer

4 Years, 4 Strategic Initiatives, For the Glory of God

Nathaniel Williams - Intersect Project Marketing Specialist To inform us of address changes or if you would like to receive the magazine, please contact us at 919-761-2203 or e-mail alumni@sebts.edu.

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary seeks to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20).

Southeastern is an institution of higher learning and a Cooperative Program ministry of the Southern Baptist Convention. Support comes through the gifts of the Cooperative Program and the individual friends of the seminary who provide assistance through wills, estates and trusts.

Great Commission Magazine of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (ISSN 2327-154X) is published

by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary P.O. Box 1889 Wake Forest, NC 27588 www.sebts.edu

24 For the Students

28 For the Faculty

30 For the Campus

36 For the Cause

STORIES 40 From the Dominican Republic to Dallas: How One M.Div. Student is Passionately Pursuing the Great Commission 42 Because You Give, We GO

Financial and Alumni Development 48 A Letter from the Director | Jonathan Six, Director of Financial and Alumni Development

Visit us We would love for you to visit campus for a PREVIEWDAY or campus tour!

To arrange a visit, simply contact our Admissions office at 1-800-284-6317 or visit iamgoing.org.

Yarnell Emphasizes Anabaptist Sacrificial Commitment to the Great Commission and Cross of Christ During Page Lecture Series The Anabaptists’ life-transforming power of the cross of Christ and their intense commitment to the Great Commission characterized the lectures given by this year’s guest speaker, Malcolm Yarnell, during the Page Lecture series at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) October 2-4, 2018.

“Evangelism does not exist as a one-time event but as an entirely devoted life,” said Yarnell, research professor of systematic theology, director of the Oxford Study Program and director of the Center for Theological Research at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

In his first lecture, Yarnell discussed how the Anabaptists emphasized the Great Commission in four primary ways: dogmatic, structural, missionar y and covenant.

Speaking of the dogmatic emphasis, Yarnell explained that baptism is an act of worship to God, which was emphasized by the early church fathers. This initial act of Christianity, he said, was one of “dogmatic identification” to God in his Trinitarian nature. In looking at the structural emphasis, Yarnell discussed how Anabaptists took the Great Commission to heart in its sequential form: the disciple is made, then baptized, then taught Jesus’ teachings in full. The missionary emphasis focused on the Christian being set apart from 8 \ SPRING 2019

the world as holy. In being transformed by Christ, the Anabaptists were steadfast in their sending of missionar ies, going wherever people would listen to the gospel and being greatly persecuted in the process. The persecution of these Christians produced massive growth in the Anabaptist movement.

Yarnell closed his first lecture by

Anabaptist in the cross of Christ.

A key idea, he said, was “for the Anabaptist, the resurrection is through the cross.” Yarnell specifically focused on the five-fold paradigm of the Anabaptist theology of the cross according to Balthasar Hubmaier, a key Anabaptist leader during the German Reformation. This five-fold paradigm included understanding the

Salvation begins in a proper confession but continues into discipleship, which means following Jesus through the cross and into life. discussing the covenant emphasis law of God through true repenof the Great Commission. tance of sin, realizing the grace of “Discipleship is only possible in God, entering the covenant, bearthe context of the gracious call to ing the cross that Christ gives and enter to covenantal life with Jesus,” remembering the cross of Christ. said Yarnell. “The only way that “Salvation begins in a proper conyou can fulfill the Great Commis- fession but continues into disciplesion is if the Spirit of God brings ship, which means following Jesus you the grace to do so.” through the cross and into life,” In his second lecture, Yarnell said Yarnell. lectured on the confession of the A Ph.D. colloquium was held on WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SOUTHEASTERN

Oct. 3 with a panel discussion featuring Yarnell and two SEBTS professors, Stephen Eccher and John Hammett. In response to a question on how Anabaptists have been misunderstood by some, Hammett, senior professor of systematic theology and the John Leadley Dagg Chair of systematic theology, noted that while sometimes Anabaptists are written off as “radicals” or “weirdos,” a lot of them were “serious Christians trying to understand God’s word.”

Eccher, assistant professor of church history and Reformation studies, explained how his view of Anabaptists has developed over time from college to the present. He explained that they were a group of people who went from the majority to the margins as they obeyed Scripture.

“They believed so passionately in the transforming power of the word of God,” said Eccher, explaining that as they were pushed to the margins, they began reading Scripture through a lens of persecution and suffering.

Following the Ph.D. colloquium, Yarnell gave a library talk on why the church needs people who will pursue academic excellence, explaining that the academy exists for the church.

“I look at our mission as integrally involving theological formation,” said Yarnell. “If you’re going to obey the Great Commission, you had better be a good theologian.”

A time for Q&A followed both the Ph.D. colloquium panel and the library talk.

The Page Lecture Fund, established in 1982, is named for Mr. and Mrs. George A. Page of Plainfield, Indiana.

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SOUTHEASTERN

Southeastern Classic Celebrates Record-Breaking Year in Fundraising Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) celebrated a record-breaking year of fundraising, sponsorship and participation at the 12th annual Southeastern Classic Golf Tournament, hosted at TPC Wakefield Plantation in Raleigh, North Carolina on October 8, 2018.

This year’s tournament raised $85,000, earning $27,000 more than the $58,000 average of the previous 11 years of the Southeastern Classic.

“The Southeastern Classic is a great opportunity for supporters of Southeastern’s mission to invest in our student body and to come alongside of us to ensure affordable tuition for the highestquality theological education in America,” said Jonathan Six, director of Financial and Alumni

Development at SEBTS. “I cannot thank our sponsors and participants enough for supporting the future ministries of our soon-tobe graduates.”

All money raised goes toward The Southeastern Fund, which plays a vital role in the life of every student enrolled at the school as each dollar given helps to provide funding for school operations and alleviates tuition costs.

This year’s Southeastern Classic had its highest amount of involvement yet, with 80 sponsors, 40 teams and 160 registered players. For the first year in its history, the SEBTS tournament was divided between a morning flight at 8:30 and an afternoon flight at 2:00 due to the high level of participation.

Crenshaw Consulting Engineers was the 2018 Title Sponsor for this year’s tournament along with LifeWay Christian Resources as the 2018 Flight Sponsor.

SPRING 2019 / 9

Southeastern Remembers First African-American Professor Logan Carson On November 3, 2018, Logan Carson, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary’s (SEBTS) first full-time African-American professor, passed away at the age of 86. Carson, who taught theology at SEBTS from 1994-2009, will be remembered for his vibrant zeal for life, love for teaching Scripture to his students and his humility in serving others.

Danny Akin, president of SEBTS said, “The thing I remember most about Dr. Carson is that he said he didn’t want his sight back in this life because, ‘the first thing I want to see is Jesus’ face.’”

Carson was born in McDowell County in July of 1932 and suffered from blindness at birth due to mal-formed retinas. However, blindness did not stop Carson’s zeal in ministry and his love for the Lord. In 1955, Carson was pursuing his degree to become a constitutional attorney when he was called by God to change his educational endeavors to teach students the Scriptures.

Carson received his Bachelor of Arts in Bible and social science from Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina in May of 1957. In 1960, just three days after marrying his wife, Glenwood, he received his Bachelor of Divinity from Hartford Seminary Foundation in Connecticut. Twenty years later in May of 1980, the Graduate School of Drew University conferred on Carson a Doctor of Philosophy degree.

His students through the years have been impacted by the way he taught them to know and love 10 \ SPRING 2019

Scripture and to honor the Lord through doing everything well for his glory. His motto was, “In Christ, strive for excellence.”

Doug Nalley, director of housing at SEBTS and a former student of Carson’s remembers how he would affectionately call his students, “tadpoles,” as they were not fullydeveloped theologians.

Nalley recalled a story Carson told his class of how he was going to be sent to make brooms after graduating high school, but Carson was determined to do more.

“They laughed at him initially, but then off he went to law school,” said Nalley. “Next was theology school. If they had their

way, Dr. Carson would have spent his life making brooms.

However, in God’s providence, God used this blind man to prepare untold numbers of students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission.”

During his time at SEBTS, Carson also served as pastor of GreenBethel Baptist Church in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. Carson taught at a number of other schools, including as an instructor of religion at Montclair State College in New Jersey; a professor at Gardner-Webb College (now University) in Boiling Springs; and a Bible knowledge master at Waka Schools, Bui, Northeastern State, WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SOUTHEASTERN

Nigeria, West Africa.

Carson’s ministerial positions included pastor of Olive Branch Baptist Church in Wake Forest, North Carolina; associate pastor of First Baptist Church, Jeffersontown, Kentucky; pastor of Webb First Baptist Church in Ellenboro, North Carolina; and pastor of Christ Community Baptist Church in Gastonia, North Carolina.

Throughout his educational journey, Carson was both an outstanding student and beloved professor.

As a student, Carson graduated with high honors from Shaw University, received special commendation in receiving his master’s degree and maintained a 4.0 GPA during his Ph.D. while also being

rewarded with multiple fellowships. Carson immediately recognized During his time as a SEBTS pro- him and asked about his situation. fessor, Carson was awarded the Ex- Then he prayed for him while we cellence in Teaching Award in 2003. stood there together.”

Wayne McDill, emeritus senior Carson was preceded in death professor of preaching at SEBTS, by his wife, Glenwood (whom he was both a colleague and neighbor affectionately called “Pep”) and is of Carson’s. survived by his two adult children “I was on the faculty committee Aaron and Tricia. that interviewed Dr. Carson when The funeral was held at Southhe came for a preliminary visit to eastern’s Binkley Chapel on MonSoutheastern,” said McDill. “My day, November 12, 2018 at 1 p.m. first impression was that he was so informed about almost any subject and that he was spiritually sensitive.”

“I was struck with his genuine interest in students,” McDill conIn Christ, strive for tinued. “I was in his office one excellence. time when a student came by. Dr.

Southeastern Theological Fellowship Dinner Celebrates Five Institutional Scholars

one,” said Ashford. “We find it chal• Matthew Pinson, president of lenging precisely because we are Welch College, Nashville, Christian scholars working in a Tennessee secular age.”

• Peter Gentry, Donald L. “Western higher education will Williams professor of Old lose much of what is good about it Testament interpretation at The unless Christian scholars fulfill our Southern Baptist Theological role as salt and light,” said Ashford. Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky The honorees, representing five • Kevin Vanhoozer, research different colleges, universities and professor of systematic theology seminaries, received awards for at Trinity Evangelical Divinity their excellence in research, writing School, Deerfield, Illinois and displaying the characteristics of a Great Commission scholar in After accepting his award, Vanboth the classroom and Christian hoozer addressed the audience on scholarship. The following scholars the importance of holding fast to the received awards: word of God, the gospel and the Spirit’s power in biblical scholarship.

• Matthew Emerson, Dickinson “Let us form a society not of biblichair of religion and associate cal literature but a society of bibliprofessor of religion at Oklahoma cal literacy,” said Vanhoozer.

Baptist University, Shawnee, The Southeastern Theological FelOklahoma lowship seeks to build camaraderie • Nathan Finn, provost and and foster fellowship between scholdean of the university faculty, ars of multiple denominations and North Greenville University, encourage excellence in scholarship Tigerville, South Carolina for the glory of Jesus Christ.

During the 70th annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) in Denver, Colorado, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) recognized five evangelical scholars for their contributions at the annual Southeastern Theological Fellowship dinner.

SEBTS Provost Bruce Ashford welcomed guests from liberal arts colleges, research universities, seminaries, publishing houses and more to the event, calling them to “the unified vision of reality that theological scholarship can offer.”

“If the Christian life could be compared to an exam in which we are measured by our faithfulness to Christ in a particular historical context, many of us feel like the 21st century is an insanely challenging WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SOUTHEASTERN

SPRING 2019 / 11

Timothy Barnabas Conference Encourages Students in Ministry Leadership Understanding the purpose and practice of being a leader in ministry underscored the theme of this year’s Timothy Barnabas Conference at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) on November 6, 2018.

“You can’t lead people you don’t love; you can’t lead people you don’t believe in,” said Hunt, who served as pastor of First Baptist Woodstock, Georgia for 32 years and as a former Southern Baptist

and caring for others, Hunt explained, stems from love.

“Deep love is what causes a person to lead a church the same way your mother led you,” said Hunt.

An afternoon session was held for men in which Hunt discussed the attributes and practices that make a good leader such as humility, commitment to a clear vision, a love for prayer and the word of God and having a mentor.

“If prayer isn’t necessary to ac-

I’ve never lost my passion because I’ve never gotten over being saved.

Convention president. complish your vision, it’s too small,” During Tuesday’s chapel service, said Hunt.

Johnny Hunt, senior vice president Hunt noted that leaders will of evangelism and leadership for speak about what excites them. the North American Mission “I’ve never lost my passion beBoard, preached on the model of cause I’ve never gotten over being leadership found in 1 Thessalo- saved,” said Hunt. nians 2:7-9. In his message, Hunt The women’s session was led by explained the metaphor Paul used Janet Hunt and Lori Salierno Malto describe how leading a church is donado, CEO of Teach One to Lead like that of a mother who nurtures One, a non-profit that partners and imparts her own life to her with schools to help at-risk stuchildren. The motive for leading dents achieve success through the 12 \ SPRING 2019

pairing of a professional mentor.

Maldonado spoke on the practice of choosing joy over bitterness when life and ministry become challenging.

“Joy is dependent on the purpose, the power and the presence of Jesus Christ,” said Maldonado.

Speaking on Philippians 4, Maldonado gave three ways women can find joy in the midst of difficulty: practicing the presence of God, focusing on the positive and embracing brokenness with humility. Joy, she explained, is an intentional thinking and living that, when applied to brokenness produces “something that no unbeliever will ever be able to taste.”

“Don’t lose the sight of the simplicity and the profound depth of being a woman of joy,” she said.

In the evening a panel discussion and dinner were held at Wake Forest Baptist Church with Danny and Charlotte Akin and Johnny and Janet Hunt. The couples addressed a range of questions from the audience and moderator Tate Cockrell, associate professor of counseling and assistant director of the Doctor of Ministry program at SEBTS. Questions included topics such as what a spiritual leader in the home should look like and how to balance ministry and family.

“You will experience more sanctification in marriage and family than you will anywhere else in all of life,” said Akin.

The Timothy Barnabas Conference was started by Johnny and Janet Hunt nearly 20 years ago to encourage and equip pastors and their wives. Conferences have been hosted in 29 countries, ministering to more than 8,000 pastors and wives.

Visit timothybarnabas.org for more info.

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SOUTHEASTERN

God Promises to Never Leave, Akin Reminds Fall 2018 Graduates

Death is Necessary for Life, Platt Charges Students at Spring 2019 Convocation

On December 7, 2018, Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary encouraged 30 college and 169 seminary students to trust in the steadfast promise that God will never leave them or abandon them, found in Hebrews 13:5.

Akin highlighted two points of the passage. First, he explained how God is the one who makes this promise. Noting similar promises from Deuteronomy 31:6; 8 and Joshua 1:5, Akin explained that God has promised to never leave his children in the past nor will he leave his children in the present.

“This is a truth that was real for Old Testament saints, it is a truth that was real for New Testament saints and it is a truth that is real for you and me today right where we are,” said Akin.

Second, Akin explained how God’s children are the recipients of this promise. In explaining the context of the verse, Akin noted the author’s exhortation to trust in the stated promise at the end of Hebrews 13:5.

The Christian’s response, Akin said, should model that of Psalm 118:6 (quoted in Hebrews 13:6), which states, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

“Of course, the answer is he cannot do one thing that your sovereign, loving, heavenly Father does not allow,” said Akin.

“Graduating class, that promise is also yours. Every one of you that is here today, that promise can also be yours. All you have to do is ask him,” said Akin, closing the ceremony with an invitation for salvation, as he does at each graduation ceremony.

On January 22, 2019, David Platt gave a challenging message to students during the spring convocation in which he addressed the paradoxical truth that in order to have life, the Christian must be willing to die.

“To live in the next world, you die in this world,” said Platt, pastor of McLean Bible Church in the metro-Washington, D.C. area.

Wedding the story of the church in South Korea and the truth spoken by Jesus in John 12:24-26, Platt noted that Christians are called to die to sin, to self and to the ways of the world.

Robert Thomas, a missionary to China who had a heart for Koreans, attempted to reach Korea by boat, Platt explained. However, foreigners were not welcome. On his second attempt to get to the country, his boat was attacked, and he was later captured and killed. Yet, while being attacked, he threw Bibles overboard to shore, shouting, “Jesus! Jesus!” to the people as he desperately wanted them to know Christ.

In 1884, Christian Koreans were granted freedom to share the gospel, allowing missionaries to also come to Korea. However, in 1900 there was less than one percent of Korean Christians.

Growth began to happen in 1907 with the Pyongyang Revival, bringing an unprecedented growth in Christianity to the formerly closed-off country. During this Bible conference, preachers became overwhelmed with their sin and began to confess. Following their example, the audience

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SOUTHEASTERN

also began to confess their sin to God and each other while praying fervently to God to do a work in them and their country.

Multiple nights of prayer, Bible study and confession continued, and Christianity began spreading into other towns and villages.

The Korean church has grown from less than one percent to more than 10 million believers in 2000. Today, South Korea is the second largest sending country behind the United States, Platt noted, a country whose population is similar to California and Florida combined.

“In one century, South Korea went from having hardly any Christians to being a global center of Christianity,” said Platt.

Platt said he believes that the Lord can do this kind of work in North American churches and unreached countries around the globe.

“I long for that not just to be the story of the church in South Korea; I long for that to be the story of the churches we lead,” said Platt.

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Southeastern Announces Two Additions to Faculty for Spring 2019 Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) is excited to announce that doctoral candidate Keelan Cook and alumnus Matt Rogers joined the faculty in the spring of 2019 to teach church planting and missiology.

“The most strategic thing we can do to address lostness in North America is to equip students to help the church embrace its missionary calling and to see its missionary opportunities,” said Keith Whitfield, vice president for academic affairs and dean of graduate studies at SEBTS. Rogers joined the faculty as a part-time assistant professor of church planting and coordinator of church planting and revitalization for the Lewis A. Drummond Center for Great Commission Studies (CGCS).

Rogers serves as pastor of The Church at Cherrydale, which he planted in 2009 in Greenville, South Carolina. He has also had opportunities to speak throughout the country on church planting, discipleship and missions. Rogers received his Master of Arts in counseling from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and his Master of Divinity and Ph.D. in applied theology from SEBTS. Rogers and his wife, Sarah, have four children: Corrie, Avery, Hudson and Willa.

Keelan Cook, who leads the Peoples Next Door project and is a senior church consultant with the Union Baptist Association in Houston, Texas, joined the SEBTS faculty as a part-time instructor of North American missiology and as 14 \ SPRING 2019

a coordinator of diaspora missions for the CGCS. Cook has served with the International Mission Board in West Africa as a church planter and with the North American Mission Board as an ethno-graphic researcher in Washington, D.C. Cook earned his Master of Arts in Christian studies from Union University in Jackson, Tennessee and is currently working on his Ph.D. in missiology at SEBTS. Cook and his wife, Meredith, currently work and live in Houston, Texas.

“We are excited about these two additions to the Southeastern faculty. Both of these men are great teachers and great field practitioners and will contribute greatly to the Great Commission vision and pulse of our school,” said Whitfield.

Keelan Cook

Matt Rogers

Thom Rainer to Join SEBTS Faculty Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) is excited to announce that Thom Rainer, former president of Lifeway Christian Resources, joined the SEBTS faculty as a part-time distinguished professor of church revitalization and leadership in January of 2019.

“Students have the incredible opportunity to sit under the instruction of one of the most gifted and innovative minds in the evangelical world. This is a great day for SEBTS,” said SEBTS President Danny Akin.

Rainer’s position at SEBTS includes teaching in the doctoral program and developing graduate-level courses in church revitalization.

After beginning his career in finance, Rainer began to pursue his ministry calling in 1982. He received his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy degrees at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) in 1985 and 1988, respectively. Rainer also served as the dean of The Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth and professor of evangelism and church growth from 19942004. During this time, Rainer established and operated as president and CEO of the Rainer Group, a denominational consulting firm which ran from 1990-2005.

Rainer also served in teaching roles at Beeson Divinity School and Tampa Bay Theological Seminary earlier in his teaching career.

Along with his teaching roles at seminaries, Rainer has served a number of churches throughout Alabama, Florida, Indiana and WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SOUTHEASTERN

Kentucky in both senior and interim pastoral roles.

“I am incredibly honored and excited to be part of the Southeastern Seminary team, especially in the area of church revitalization,” said Rainer, a highly esteemed author, speaker and leader in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). “I pray God will use us to be his instruments toward moving congregations to greater health.”

Under Rainer’s 13 years of leadership at Lifeway, he established B&H Academic, a branch of Lifeway’s B&H Publishing, which provides theologically-conservative academic materials for seminary professors, students and pastors.

He also created Lifeway Research to better assist church leaders for greater effectiveness.

Along with his many accolades as a highly respected leader in the SBC, Rainer has written a number of books on leadership and church growth, including “I Am a Church Member” and “Eating the Elephant: Bite-Sized Steps to Achieve LongTerm Growth in Your Church.”

Along with his books, Rainer also writes on his blog, thomrainer.com and hosts a bi-weekly podcast called “Rainer on Leadership.”

“Southeastern Seminary is thrilled to have Thom Rainer joining our faculty. This is an unbelievable gift to our school,” said Akin.

SEPTEMBER 12 3:30 pm 3:45 pm 5:20 pm 6:00 pm

Welcome & Story of Southeastern Campus Tour Faculty Q&A Dinner with President Danny Akin

MEET SOUTHEASTERN gives prospective donors the opportunity to get an up-close look at what our school is all about. By coming to campus, they will learn more about how the Lord is working through our students to reach the nations with the gospel and what it looks like to partner together to accomplish this goal. This event includes an overview of the history of Southeastern, a campus tour, a faculty panel and dinner with President Danny Akin.

For future dates and more information, email Becca Warren at bwarren@sebts.edu or call 919.761.2354.

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SOUTHEASTERN

SPRING 2019 / 15

J.D. Greear

IDENTITY Encapsulates the Theme of GO Conference 2019 The fifth annual GO Conference focused its attention on God’s character as a lens in which the 834 high school and college students should view their identity at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) February 15-16.

J.D. Greear, president of the Southern Baptist Convention and pastor of the Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, kicked off the night by preaching about God as a Trinitarian Father, found in Isaiah 9:6-7.

egories included the never-satisfied dad, the dad who is quick to anger, the emotionally-distant dad and the absent dad.

“Stop viewing your heavenly Father through the lens of your earthly one,” said Greear. “Instead, evaluate your earthly father through the lens of your heavenly one.”

Danny Akin, president of SEBTS, followed Greear’s message by teaching on God as creator, found in Colossians 1:13-23.

If you truly want to know what God is like, all you have to do is look to Jesus.

“You will never have the identity “Nothing is more important, I bethat gives you the confidence to go lieve, than that you understand until you understand Jesus as ever- rightly who Jesus is and what Jesus lasting Father,” said Greear. has done,” said Akin, explaining Greear noted four broken repre- that this determines how the besentatives found in earthly fathers liever thinks about everything else. and juxtaposed them to how Jesus Akin noted five positional staterepresents for all people a perfect, ments of Jesus’ lordship, found in everlasting Father. These four cat- the passage: that Jesus is savior, re16 \ SPRING 2019

vealer, creator, leader and master.

He explained how each of these positions denies various false beliefs in culture today.

Speaking specifically of Jesus as revealer, Akin explained that because of Jesus, we have a glimpse into the character of God. “If you truly want to know what God is like, all you have to do is look to Jesus,” said Akin.

William “Duce” Branch, assistant professor of preaching and Bible at The College at Southeastern, led the Saturday morning session, preaching through 2 Kings 5 on God as savior.

Branch highlighted four key aspects of how the story of Naaman being healed of leprosy speaks to different aspects of salvation: the need, the source, the how and the response.

Branch explained that while Naaman was known for his greatness, he was plagued by sickness, which stands as a reminder of human limitation.

Speaking specifically of the source of salvation, Branch noted how God providentially guided Naaman to the cure for his disease while ultimately leading him to his spiritual healing.

“He’s navigating these things so that you run smack-dab into the God that saves you,” said Branch.

Branch exhorted students to respond to the salvation God alone provides in gratitude and worship.

“We respond not for salvation but from salvation,” said Branch.

Following Branch’s sermon, a Pathways to GO Panel was hosted on the main stage where ministry leaders discussed mission trip opportunities for students ranging from one week to one semester. Panelists included Zac Lyons, director of the office for Great Commission partnerships at the North Carolina Baptist State Convention; Brad Russell, mobilization team leader for the SBC of WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SOUTHEASTERN

William “Duce” Branch

Virginia; Tim Rice, director of missions mobilization for the South Carolina Baptist State Convention; Chad Stillwell, student mobilizer for the International Mission Board; and Derrick Rudolph, GenSend mobilizer for Send Relief at the North American Mission Board.

Nineteen breakout sessions were held throughout the afternoon, including “A Frank Conversation about Pornography and Discipling People to Freedom,” led

by Scott Hildreth, George Liele director of the Center for Great Commission Studies and assistant professor of global studies at SEBTS; “Loneliness and Community,” led by Julia Bickley, associate dean of graduate program administration and associate professor of ministry to women at SEBTS; “How to Share the Gospel with Your Neighbors,” led by Ronjour Locke, instructor of preaching and urban ministry at SEBTS; and “How Do We Engage Justice and Our City as Students,” led by Luke Hinson, a student at SEBTS who is studying a Master of Arts in ethics, theology and culture.

Tony Merida, pastor of Imago Dei WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SOUTHEASTERN

Scott Hildreth

Church in Raleigh, finished out the conference by preaching on God as Lord, found in 1 Kings 18:17-46. In the passage, which features the faceoff between the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal to prove the true God, Merida provided three elements of this “showdown” that reveal God as Lord: the proposal, the purpose and the prayer-answering champion of the showdown.

Merida spoke to the emptiness of false religion as he contrasted the frenzied worshippers of Baal to the power of the God of Elijah.

“If you aren’t praying to the living God, it’s an exercise in futility,” said Merida, explaining that what set Elijah’s worship apart from the

prophets of Baal was that of deep fellowship with God. Elijah was the forerunner to Christ, the ultimate mediator, prophet and king who would sacrifice himself on behalf of sinners in order that they might know God, Merida noted.

“If you truly have a high view of the Lord God, you will follow him in bold faith,” said Merida.

The Identity Flows concert following the Friday night sessions featured hip hop artists Legin (Nigel Anderson) and The Ambassador (Duce Branch).

Next year’s GO Conference is scheduled for February 7-8, 2020.

Visit flickr.com/southeastern for more photos.

Pathways to GO Panel

SPRING 2019 / 17

N E W

A N D

Philosophy A Christian Introduction

U P C O M I N G

F A C U LT Y

W O R K S

Christ-Centered Exposition Exalting Jesus in Esther

Christ-Centered Exposition Exalting Jesus in Jeremiah, Lamentations

David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida (Editors)

David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida (Editors)

B&H Publishing, 2019

B&H Publishing, 2019

The Gospel of Our King Bible, Worldview, and the Mission of Every Christian

Trinitarian Theology Theological Models and Doctrinal Application

Islam and North America Loving Our Muslim Neighbors

Bruce Riley Ashford and Heath A. Thomas

Keith S. Whitfield (Editor)

Micah Fries and Keith Whitfield

James K. Dew Jr. and Paul M. Gould Baker Academic, 2019

B&H Academic, 2018

Baker Academic, 2019

Letters to an American Christian Bruce Riley Ashford B&H Books, 2018

Bondage & Freedom Escaping the Trap of Pornography D. Scott Hildreth Amazon Digital Services, LLC, 2018

B&H Academic, 2018

Together on God’s Mission: How Southern Baptists Cooperate to Fulfill the Great Commission D. Scott Hildreth B&H Academic, 2018

SBC FAQs A Ready Reference

Knowing and Doing The Will of God

Keith Harper and Amy Whitfield

David W. Jones

B&H Academic, 2018

Veritas Publications, 2018

From the Study to the Pulpit An 8-Step Method for Preaching and Teaching the Old Testament Allan Moseley Weaver Book Co., 2018

For more information, or to purchase these or other SEBTS faculty works, visit sebts.edu/books 18 \ SPRING 2019

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SOUTHEASTERN

T H E

I M P O R TA N C E

Dr. Benjamin L. Merkle Professor of New Testament and Greek Editor of the Southeastern Theological Review

O F

S C H O L A R S H I P

Several years ago, I brought a group of students to Southeast Asia for a two-week mission trip. During that trip I had the opportunity to teach a seminar on the reliability of the Bible to a group of college students, many of whom were curious Muslims from Iran. Later that trip, we took a tour of a historic mosque and, afterward, had an extended conversation with the leader of the mosque about the reliability of the Bible.

Many of the issues we discussed in both settings were precisely the topics we covered in several of the courses I taught.

Although I believe that knowing and studying the Bible (or theology or history, etc.) is practical and useful for missions, this trip serves as a vivid reminder for me. Peter reminds us, “Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15 CSB).

THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SCHOLARSHIP MADE COMPLETELY FREE TO YOU.

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WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SOUTHEASTERN

SPRING 2019 / 19

Thank you

to our sponsors for a record-breaking 12 th annual

Join us for the 13 th annual Southeastern Classic Fall 2019 sebts.edu/classic

Title Sponsor

Flight Sponsor

Gold Sponsors

Charles Boyd of Henderson | City Barbeque | Robling Medical To become a sponsor, contact Drew Davis, Associate Director of Financial and Alumni Development at ddavis@sebts.edu or 919.761.2351

Southeastern received $7.9 million last year because of Southern Baptist churches like yours committed to the spread of the gospel to all nations, tribes and tongues.

Love In Action www.sbc.net/cp

IMPACT THE NATIONS.

GIVE. sebts.edu/give P.O. Box 1889 Wake Forest, NC 27588-1889 919.761.2203

4 Years, 4 Strategic Initiatives, For the Glory of God forthemission.com

22 \ SPRING 2019

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For the Students – $1,500,000 STUDENT AID ENDOWMENTS • Provide financial support for students who meet the requirements • Enable students to graduate with reduced student loan debt

For the Faculty – $3,000,000 ACADEMIC ENDOWMENTS • Recruit and retain world-class scholars to train the next generation of pastors and missionaries • Benefit countless students for generations to come while keeping Southeastern accessible to qualified students • Provide support for academic centers in their missions to equip people to engage in missions, in culture and in pastoral leadership

For the Campus – $8,500,000 DINING HALL CONSTRUCTION – $4,800,000 • Improves the overall student experience by expanding on-campus meal options • Provides dedicated banquet and event space

SIMMONS HALL RENOVATION – $3,700,000 • Enables an additional 100 on-campus students each year • Increases the undergraduate student housing capability by 65%

For the Cause – $7,500,000 SOUTHEASTERN FUND • Offsets tuition for every student • Provides technological upgrades • Provides needed facility improvements • And more

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SPRING 2019 / 23

For the Students

On October 31, 2018, Henry and Linda “What’s so exciting about this Hall entered President Danny Akin’s scholarship is that it’s going to help office to sign a document that not students come to Southeastern and only represented a significant mile- be trained so they can go take that stone for Southeastern Baptist Theo- good news to the dark corners of logical Seminary but the legacy of a the world,” said Jonathan Goforth, daughter the couple will never forget. development officer for SoutheastThat day, the Catherine Hall Me- ern’s Financial and Alumni Develmorial Student Aid Fund was estab- opment Office. lished, a scholarship for students in Henry and his friend, Don Warhonor of the Halls’ daughter, Cathy, ren, a long-time member of the who suffered from osteogenesis im- Southeastern Society, Timothy Soperfecta (brittle bone disease) until ciety and Board of Trustees, conpassing away in 2016. nected through their membership In the same way that the Halls at Parkwood Baptist Church. It was deeply loved and cared for their Warren who convinced the Halls of daughter, the scholarship represents the value of giving to a place like the sacrificial love for which all be- Southeastern. As the Halls grew in lievers are called to love others as their involvement at the school Christ has loved through the gospel. through the regular meetings of the Southeastern Society, the natural next step for them to impact future Southeastern students was to create the Catherine Hall Memorial Student Aid Fund.

“When you experience the sweet spirit of Southeastern up close and personal, it’s so much easier to say, ‘I’d really like to be a part of that,’” said Henry.

The Halls had planned to set up a 24 \ SPRING 2019

private education trust fund to help pay for their family members’ education, but the complexities of managing the fund caused them to have second thoughts. Through the Halls’ involvement as donors at Southeastern, they saw a new and exciting option: joining the Timothy Society and setting up the Catherine Hall Memorial Student Aid Fund as their planned gift for the school.

“This is consistent with our values and preparing people to minister whether as a missionary or somebody in a music program in a church,” said Henry.

Born at Watts Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, Cathy was born breech with a skull fracture and a broken leg. However, despite being predicted to live only six weeks, Cathy lived 51 years. She overcame the odds of her life expectancy time and time again. “[The doctors] kept saying, “OK, she won’t live to be 6, she won’t live to be 12 and then after that they quit saying because obviously they hadn’t checked with God, and he wasn’t ready for her yet,” Linda said with a laugh.

Cathy’s genetic disorder caused fragility in her bones, making it easy for them to break. She suffered from more than 130 fractures in her lifetime due to this disease. She was confined to a wheelchair permanently and suffered from an uncontrolled seizure disorder brought on by spinal meningitis at age 10. Over time, the vast number of seizures brought her IQ from 130 to 90 due to the oxygen deprivation that the seizures caused.

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Despite the struggle, the Lord was not done with Cathy, who came to know Jesus at 14.

Linda fondly recounted how their pastor at the time, a burly Army chaplain, carried Cathy into the baptismal pool to baptize her before the church. Linda recalled that Cathy’s conversion came in part through the intentionality of Cathy’s Sunday School teachers, and she continued to be mentored through a few couples in the church.

She “wore out” her King James Version Bible as her mom recalled, who noted that her favorite books were Ezekiel and Daniel.

Cathy, who lived at home with her parents until she was 34, moved to a nursing home because she wanted to live on her own as much as was possible.

Walking with Cathy through her mental and physical struggles was challenging to the Halls’ faith as they tried to understand why God would allow their daughter to suffer so much.

Linda remembers coming to a place of surrender in this battle with the Lord.

“I knew God could heal her and I didn’t understand why he wouldn’t,” she said. However, she told the

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Lord, “I’m tired of fighting. If there’s anything left in me you can use, it’s yours.”

Similarly, Henry admitted that an experience like this either causes one’s faith to become stronger or one will just die spiritually.

“You either collapse and your belief fails, or you get through it and you’re stronger,” said Henry.

Cathy passed away on a Friday afternoon in February.

Linda was able to have one last conversation with her daughter the night before she died, a conversation in which Cathy was peacefully aware that her life was coming to an end.

Cathy went to sleep that night and woke up in the presence of the Lord.

Linda is grateful that even in Cathy’s death, the Lord was faithful to answer her fervent prayers for her daughter.

“God answered my three prayers that I had prayed for 50 years: that I would know she was saved, that she wouldn’t be afraid, and that it would be easy for her because she had suffered so much.”

From the difficult moments to the sweet memories of Cathy that Linda and Henry hold in their hearts, they consider all of the sacrifice it took to raise her completely worth it.

“God knew what he was doing. I wouldn’t trade it for anything as hard as it was,” said Linda.

For Henry and Linda, this scholarship highlights Cathy’s legacy and, most importantly, will be used to equip students at Southeastern to serve the Church and fulfill the Great Commission. The Halls made this clear in the opening section of the Student Aid Agreement: “Cathy was bright and had a sharp wit that endeared her to many and frustrated a few. She had a generous heart and would be greatly pleased to help someone respond to Jesus’s command to ‘go and make disciples.’

Cathy died in 2016 at the age of 51 and is now walking and running and dancing before the LORD.”

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For the Students Shaq Hardy came to The College at Southeastern in the spring of 2012 with a call on his life to be in ministry. It was a call that required sacrifice before he even stepped on campus as he gave up numerous athletic scholarships to be at Southeastern.

Through the generous gifts of donors, the vibrant campus community and rigorous educational experience, Hardy is graduating in May with his Bachelor of Arts in English, confident that he is equipped for the ministry to which God called him as a teenager.

While Hardy has been finishing up his degree at Southeastern, he has also been serving as a student pastor at Brainerd Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee for three years.

Micah Fries, senior pastor of Brainerd, has seen a noticeable impact in the student ministry since Hardy arrived. “[Shaq is] constantly keeping missions in front of them. I would say his love for the word, his love for theology and his love for mission are probably at the top of the list of things that he’s really helped lead out and change,” said Fries.

Now that he finds himself in full-time ministry, he and others, like Fries, see how his education has shaped him into a pastor who is theologically-deep and missionally-focused.

“I don’t think he would be nearly what he is for our students if it wasn’t for his time here at Southeastern,” said Fries.

As Shaq nears graduation, he 26 \ SPRING 2019

took some time to share how his time at Southeastern has shaped him for his ministry, which he admits would not be possible without the generous financial gifts that made his education possible.

What did you appreciate about the community aspect of Southeastern?

There is no other time in your life where you are around people that are as like-minded and working towards some of the same goals as you. Being a part of campus life and the friendships that I was able to build at How did the Lord bring you to Southeastern, that’s what really Southeastern?

When I showed up to South- grew me. eastern I had $300 in my pocket.

I had no idea how I was going to How did your education at pay for school. I remember pray- Southeastern shape you personally ing to God, “You brought me and in how you minister?

The History of Ideas program here, I’m settled in and now I think I’m going to have to go has been so beneficial for me behome.” Later, my youth pastor cause it teaches you how to think who went to Sout heaster n showed up. We went to lunch and were looking at finances. He was trying to show me how much I was going to have to make and how many jobs I was going to have to work in order to pay for school. I was really upset and thought, “I don’t know if I can do this and be a full-time student.”

I went back to my dorm and was sitting alone. I remember thinking, “God, if this is what you want me to do, I’m going to do whatever it takes to stay here.”

And I kid you not, I said “amen” and a minute or two later, I got a phone call from Financial Aid. They were going to be able to give me a $2,500 scholarship because somebody donated money so that I could stay in school. After I got that first $2,500 from Financial Aid, I kept getting other gifts. If it weren’t for those gifts, I honestly don’t think that I would have ever been able to make it this far.

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through theology. I would not be able to think as quickly as I can or nearly as well as I can had it not been for the History of Ideas program. What is so beneficial about the class is not necessarily

what you’re reading or who you’re reading, but you’re learning the author’s thought process.

You’re learning argumentation, critical thinking and how to put an argument together.

As soon as I graduate, Southeastern will be one of the organizations that I donate to.

Seeing how those things have impacted me, I want to be able to do the same thing.

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*Edited for Length and Clarity

What has God been teaching you through your time at Brainerd?

The way I grew up I had a really hard time forming deep, meaningful and healthy attachments to people. One of the things that I’ve been learning since I’ve been at Brainerd is just how to love people well. The way that I’ve been learning that is just looking at how God has loved me despite my pitfalls and shortcomings. I try to model that same love to students, parents and church members.

How has the value of giving toward theological education impacted you?

As soon as I graduate, Southeastern will be one of the organizations that I donate to. Seeing how t hose t hings have impacted me, I want to be able to do the same thing. Honestly, my r el at ion sh ip w it h G o d would not be the way that it is, I wouldn’t be able to understand theology the way that I do and I wouldn’t be able to do ministr y t he way t hat I do right now if it weren’t for the things that I learned at Southeastern. I don’t know how you put a dollar amount on that.

Even t houg h I k now t hat I won’t get to see all of the effects of me giving to the seminary, I know that it’s going to impact people and it’s going to benef it people. I k now t hat this is something that God is going to use for his glor y and for the gospel, and people are going to come to know Jesus because of it.

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For the Faculty Over the past few years, Southeastern has seen annual record enrollment. Every semester, I am amazed by the students who come to SEBTS to be equipped to use their gifts and passions. I am so encouraged by the willingness of our students to go wherever the Lord will send them.

But even as I am encouraged by this, it does not surprise me. The students reflect what they see in their classrooms. Whether I talk to new students, current students or alumni, I consistently hear one refrain: “Tthe best part of Southeastern is the faculty.”

It is a joy and personal honor for me to be a member of this faculty. My colleagues possess a genuine love for and obedience to the word of God. They have committed themselves to use their skills and gifts to master their academic discipline and the art of teaching.

Last year, we had the privilege of adding four new faculty members to the Southeastern community. During the recruiting and interviewing process, we discovered that candidates wanted to join our faculty because they believed in the mission and were attracted to the campus culture.

Southeastern is a Great Commission Seminary because of a vision cast by our president, and because the dedicated men and women who teach our students have a genuine love for the nations. They invest themselves to help students prepare ministry.

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Keith Whitfield – Dean of Graduate Studies, Acting Provost

Every semester, these men and two new faculty chairs or one facwomen greet new students into ulty chair and a combination of the SEBTS community, and other academic endowments (dipromptly cast their gaze to serv- rectorships or professorships), for ing the church and fulfilling the a total of $3 million of endowed Great Commission. We don’t funds dedicated to faculty and train in bunkers at SEBTS. We academic initiatives. This gives us train standing on the walls, look- the resources to recruit and retain ing out to a lost and dying world a world-class faculty with hearts that needs to hear the gospel. We for the Great Commission. If our train disciples of Christ with a graduates are to maintain mispassion to see more disciples sional zeal and doctrinal integrity, made from towns and cities of we must maintain a faculty comthe United States all the way to mitted to a strong confession of the ends of the earth. faith who will train our students When we consider our goals For with depth and point our students the Mission, we hope to add either to go and make disciples.

Our faculty is the backbone of Southeastern Seminary, made up of men and women who have been called to equip our students.

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Faculty and instructional costs comprise 42 percent of Southeastern’s total budget. Endowed academic chairs are created for the purpose of generating future income in perpetuity. They provide inflation-adjusted support for professorships as long as Southeastern exists.

Our professors are on the frontlines of equipping students to serve the Church and fulfill the Great Commission. They are making a difference in students’ lives, both in and out of the classroom.

Developing the base of support for faculty positions lays the foundation to benefit countless students for generations to come and allows these legacy gifts to have eternal ramifications.

We aren’t just providing theological education, we are doing ministry preparation. What God ultimately wants is people who are transformed into the image of his Son. That means we need people who have been formed by the gospel, and who understand how to use those truths to form others.

We believe that God has given Southeastern a distinct vision of being a school committed to training Christians for Great Commission work.

Our faculty is the backbone of Southeastern Seminary, made up of men and women who have been called to equip our students. If we believe the students have to be trained and discipled in order to do the same for others, then we have to be a part of the process.

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We give because we seek to glorify God by being good stewards of what the Lord has entrusted to us. As stewards, we want to invest in Southeastern because it has an outstanding opportunity to impact countless lives around the world with the gospel.

More specifically, we seek to support the equipping of students by funding a chair of Christian philosophy while also honoring Dr. Bruce Little for his lifetime of excellence in teaching the truth of Christ. Now, more than ever, it is crucial to equip students that can think critically, preach the gospel unashamedly and go faithfully.

The Moore Family

SPRING 2019 / 29

For the Campus

Ryan Hutchinson – Executive Vice President for Operations

We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us.

Winston Churchill These words were spoken by Winston Churchill in 1943 as a part of the debate on how to rebuild the Commons Chamber following its destruction during the Blitz. Churchill’s comments remind us that we have an opportunity to build structures that don’t simply provide for space but can also inf luence us in more ways than we know.

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary seeks to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the Church and fulfill the Great Commission. The equipping function that we seek to carry out is not purely a function of the transfer of information that happens in the classroom from the professor to the student. It is enhanced by the interactions that students have with one another and their professors in our spaces around campus. The beauty of the architecture points people to the beauty of our creator as they promote a sense of grandeur, order and creativity.

God has been gracious to Southeastern through continuing to bring us more and more students to equip and send out. In order to meet the needs of the growing population, Southeastern has the opportunity to add a dining hall and additional dorm space. The 30 \ SPRING 2019

dining hall is 22,000 square feet with a wrap-around porch lined with doric columns. The dining hall will be able to serve 300 students in one sitting and provide space to host a variety of events on campus that are now not feasible.

The dining hall will sit on the west quad in the northwest corner of campus between the Ledford Cen- From the moment a new student steps on our ter and Patterson Hall.

Since the opening of Magnolia campus until the day Kitchen in the Ledford Center, they graduate, they are under the leadership and outchallenged to give their standing cooking of Chef Virginlives for the cause of ia, The College at Southeastern Christ in the Church, has been able to implement meal plans to further enhance the ofamong the nations and ferings we have on campus to at- in every aspect of society. tract undergraduate students.

At its essence, I see a new During the peak hours of lunchdining hall and updated time, every seat all across the residence halls as an Ledford Center is filled with students eating food served at a levopportunity to impact el not normally found on a college more students for campus. Food is necessary for Christ’s cause and invite life, but the life around the table them to join us in a life is what we seek as a part of our efforts to see students fully of ‘multiplicational’ formed. The dining hall allows discipleship. for food to fill the body and conversations to fill the soul. Around Jake Hatfield these tables are where a professor DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE LIFE is able to encourage a student in their calling and where fellow students are able to work through deep theological truths.

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EXTERIOR RENDERING

• DINING ROOM VIEW

DINING HALL FLOOR PLAN • WESTERN APPROACH VIEW

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• OUTDOOR SEATING AREA

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For the Campus Some of the students that eat in the dining hall also live in undergraduate housing on campus. With the projected growth of The College at Southeastern, more housing is needed to provide living space for these students. In 1937 Wake Forest College also had a need to house more students, so Simmons Hall was constructed at what is now the entrance to the Historic District on North Main Street. In the late 1990s, Simmons Hall was closed in preparation for a renovation that was eventually placed on

Ryan Hutchinson – Executive Vice President for Operations hold. Now this building has the opportunity to have new life breathed into it to meet the needs of a growing college with room for 100 new undergraduate students.

Student housing is more than just a place for students to lay their heads. It is the place where lifelong friendships develop, leadership skills within the college’s House System are honed and students engage in a deeper way with what they are learning. While this housing can be a place for fun, it is also a place for deep reflection on what

Through the addition of these new buildings that we will shape, we trust that our students will be shaped to walk more closely with Christ and fulfill their calling to serve him in his kingdom.

students are learning. It is where the student might be wrestling with God’s call to the mission field or praying for God’s wisdom on a spouse that will serve as a partner in ministry.

The new dining hall and undergraduate housing will serve to enhance our already beautiful campus. Through the addition of these new buildings that we will shape, we trust that our students will be shaped to walk more closely with Christ and fulfill their calling to serve him in his kingdom.

4TH FLOOR

3RD FLOOR

2ND FLOOR

1ST FLOOR

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Campus Housing for our undergraduate students is nearing capacity due to the amazing growth God has blessed us with at the college. Having Simmons Hall renovated and available will provide more than 100 first class residence hall spaces for our college students. Simmons Hall was an integral part of campus life for both Wake Forest College and then Southeastern Seminary for decades. To picture a new generation of students from The College at Southeastern serving the Church and fulfilling the Great Commission coming out of Simmons Hall thrills me.

Doug Nalley

DIRECTOR OF HOUSING

• 4TH FLOOR RENDERING

EXTERIOR VIEW • 2ND & 3 RD FLOOR RENDERING

1ST FLOOR PATIO

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For the Campus

DINING HALL CONSTRUCTION

SIMMONS HALL RENOVATION

For the Cause

Drew Davis – Associate Director, Financial and Alumni Development Office

When schools like ours undertake student enabled to pursue their Great Commission seminary. capital campaigns that involve educational aspirations because Buildings, endowed scholarships building projects, student scholar- of their giving. They can read the and endowed academic initiatives, ships and faculty endowments, seminal work of a faculty member funded by a traditional capital there is always a development of- whose position they endowed. campaign, live on at an institution ficer nervously chewing their fin- They cannot, however, walk into for generations. These projects are gernails hoping that donors who an annual fund. They cannot meet essential to an institution’s longhave so faithfully supported the an annual fund. They cannot read term growth and success and deannual fund will continue giving an annual fund. fine not just the next four years but through the duration of the capiYet, the Southeastern Fund, our the next 40 years. tal campaign. The truth of the annual fund, continuously impacts But we cannot get to the next 40 matter is, there are many times every aspect of our institution and years if we neglect the next four! when annual funds are cannibal- funds the core of who we are as a For this reason, the Southeastern ized by capital campaigns because buildings, students and faculty members are just so much more tangible than an “annual fund.”

People can walk inside and adWe cannot get to the next 40 years mire a building that they helped make possible. They can meet a if we neglect the next four!

36 \ SPRING 2019

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The Southeastern Fund, our annual fund, continuously impacts every aspect of our institution and funds the core of who we are as a Great Commission seminary.

Fund is one of four strategic initiatives included in the For the Mission campaign. In fact, we are intentionally refraining from calling this effort a capital campaign, choosing rather to describe it as a comprehensive campaign. This campaign is designated comprehensive precisely because we do not want to neglect the annual ongoing needs of the school while also raising funds for long-term initiatives such as buildings and endowments. The Southeastern Fund is the initiative that sustains our school and ensures the equipping of students for the cause of Christ by providing for the immediate needs of today.

What are the immediate needs of

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today? The ability to adequately equip the record number of students that God is bringing to our doors is both preeminent and immediate. While many other seminaries are closing their doors, selling properties, laying off faculty and in desperate pursuit of trying to make ends meet, Southeastern is opening new doors, building new buildings and hiring more faculty in relentless pursuit of reaching the ends of the earth.

We are not a tuition-driven school and never will be. In fact, every dollar given to the Southeastern Fund is one less dollar that must be generated through tuition. Every dollar directly impacts every student on campus

whether they are pursuing undergraduate, graduate or advanced degrees. These gifts address the school’s most pressing needs and help offset rising tuition for students. Last year, 672 generous men and women from across the country helped reduce the tuition burden for every full-time student by $750 through support of the Southeastern Fund.

As our student body continues to grow, this fund must grow as well. We hold firm to the conviction of training debt-free students to go wherever God calls, whether it is to rural communities, the inner city or overseas.

Increased costs can encumber students from application, to ad-

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mission, to matriculation, to graduation, to vocation. If students graduate without debt, they can respond immediately to any mission field, irrespective of how remote or impoverished it may be.

With continued student population growth, we must achieve a 15 percent year-over-year increase in our annual fund over the duration of the campaign to maintain affordable tuition.

During this comprehensive campaign, we are asking you to give for the future of our school, but at the same time we are asking you to give for the present of our

school through the Southeastern Fund. Your gift will have an immediate impact no matter the size! I am reminded of the lesson of the widow’s mite recorded in Luke’s Gospel in which the large gifts were noticed by everyone.

But Jesus saw what no one else did. While the large gifts made a lot of noise in the temple treasury, the widow’s mites made much noise in heaven. The Southeastern Fund relies on the generosity of hundreds of people each year, and in no other fundraising initiative is the lesson of the widow’s mite more apparent.

We are asking you to give for the future of our school, but at the same time we are asking you to give for the present of our school through the Southeastern Fund.

4 Years, 4 Strategic Initiatives, For the Glory of God forthemission.com

38 \ SPRING 2019

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STORIES “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

From our local community to the outermost parts of the world, Southeastern students and alumni are reaching people with the gospel by fulfilling the Great Commission. Using the model of Acts 1:8, we want to highlight these stories of how our Southeastern family is serving in North Carolina, North America and around the world. Acts 1:8 Stories create a collective and consistent way to tell the story of Southeastern, one person at a time. From local pastors to missionaries among the unreached, God is doing a great work through students and alumni. Where are they now and where are they going? We can’t wait for you to find out!

STORIES

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From the Dominican Republic to Dallas: How One M.Div. Student is Passionately Pursuing the Great Commission

It started with a prayer. In his home country of the Dominican Republic, Moises Gomez and his pastor asked the Lord to provide a way for Gomez to be equipped for fulltime ministry.

“I think we should pray and see God respond in this prayer,” Gomez recounted his pastor telling him.

While serving as a youth pastor in 2014, he had a burning desire to be better equipped to serve the church.

This passion and zeal are the heartbeat of why he pursued theological education in the first place.

Two weeks later the phone rang, and Edgar Aponte was on the other end. Aponte was Southeastern’s director of Hispanic Leadership Development at the time and he offered Gomez the opportunity to pursue theological education under the Kingdom Diversity Scholarship. After a campus visit, growing financial support and many other doors the Lord opened, Gomez and his family decided to move to Wake Forest on December 29, 2015. The following spring semester, Gomez began his Master of Divinity in Christian ministry.

Due to his two and a half years at SEBTS, he is being sent out with a richer theological base, a 40 \ SPRING 2019

Great Commission focus and what he considers a “well-balanced” M.Div. SEBTS embodies a “special flavor,” as Gomez puts it. This flavor is one in which he has experienced deep relationships with his professors and has been challenged through their teaching and lifestyle.

“One of the reasons I love to be here is I have found that my knowledge in theology has been increased, and my heart has been encouraged through the way professors have been teaching and leading,” said Gomez.

As a husband and father of two, time can be one of the biggest challenges in balancing school, family and work. However, Gomez and his wife chose to make family a priority during this time they consider an “oasis” from the grind of ministry in the Dominican Republic.

Gomez tailored his schedule to reflect this prioritization. During the day he went to class, went to work and studied at the library.

However, once he arrived at his apartment, the books went away, and he focused on family.

“I have found that another person could be a better pastor or a better student than me, but in my house

there’s no other person who would do something in a way that I could do it,” said Gomez, who explained that he and his wife also planned movie nights and other nights out together as well.

While time management can be challenging, the community at SEBTS lends itself to being familyoriented, said Gomez’s wife, Betsy, who is currently a student at SEBTS pursuing her Master of Arts in ministry to women.

“The challenge is more to choose well in what we are investing our time in, being faithful to the Lord and not trading our family for our studies,” she said.

Gomez has been particularly impacted by the Great Commission focus within the classroom, specifically with the expectation in many of his classes to share the gospel during the semester. While evangelism reports are to be expected in missions and evangelism classes, Gomez remembers being held accountable for this even in courses like Bible exposition, church history and Old Testament survey.

“I can testify as an international student, coming from a different background, who is pursuing to be equipped, that the seminary intenSTORIES

tionally fulfills and achieves what we have in our mission,” said Gomez, who saw this firsthand through his work as a recruiter for Southeastern’s Hispanic Leadership Development office.

Gomez and his wife did not just talk about serving the church while in school, they passionately pursued it. Gomez has had the opportunity to preach in various cities across the country, including New York City, Miami, Raleigh-Durham and Orlando. At his home church, Imago Dei, he led the Hispanic Initiative for a year and a half. The gathering consists of about 40 Hispanic congregants and 20 kids coming together once a month for a time of teaching and fellowship in their own language.

Betsy likewise serves through Revive Our Hearts, a ministry led by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, that seeks to equip women to thrive in their identity in Christ through providing resources through radio shows, events and blogs. In her work with this ministry, Betsy teaches throughout Latin America and manages the media team and blog for Hispanic women.

Her classes and professors have played a vital role in her ministerial work as well.

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“I remember having a speaking engagement in Mexico and sitting with a professor, asking him if he thought that what I was going to teach was proper for that time,” she recounted. “I felt like the companion of the professors, and I’ve seen the investment and how that has been fruitful.”

While the couple has spent countless hours studying, ministering to others and raising their kids in Wake Forest, the next step in the journey is just as exciting as the previous one.

As Gomez looks back on his time at SEBTS with great fondness, what began as a prayer four years ago is becoming a reality. At the begin-

ning of December, Gomez received his M.Div in Christian ministry. At the end of December, he and his family moved to Dallas, Texas to pursue full-time ministry. In his new role as one of the pastors on staff at First Irving Baptist Church, Gomez will specifically be working to better engage the Hispanic community around the church.

Gomez and his family are not just leaving a school but a family, one that has shaped their minds, hearts and lives as a whole.

“People here become family, and we are pursuing the same thing: to be equipped in order to serve the Church and fulfill the Great Commission,” said Gomez.

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Ebonee Grissett My relationship with the Lord began when I was a junior at NC State. I was sitting in church one Sunday, and the gospel made complete sense for the first time. I knew Jesus was the savior my heart had desperately longed for.

At that time, I was studying to be a teacher and was committed to teaching for four years after graduation in order to honor a scholarship I received. After graduation I taught high school math. While those years of teaching were tough, I learned a lot and continued to invest in my students and teaching ability. I was content leading

in a classroom when the idea of becoming a formal student entered my mind. Several leaders in my life at the time attended Southeastern and as we talked about the school, I realized that perhaps I should consider pursuing a master’s degree.

As I began my full-time seminary journey in 2017, the financial obstacles grew. My husband’s salary was a third of what he had been told it would be. This news made my dream of graduating debt-free seem impossible. However, the Lord providentially and graciously provided through scholarships and institutional aid.

Because you give, I am going to equip families to thrive for the glory of God.

42 \ SPRING 2019

The generosity of Southeastern donors offset my tuition costs enough last year that we could afford our monthly payments. My hope has become a reality again largely because of the donors who are willing and able to support students like me.

One of the donors who supported me was Robert Kester. Mr. Kester grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina. I wish that I could personally thank Mr. Kester for his generous support. I wish I could thank him for helping me pursue my calling for theological education, but unfortunately I cannot.

Mr. Kester passed away on March 14, 2015. He was a member of the Timothy Society at Southeastern and established a student aid fund in his will. Although we never met, Mr. Kester’s generosity, even in his death, has allowed me to be equipped to serve the Church and fulfill the Great Commission.

I’ve been a student at Southeastern for two years, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to learn and grow as a Christ-follower here.

Whether through interactions with professors or friendships with peers, I have been reminded that my call here is one of constantly remembering my identity in Christ and encouraging others to do the same. As I pursue a Master of Arts in Christian marriage, family and STORIES

Because you give, I am going to reach the nations for Christ through the arts.

individual counseling, I know that I basically told God that in order the training I receive at Southeast- for me to leave my job and impleern will equip me to inspire and ment these ideas I’d have to be encourage those around me wher- fired. Then, one sleepless night ever I am and wherever I go for the the Holy Spirit told me that it was sake of the gospel. time to quit my job and pursue Because a faithful donor like missions. I surrendered to his Mr. Kester gave, I am going to calling with trepidation about the equip families to thrive for the future but with faith in his goodglory of God. ness. I remember praying, “Jesus, I don’t know how I’m going to pay Krista Tritt for the dentist, but I love you and I often joke that I don’t quite fit I trust you, so let’s do this.” in at Southeastern because you In order to faithfully pursue this don’t meet many drama teachers calling, I knew I needed to be at seminary. I served as a school equipped. When I visited the drama teacher for four and a half beautiful campus of Southeastern, years before coming to Southeast- I was excited by the clear emphaern. My specialty is creative dra- sis on the Great Commission. I ma, which puts an emphasis on knew I had found the right place the creation of a piece rather than for God to prepare me to be a drathe final performance. Another ma teacher on mission. aspect of my role was to work Now as a student, I see Southcross-curricularly by using drama eastern’s mission to glorify the to teach things like reading, social Lord Jesus Christ by equipping studies and science. Over time, students to serve the Church and God gave me ideas about how I fulfill the Great Commission could use drama to teach the gos- clearly reflected in all that they do pel in the same way I was using it and teach. I’ve gotten involved in to teach other subjects. However, a local church here and I’ve been STORIES

both challenged and encouraged by my small group. Each day in class I feel more equipped to fulfill the Great Commission. I have learned things that I didn’t know I needed to learn. I can’t imagine moving forward in my calling without the knowledge I’ve gained here. I will be a better cross-cultural evangelist because of the equipping I have received at this seminary.

None of this would have been possible for me without the financial support I’ve received through scholarships, institutional aid and the support of my home church.

This year I am a recipient of the Southeastern Women’s Fellowship scholarship, a scholarship developed for women by women.

This journey has been amazing.

I have truly learned the meaning of praying daily for the Lord’s provision. There have been times when I had no idea how I would make ends meet, but then the Lord surprised me with exactly what I needed. I am so thankful to those who faithfully contribute to Southeastern’s Women’s Fellowship and other scholarship funds.

You have truly helped make my time here possible.

God has impressed on me the importance of everyone, including artists, using their giftings for the sake of his mission. I’m passionate about encouraging more artists to use their talents to support the Great Commission. I hope to do that by starting a drama ministry that partners with church planters and missionaries to reach their communities with the gospel through theatre and the performing arts.

Because you give, I am going to reach the nations for Christ through the arts.

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Because you give, I am going to be a missionary.

Jake* It’s hard for me to narrow down where I’m from because my childhood was spent overseas. My parents served with the International Mission Board for 15 years, following in the legacy of my maternal grandparents who also served. My grandparents completed their application on a typewriter in 1964 before sending it to what was then known as the Foreign Mission Board. I learned early from my parents that full obedience to God meant giving up everything and going wherever the Lord led. When they were asked to choose a country to go to, my parents agreed that they didn’t feel called to a particular location, rather they just felt called to go where no one else wanted to go. So we went: my parents, myself and my three siblings.

If I’m honest, I had hoped that God wouldn’t call me into full-time ministry like my parents and grandparents before me. I pursued a degree in accounting at Charleston Southern University and planned to continue down the path of CPA. 44 \ SPRING 2019

However, I had a profound realization after graduation in 2015 that closely mirrored a realization my grandfather had when applying for the Foreign Mission Board. I had a responsibility to my family, my friends and to the host of lost people to whom I had been called to work and witness. I had the opportunity to do the greatest work on earth: serving Christ and making the gospel known. I recognized God’s clear calling to full-time ministry. Pressing into this calling in obedience I took a job as a campus pastor at a church in South Carolina. During my time there, I gained a deeper vision for scattering the gospel across the world and for preaching and evangelizing until my last days on earth.

In 2017, I left my dream job as a campus pastor and moved my wife and two, recently-adopted daughters here to pursue theological education at Southeastern. Coming here meant finding a new job, taking a pay cut and trying to balance being a full-time student, dad and husband. The risks were great, but *Name changed for security reasons

the rewards have been greater. I would not trade the last year at Southeastern for anything. I want to learn how best to get the gospel to the ends of the earth, and I believe that the people most equipped to teach me how to do those things are at Southeastern.

In the not-so-distant future, my family and I will follow the legacy of my parents and grandparents. We expect to serve in a place where our identity as missionaries can’t be known. If there is one thing I have learned from my family legacy, it’s that going is a sacrifice, but the reward is great.

It is because of faithful donors and sacrificial givers that, for 60 years, our family legacy has been one of going. We pray for our children, that they too will continue the legacy of going, both to seminary and to the nations. Thank you for making this possible for my family.

We could not do it without you. Your contributions allow students and families to pursue God’s calling.

Because you give, I am going to be a missionary.

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L E AV E

A LEGACY OF Faith Become a part of the Timothy Society by including Southeastern in your estate planning.

For more information or to join, please call (919) 761-2202, visit sebts.edu/give or email give@sebts.edu.

WHAT IS SES? The Southeastern Society is a group of generous men and women from all walks of life, who share a desire to assist Southeastern Seminary as she seeks to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the Church and fulfill the Great Commission.

IMPACT OF SES Since its inception in 1995, SES members have contributed $27 million to the mission of Southeastern.

In the last five years alone, SES members have donated $8.5 million, which represents a 350 percent increase compared to the first five years.

Because of the faithful giving of SES members, Southeastern is able to keep tuition affordable. As a result, graduates have more financial freedom as they heed God’s call and serve him wherever he leads.

HOW TO JOIN You can join SES by giving $1,000 or more annually to fund the work of training gospel-ready champions for Christ. For more information or to become a member, contact Drew Davis at ddavis@sebts.edu or 919.761.2351.

Join the Southeastern Alumni Association YOU’LL RECEIVE THESE GREAT BENEFITS • • • • • • •

Audit courses for free Access to the library Access to ATLA Religion Database 50% off transcripts 40% discount on conference registrations 10% discount at the Locker Use of the Ledford Student Center (including the fitness center)

YOU’LL HELP FUTURE ALUMNI GO

Your membership dues, $50 per year or $600 lifetime, help us equip students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission while keeping tuition affordable for students.

For additional information or to join visit sebts.edu/saa , call 919.761.2293 or email alumni@sebts.edu .

sebts.edu/saa

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@SEBTSAlumni

I STILL REMEMBER the stories of military service that my great, great uncle use to tell me as a child.

He was a veteran of WWII and a marine that fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima. What spellbinding stories he would share with me about his years of military service! I distinctly remember the answer he gave to my naïve question of why he fought in the war. He simply said, “It was the mission that I was given.”

Just as my uncle was given a mission from his commander, as God’s people we have been given a mission from our Commander. We refer to our mission as the Great Commission. When Jesus commissioned his Church to make disciples, the mission was to be pursued until he declared the mission complete. Some 2,000 years later, the Church’s mission to make disciples continues in effect.

At Southeastern, we are equipping students to fulfill the Great Commission of making disciples here in the United States and around the globe.

Each year, Southeastern graduates and deploys hundreds of God-called, well-trained and equipped disciple-makers. With each passing year, the cost to train and prepare God’s servants continues to rise. Twenty-five years ago the majority of our operating budget consisted of monies provided by the Cooperative Program (CP) and revenue generated from tuition. In recent years, the CP and tuitiongenerated funds account for approximately threefourths of our operating budget. Consequently, 25 percent of Southeastern’s budget must come from

A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR other revenue streams in order to maintain our current training capacity.

In an effort to better execute the mission of training God’s people for Great Commission work, our executive leadership, under Dr. Akin’s direction, has formulated and launched the For the Mission campaign. This is a four-year targeted campaign that will infuse $20,500,000 into the life of our school. This initiative will set Southeastern on a trajectory of success over the next few years which will address needs for campus enhancements, student aid, academic endowment and the Southeastern Fund, our annual support fund.

In World War II, Uncle Sam called upon the resources of America’s people to accomplish its mission. Our For the Mission campaign is calling upon the resources of God’s people. Indisputably, our call and mission is vitally more important. We need you on mission, and we need your support For the Mission. We are calling upon the whole of the Southeastern family to continue working together to advance God’s mission around the world by helping to train the next generation of disciplemakers. Southeastern needs you today like no other time in our history. I want to encourage you to financially support For the Mission so Southeastern can continue to train the best and the brightest to take the gospel across the street and around the globe.

Jonathan Six

Director of Financial and Alumni Development

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