FORT Truly worth, Texas (BP) – Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustees listened to stories of renewed economical stability and enrollment development throughout their April 9-10 conference held on the Fort Worth campus, which was marked by a spirit of unity, President David S. Dockery claimed.
“Southwestern Seminary is in a pretty various position than in September 2022,” mentioned Dockery, noting quite a few components. “All this has occurred because of God’s providential kindness to us.”
Trustees unanimously authorised a $35.6 million funds, elected and promoted college, named college to educational chairs and authorised graduates for spring 2024 during the conference.
Board Chairman Jonathan Richard thanked Dockery for his “capable management,” counseled trustees for their operate through the conference, mentioned the “high morale” amid students and faculty and affirmed the seminary’s faculty as a “one of our greatest belongings to this institution.”
Richard said trustees “continue to depend on the Lord for guidance” and throughout his tenure on the board he has been “thankful for the sustaining presence of the Lord listed here.”
He extra that the seminary’s recent fiscal problem is “stronger than it has been in decades, and I know that with ongoing hard function and sacrifice, the economic future is hopeful.”
The board authorized a $35.6 million spending plan for the 2025 fiscal year, a decrease of $300,000 from the at first authorised finances for the current yr. Trustees also authorised the organization Guinn Smith & Business as auditors for the fiscal year 2024.
In his report to trustees, Dockery famous the collective thankfulness “to God for His presence” and the “obvious existence of the Spirit main us,” ensuing in a “genuine spirit of unity and humility that was present in all elements of our perform.” He extra that every person is “very hopeful for the days to occur.”
Southwestern impact
Dockery highlighted two new “big announcements” in the Southern Baptist Convention that exemplify the influence of Southwestern Seminary. On March 21, Jeff Iorg, present-day president of Gateway Seminary, was elected president of the SBC Executive Committee. Iorg, who was honored as a distinguished alumnus in 2022, holds a Medical doctor of Ministry from Southwestern. Pending acceptance of the board of trustees at Gateway, Adam Groza, a two-time Southwestern Seminary graduate, including a Physician of Philosophy diploma in 2009, will think the presidency of Gateway Seminary.
“We are thankful for the influence Southwestern carries on to have not just here on this campus, but throughout the earth exactly where there is not a time zone … across the globe in which there is not a Southwesterner serving at this time,” Dockery added.
Encouraging future
Dockery instructed trustees the seminary is “very hopeful” about ongoing supplying to the establishment. He pointed out that unrestricted supplying is “steady” and that quickly unrestricted providing is “ahead of the past 3 years.” He claimed that the seminary’s operational funds is “in a good place” as it is far more than $1.5 million in advance of the exact same time very last yr. He included that the seminary currently has $8.4 million in funds “which no one particular would have imagined this time very last calendar year.”
Dockery also mentioned the $3.4 million that was placed in a “quasi-endowment fund” that is overseen by the board.
“We have moved from crisis to problem to stability,” Dockery observed, introducing “we’re not yet at a spot where we can get in touch with institutional health and fitness we continue to have work to do to get there.” He explained the seminary will “continue to do the job as tough and as correctly and as cautiously as we can, but we ought to not fall short to give thanks to God for answering our prayers.”
Dockery also counseled the get the job done of the Board of Reference, a team of “50 important voices throughout SBC lifestyle in which they speak” into the do the job of the seminary as they give “guidance to our do the job.”
Dockery observed that one-third of the targets of the Progress Southwestern 2030 institutional program, which trustees adopted in the spring 2023 conference, have been done. He also defined there have been “markers of hopefulness,” such as the spring 2023 chapel sermons targeted on 1 and 2 Thessalonians the new personnel handbook enrollment development, like the impending Southwestern Preview Day unrestricted offering an embracing of the institution’s main values and the dedication to prayer throughout the campus.
For the duration of the conference, Dockery publicly thanked the board officers for their conclusion to give him a increase and bonus, which he declined, explaining he needed all workers to be rewarded even though the president need to be previous. Richard stated Dockery’s actions ended up “the Lord affirming to me that we have the right gentleman in the president’s office.”
Enrollment assessment
Dockery noted an improve in enrollment and hours taught. He reported the credit hrs taught in the 2022-2023 educational yr were 34,836, symbolizing an raise of 1,583 credit score hours from the prior educational yr. Enrollment also showed an raise of 171 students in the 2022-2023 tutorial calendar year from the prior year.
Dockery extra that there was an enhance of 479 credit hrs taught in the slide of 2023 in contrast to the drop of 2022 and the 15,821 credit score hours taught in the slide of 2023 also reflected an raise of 1,066 credit rating several hours taught when compared to the tumble of 2021.
He said the spring 2024 educational semester contains 2,711 learners, an improve of 71 students enrolled in spring 2023 which was up from 2,561 the year prior. Dockery said that “uptick in credit rating several hours is the critical to our stable tuition income line which is so essential for our in general funds.”
He mentioned that the full hours taught for spring 2024 has improved by just about 600 hours in excess of spring 2023 – 14,709 credit score hrs taught in the existing semester when compared to 14,152 credit score hrs taught in spring 2023. The credit history hrs taught in spring 2024 characterize an enhance of a lot more than 1,350 credit score several hours taught in comparison to spring 2022.
Citing info from the Affiliation of Theological Universities (ATS) annual enrollment report, which involves 274 divinity educational facilities and seminaries, Dockery said that in the slide of 2023, Southwestern moved to 5th in complete enrollment and 6th in overall credit rating several hours taught. The boosts in enrollment and overall credit history hrs taught make Southwestern 3rd and 4th, respectively, among the Southern Baptist seminaries. Dockery also mentioned that Southwestern was 3rd amongst all of the ATS institutions regarding the overall amount of graduates in the past calendar year and 9th regarding the size of the complete endowment.
He added there is “no other Southern Baptist college that concluded in the best 10” in all four types of selection of graduates, enrollment, credit history hours taught, and endowment. He explained the rating “distinguishes Southwestern in a meaningful way” for which he gave “thanks to God.”
Offering a breakdown of the present pupil system, Dockery stated that 23 p.c of learners are women of all ages, while worldwide college students make up 26 per cent of learners. On top of that, 58 p.c are on the net college students, and a “Revelation 7:9 image of the Kingdom of God” is mirrored between the students as 40 p.c of learners are white, 28 percent are Asian, 21 p.c are Hispanic, 5 p.c are Black, and 6 p.c of mysterious ethnicity, he claimed.
“What takes put at Southwestern is not just counting the quantities, it’s a recognition that each one particular of these quantities represents a human being – a man or woman named to provide in the church, to provide our denomination, to go to the mission area, to be in counseling classes, to be in the classroom, provide in parachurch businesses, anywhere God might direct that person and we in no way know where they are going whilst they are right here,” he mentioned.
School and board enterprise
Trustees gained an announcement of the appointment of Carl J. Bradford as the dean of Texas Baptist College, the undergraduate faculty of Southwestern Seminary. Bradford, whose appointment is successful May 6, led the devotion for the plenary session of the trustee conference.
Trustees also promoted W. Madison Grace II to professor of theology, Dean Sieberhagen to professor of missions, Michael Wilkinson to professor of theology, and Joshua Williams to professor of Outdated Testomony. Moreover, Amy Crider, associate professor of foundations of instruction, and Jonathan Okinaga, assistant professor of biblical counseling, ended up elected to the school. All actions are helpful August 1.
Trustees named O.S. Hawkins, chancellor and senior professor of pastoral ministry and evangelism, to the L.R. Scarborough Chair of Evangelism (“Chair of Fire”) Lilly H. Park, associate professor of biblical counseling, to The Hultgren Chair of Ministerial Counseling Okinaga to the Hope for the Heart Chair of Biblical Counseling and Joseph R. Crider, dean of the University of Church Music and Worship, to the McKinney Chair of Church New music.
Trustees accredited the pupils nominated by the faculty and accredited by the registrar as acquiring met all the necessities for spring 2024 graduation.
Richard (New Mexico), Robert Brown (Tennessee), and Angela Duncan (At-Massive), who have served as chairman, vice chairman, and secretary, respectively, ended up re-elected to 1-calendar year phrases as officers of the board.
Three outgoing trustees were recognized for their provider. Michael Trammel (Maryland-Delaware-DC), Ron Pracht (Kansas-Nebraska), John Rayburn (At-Big) had been thanked by Richard for their time and beneficial contributions presented all through their tenures on the board.
The future board conference is scheduled for Oct. 21-23, 2024
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