Southern Seminary Magazine 89.1: Eternal Truth in Changing Times

V 

N 

ETERNAL TRUTH IN CHANGING TIMES

ALBERTMOHLER.COM 

@ALBERTMOHLER 

FROM THE PRESIDENT 

Onward 

DR. R. ALBERT MOHLER JR. 

President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary 

In changing times, we stand on eternal truth. In an age when fundamental truths 

are increasingly under attack, pastors don’t need less theological training—they need 

more. That’s why the faculty members of Southern Seminary are committed to teaching 

biblical truth that equips the called for faithful ministry. 

T 

he experience of commencement 

at Southern Seminary and Boyce 

College is always glorious, but this 

year’s commencements were a stunning 

display of God’s promise. In a single day, 

we graduated almost 700 students in two 

great outdoor ceremonies that drew thousands 

of family members and friends onto 

the seminary lawn. God gave us a spectacular 

day and the theme was unrestrained 

joy. We saw all these graduates, arrayed in 

their regalia, ready to go out into the pulpits, 

into the mission fields, into the work 

of the Lord. 

As our seminary hymn declares, they are 

“soldiers of Christ, in truth arrayed.” They 

join the long line of faithfulness that came 

before them. 

A day like that means more than usual for 

Southern Seminary, maybe more than ever. 

After more than a year of determined struggle, 

by God’s grace we came through the international 

crisis, had a full program of on-campus 

classes and did what Southern Seminary and 

Boyce College exist to do—raise up the next 

generation of Christian preachers, pastors, 

leaders, and servants who follow the call of 

Christ to assignments all over the globe. 

How was this possible? God did it, of 

course. How can we ever express adequate 

gratitude to God for his grace and mercy 

and provision in the past year? God did it 

through his people. Southern Baptists gave 

faithfully through the Cooperative Program. 

Friends of this sacred school gave us 

the support we needed to see this task done. 

Students came from all over the world to 

learn the truths of God’s Word. Faculty 

members were determined to teach, and 

bravely they did. Key leaders on this campus 

just got the job done, day after day. 

So, what now? We stay at the task, with a 

commitment deeper than ever, hearts even 

more full of joy, and a world ever greater 

in need. Soon, we will welcome hundreds 

of new students to the campus and to the 

Southern Seminary and Boyce College 

family. If you want to be encouraged, just 

come to the campus and walk on the seminary 

lawn and see the students and their 

families and share the joy. Just talk to the 

students. You will meet some of the most 

dedicated young people you can imagine, 

drawn from all across the United States 

and from more than 70 nations of the 

world. You will see teenagers just beginning 

their college adventure and young 

seminary couples pushing strollers. You 

will see the future of Christian ministry 

and service right before your eyes. You 

will see the promise of God. 

Everything we are, everything we do, 

everything we teach, is based upon the 

knowledge that God’s Word is truth – inerrant, 

inspired, infallible, totally true 

and trustworthy. The theme of this issue 

of Southern Seminary Magazine is truthtruth 

unchanged and unchanging. 

Where do we go from here? Onward. 

Onward, then, ye people, 

join our happy throng, 

Blend with ours your voices, 

in the triumph song; 

Glory, laud, and honor, 

unto Christ the King; 

This through countless ages men and 

angels sing. 

5 SOUTHERN SEMINARY | SPRING 2021 

SBTS.EDU 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

@TheSBTS 

@SBTS 

@SOUTHERNSEMINARY 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

28 

34 39 

SPRING 2021. Vol. 89, No. 1. 

Copyright © 2021 

The Southern Baptist 

Theological Seminary 

STORM ON THE 

HORIZON 

President Mohler’s new book takes 

a deep dive into the profound 

cultural issues the church is facing 

in 2021 and beyond. 

FORREST STRICKLAND 

I'VE LOST MY 

HEBREW... 

NOW WHAT! 

A student works hard to learn the 

biblical languages in seminary then 

begins to forget them out in the 

ministry. How should he retain such 

useful knowledge? 

FORREST STRICKLAND 

DISCOVERING 

THAT THE BIBLE 

IS ENOUGH 

Hard questions made her search for 

answers. Seminary taught her that 

God’s Word is able to provide them. 

JARED KENNEDY 

Southern Seminary Magazine Staff: 

Vice President of Institutional Advancement: 

Edward A. Heinze 

Director of Communications: Jeff Robinson 

Creative Director: Stuart Hunt 

Production Manager: Evan Sams 

Managing Editor: Jared Kennedy 

Feature Illustrations: John Zurowski 

Cover and Graphic Design: John Zurowski, 

Benjamin Aho 

Photographers: David Ward, Stuart Hunt, 

Sydney Zurowski 

Contributing Writers: R. Albert Mohler, Jr., Jeff 

Robinson, Andrew T. Walker, Travis Hearne, 

Forrest Strickland, Jared Kennedy 

Southern Seminary Magazine is published 

6 

biannually by The Southern Baptist Theological 

Seminary, 2825 Lexington Road, Louisville, KY 

40280. The magazine is distributed digitally 

at equip.sbts.edu/magazine. If you would like 

to request a hard copy, please reach out by 

emailing communications@sbts.edu. 

AN OASIS IN 

A SECULAR 

WASTELAND 

The church must draw from deep 

MAIL: The Southern Baptist Theological 

Seminary, 2825 Lexington Road, Louisville, 

KY 40280 

ONLINE: www.sbts.edu 

EMAIL: communications@sbts.edu 

CALL: 1 (800) 626-5525, ext. 4000 

springs of truth even as it lives as 

a moral minority in a hostile world. 

R. ALBERT MOHLER JR. 

4 10 16 

THEOLOGICAL 

EDUCATION MADE 

ACCESSIBLE 

A SUDDEN, WIDE- 

SPREAD CRISIS 

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY 

MADE ME BAPTIST! 

Distance students can now get degrees 

online in seven different areas from 

biblical counseling to worship. 

JEFF ROBINSON AND 

TRAVIS HEARNE 

SBTS not only coped with the pandemic, but 

thrived financially and numerically. Seminary 

officials quickly put together a plan that 

steadied the school for the duration. 

TRAVIS HEARNE 

If one doesn't possess the freedom to 

act out one's most primary beliefs, one 

is not free in even the most basic sense 

of the word. 

ANDREW T. WALKER 

1 

From the President: Onward 

14 

Remembering Nick Challies. 

19 

Peter Gentry Retiring After 22 Years 

of Faithful Service 

20 

An Academic Center With a 

Missionary Heart 

22 

Deep Personal Convictions About 

Corporate Worship. 

24 

25 

Faculty Profiles: Paul Akin and Tyler Flatt 

33 

The Glory of God at the Heart of 

Pauline Theology 

36 

The Holy Spirit: Cultivating Depen- 

Podcasts: Feeds for Your Soul 

dance and Calming Fears 


SBTS.EDU 3

FEATURE 

EQUIP.SBTS.EDU 

FEATURE 

Making 

Theological 

Education 

Accessible 

SBTS Offering Seven MDiv Degrees 

Entirely Online 

BY JEFF ROBINSON AND TRAVIS HEARNE 

Rather than being oriented toward generalists 

in ministry, these online degrees are oriented 

toward the specialist with a narrower ministry 

focus: 

• WORSHIP LEADERSHIP. This degree is for 

the worship pastor or music minister who is already 

deeply rooted in the local church, already 

working in vocational ministry. 

• ISLAMIC STUDIES. This degree is for those 

who are already serving on the mission field— 

or who plan to serve in a similar venue in the 

future—in regions or countries that are heavily 

populated by adherents to Islam. There are 

currently 1.8 billion people worldwide who 

adhere to Islam, so this degree is especially vital 

for missions and evangelism. This program 

includes two classes in Arabic. Most classes in 

this program are taught by Ayman Ibrahim, a 

world class scholar in Islamic studies. 

• BIBLICAL COUNSELING. This program includes 

the practicum, which is done through 

distance learning and not on campus as in the 

past. 

T 

he Billy Graham School of Missions, 

Evangelism and Ministry at The 

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary 

is offering MDiv and MA degrees in 

three key areas that are fully online. SBTS 

now offers seven MDiv degrees fully online. 

Paul Akin, dean of the Graham School, said 

SBTS wants to enable those already working in 

ministry to stay in their current position while 

pursuing a master of divinity. 

“We want to make sure we are making theological 

education as accessible as possible to as 

many people as possible,” he said. 

“There are so many pastors and church 

leaders that are serving in different kinds 

of roles that don’t allow them to pick up 

and move to Louisville to campus, so we’re 

always thinking through how to deliver 

high-quality theological education to as 

many people as possible.” 

“We want to 

make sure we 

are making 

theological 

education as 

accessible as 

possible to as 

many people 

as possible.” 

These three degrees are available both as 

a master of divinity, which entails 88-plus 

hours of credit, or as a master of arts, which 

is 54 hours. The new degrees now mean SBTS 

has seven MDiv degrees that are fully online. 

The other four online MDiv degrees include 

biblical and theological studies, christian 

ministry, great commission studies, and 

apologetics. 

Akin said, “We are increasingly finding 

people who have already found their 

dream job in a local church, and they don’t 

want to leave to go to seminary. They already 

have the job they would want after 

seminary, realize they need more training 

or equipping, but can’t pack up and move 

their family. These are the online degrees 

for that person.” 

For full information or to apply for 

any of these seven degrees, please visit 

www.sbts.edu/online/mdiv/. 

4 

SOUTHERN SEMINARY | SPRING 2021 

SBTS.EDU 5

FEATURE 

FEATURE 

An Oasis 

of Truth 

in a Secular 

Wasteland 

BY R. ALBERT MOHLER, JR. 

T 

he greatest question of our time," offered 

historian Will Durant, "is not communism 

versus individualism, not Europe 

versus America, not even East versus the West; 

it is whether men can live without God." That 

question, it now appears, will be answered in 

our own time. 

For centuries the Christian church has been 

the center of Western civilization. Western culture, 

government, law, and society were based 

on explicitly Christian principles. Concern for 

the individual, a commitment to human rights, 

and respect for the good, the beautiful, and the 

true—all of these grew out of Christian convictions 

and the influence of revealed religion. 

All of these, we now hasten to add, are under 

serious attack. The very notion of right 

and wrong is now discarded by large sectors 

of American society. Where it is not discarded, 

it is often debased. Taking a page out of Alice in 

Wonderland, modern secularists simply declare 

wrong, right, and right, wrong. 

Quaker theologian D. Elton Trueblood once 

described America as a “cut flower civilization.” 

Our culture, he argued, is cut off from its Christian 

roots like a flower cut at the stem. Though 

the flower will hold its beauty for a time, it is 

destined to wither and die. 

When Trueblood spoke those words over 

two decades ago, the flower could still be seen 

with some color and signs of life. But the 

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 


SBTS.EDU 7

FEATURE 

FEATURE 

blossom has long since lost its vitality, 

and it is time for the fallen petals to be acknowledged. 

"When God is dead," argued Dostoyevsky, 

"anything is permissible." The permissiveness 

of modern American society can scarcely be 

exaggerated, but it can be traced directly to 

the fact that modern men and women act as if 

God does not exist or is powerless to accomplish 

his will. 

The Christian church now finds itself facing 

a new reality. The church no longer represents 

the central core of Western culture. 

Though outposts of Christian influence remain, 

these are exceptions rather than the 

rule. For the most part, the church has been 

displaced by the reign of secularism. 

The daily newspaper brings a constant 

barrage which confirms the current state of 

American society. This age is not the first to 

see unspeakable horror and evil, but it is the 

first to deny any consistent basis for identifying 

evil as evil or good as good. 

The Church Must Be the Church 

The faithful church is, for the most part, tolerated 

as one voice in the public arena, but 

only so long as it does not attempt to exercise 

any credible influence on the state of affairs. 

Should the church speak forcefully to an issue 

of public debate, it is castigated as coercive 

and out of date. 

“Deep springs of 

permanent truth 

will reveal the 

church to be a 

life-giving oasis 

amidst America's 

moral desert.” 

How does the church think of itself as it 

faces this new reality? During the 1980s, it was 

possible to think in ambitious terms about 

the church as the vanguard of a moral majority. 

That confidence has been seriously shaken 

by the events of the past decade. 

Little progress toward the re-establishment 

of a moral center of gravity can be detected. 

Instead, the culture has moved swiftly 

toward a more complete abandonment of 

all moral conviction. The confessing church 

must now be willing to be a moral minority, 

if that is what the times demands. The church 

has no right to follow the secular siren call toward 

moral revisionism and politically correct 

positions on the issues of the day. 

Whatever the issue, the church must speak 

as the church—that is, as the community of 

fallen but redeemed, who stand under divine 

authority. The concern of the church is not to 

know its own mind, but to know and follow 

the mind of God. The church’s convictions 

must not emerge from the ashes of our own 

fallen wisdom, but from the authoritative 

Word of God which reveals the wisdom of 

God and His commands. 

The church, in short, must hold fast to the 

unfailing truth of God and his Word. 

The Heretical Imperative 

Peter Berger, who before his death was one of 

the most influential sociologists of our day, argued 

that the “heretical imperative” of the modern 

era is the imperative to choose. In Berger’s 

analysis, in the premodern era one did not need 

to choose one’s beliefs. 

Instead, in the West, virtually everyone was 

born and baptized into the Roman Catholic 

church. In other words, identity was externally 

fixed for individuals. In the modern secular 

world, however, this is no longer the case. 

Choice is endemic in every area of life — we 

simply cannot avoid it. As a result, Berger concludes 

that in the modern age we must take responsibility 

for our identity. It is no longer given; 

it is self-determined. 

In our culture, people who think themselves 

autonomous will claim the right to 

define all meaning for themselves. Any truth 

claim they reject or resist is simply ruled out 

of bounds by society at large. We will make 

our own world of meaning and dare anyone 

to violate our autonomy. 

This is why evangelism is often perceived 

as insensitive or even threatening in our 

culture. Evangelism demands that we press 

the authority of Scripture and the claims of 

Christ on sinners as we invite them to the free 

gift of salvation provided through Christ’s 

atoning work. 

Will We Serve Lesser Gods? 

The American church is faced with a new situation. 

This new context is as current as the 

morning newspaper and as old as those first 

Christian churches in Corinth, Ephesus, Laodicea, 

and Rome. Eternity will record whether or 

not the American church is willing to submit 

only to the authority of God; or whether the 

church will forfeit its calling in order to serve 

lesser gods. 

The church must awaken to its status as a 

moral minority and hold fast to the gospel we 

have been entrusted to preach. In so doing, 

the deep springs of permanent truth will reveal 

the church to be a life-giving oasis amidst 

America’s moral desert. Given our present 

predicament, we are headed into a period 

when the acids of modernity will require the 

greatest level of conviction and the most stupendous 

level of clarity—a clarity that we will 

only have as we attest to the truth of God and 

his revelation. 

In the end, the issue is always truth—truth 

revealed, truth obeyed, truth received, truth 

proclaimed. In an age of pervasive uncertainty 

and unsteadiness, the church must remain 

committed to God’s truth. 

We will be in this battle until the end of time. 

“The confessing 

church must now 

be willing to be a 

moral minority, if 

that is what the 

times demand.” 


SBTS.EDU 9

FEATURE 

FEATURE 

Resilient In a 

Time of Crisis 

SBTS Remains Ahead of the Curve and Hits 

Record Enrollment During COVID Response 

BY TRAVIS HEARNE 

T 

hanks to the commitment of the 

Southern Seminary community and 

the Lord’s favor, SBTS and Boyce 

classrooms remained open through the fall 

and spring semesters—reaching record enrollment 

for fall (3,323) winter (1,511) and 

spring (3,225). 

While more than 1,300 American colleges 

and universities shifted to online or hybrid 

classrooms in the fall—and with 65 percent 

of colleges reporting declining enrollment— 

Southern stayed ahead of COVID-19 and 

completed a healthy academic year. 

Higher education faced a crisis. But Southern’s 

mission to train Christian ministers endured. 

Last year SBTS President Albert Mohler 

said: “We are facing a challenge that is without 

precedent for anyone living. It is taking a toll 

on our hearts, even as we understand the very 

same sense of seriousness and gravity that falls 

upon our churches, our state conventions, and 

our common work together. We certainly did 

not choose to experience this challenge, but 

the Lord has called us to faithfulness—even in 

the midst of this crisis—and to serve Southern 

Baptists with everything we have and everything 

we are as we look to the future.” 

Testing Was Key to Staying Healthy 

Brent Small, associate vice president of Human 

Resources, said testing was central to 

success. Immediately after students were 

sent home during the 2020 spring semester, 

Small and the rest of the staff got to work. 

“If we’re going to remain open,” Small 

said, “we’re going to have to test.” 

Due to the fast action of Small and others, 

Southern acquired a rapid testing machine 

and put it to good use. Having a testing machine, 

however, was not enough. 

“Once we had the equipment, we had to come 

up with a way to schedule, track, and administer 

the testing.” Small said. “We also needed a 

plan to care for anyone who tested positive.” 

Campus Technology and the Hagan Clinic 

were indispensable to the operation as 

well. A plan was implemented to randomly 

test 15 percent of the population per week. 

Along with testing, classrooms were fitted 

with plexiglass shields and desks were 

spread out for social distancing. 

With the students coming soon, all employees 

were tested with zero positives. As 

fall approached and the testing began, there 

were zero reentry cases and zero spread in 

the dorms. Southern performed more than 

4,000 tests with only 32 positives. Classrooms 

remained open. 

On July 31, 2020 shortly before classes 

were set to resume, Mohler addressed the 

Southern community: “We have never been 

more prayerful or careful in preparing for a 

new academic year.” 

To stress the responsibility of individual 

community members toward one another, 

SBTS added a line to the school covenant urging 

adherence to the COVID regulations. 

Mohler added, “The covenant is a reminder 

of the fact that we owe one another every 

effort to protect one another.” 

Without the dedication and service to one 

another, Southern’s fall and spring semesters 

could have looked different. But love for 

neighbor and the desire to provide the finest 

Christian education triumphed. 

“Everyone took it seriously.” Small said, 

“It was a lot of hard work on the clinic, tech, 

and the students. But it was the Lord’s favor 

in the end.” 

Tuition Reductions and the Path to Record 

Enrollment 

Polling shows 67 percent of colleges and universities 

reported decreased revenue from tuition 

and student housing during the pandemic. But 

Southern preemptively acted by lowering tuition 

15 percent and eliminating the $250 online class 

fee. SBTS and Boyce College went on to reach full 

enrollment for the fall and spring semesters. 

The decisions came from a meeting of the 

SBTS Board of Trustees on April 20, 2020. 

In a virtual meeting, the board approved a 

revised budget which cut tuition. 

Financial board chairman Rick Staab says 

the actions were unanimously supported and 

required “quick and decisive action.” 

“Under Dr. Mohler’s leadership the entire 

administration has taken bold steps to reduce 

costs, consolidate operations and revise 

the annual budget.” Staab said “in an effort 

to position the institution for whatever the 

near future may demand. The financial board 

is unanimous in its support of Dr. Mohler 


“Higher 

education 

faced a crisis. 

But Southern’s 

mission to 

train Christian 

ministers 

endured.” 


SBTS.EDU 11

FEATURE 

and his staff, and we affirm the appropriateness 

and effectiveness of the actions taken to 

position the seminary for the future recovery 

of normal operations.” 

Lowering tuition, while American financial 

problems persist, is a step towards 

fulfilling Southern’s mission of providing 

accessible theological training. 

Baptist press reported that SBTS and 

Boyce College reached a total enrollment 

of approximately 5,500 students for the 

2019-20 academic year. The 2020-21 year 

numbered 8,059. 

Provost Matthew Hall said, "Christian 

higher education and theological education 

were already experiencing seismic 

shifts before the COVID-19 pandemic, but 

those have only accelerated. In the past year 

we have seen scores of institutions buckle 

under the pressures of diminishing enrollment 

and unsustainable business models. 

“That makes what God has done here at 

Southern Seminary and Boyce College all 

the more extraordinary. Our great ambition 

is to see this record number of students ever 

more faithful to Christ, more confident in 

the power of his Word, and more committed 

to the Great Commission." 

Mohler added that Southern’s enrollment 

success is due in part to a commitment 

to online education. With all of the 

major degree programs available online— 

including over 100 courses—Southern was 

ahead of the game as institutions across 

America moved to distance learning. 

“Now we know why that investment was 

so important. . . . The same faculty that 

draws students to the campus draws students 

online,” Mohler told Baptist Press. 

“Our students are experiencing economic 

stress and the goal is to pass along all possible 

savings to the students.” 

Lowered tuition and more accessible 

distance learning are just a couple steps 

Southern has taken to renew a commitment 

to theological education during the 

uncertain times. Continued full enrollment 

demonstrates the success Southern’s 

measures have generated. 

“Our determination is to act responsibly 

now, so that Southern Seminary continues 

to lead the Southern Baptist Convention, 

fulfilling the mission given to us since 1859 

and emerging from this challenge even 

more faithful than we began,” Mohler said. 

But through all the necessary changes, 

some things remained the same, and SBTS 

continued to send graduates out into various 

fields of service. 

Graduated More Than 500 

In Southern’s 227th commencement in May, 

232 students received degrees from the seminary 

and 236 graduated in the fall, both numbers 

an increase from the previous year. 

In words addressed personally to the fall 

graduates, Mohler pointed them to Luke 2:15– 

20, which he described as the first preaching 

of the gospel—a fact that’s often overlooked, 

but one that well illustrates the God-called 

steward’s most fundamental mission. 

“They made known the saying that had 

been told them concerning this child, the 

saying that the angels had given them,” 

Mohler said. 

“We need to do exactly what those shepherds 

did. That’s really the task of Christian 

ministry, that’s really the task of Christian 

proclamation—to make known the saying we 

have received. It’s not just one saying, it’s not 

just the angelic declaration of the identity of 

the baby in the manger, it is beyond that; it 

is the entirety of all that is revealed in God’s 

Word. 

“You’re going to preach and teach the 

Word of God. You’re going to share the 

gospel of Jesus Christ. You’re going to be 

heralds of the gospel. You’re going to be 

stewards of the mysteries of Christ. Whatever 

your ministry, wherever the Lord may 

take you, you’re basically going to be imitators 

of these shepherds.” 

Touch the Heartbeat 

of the City 

DMIN IN URBAN MINISTRY 

A city’s skyline, no matter how iconic, 

isn’t the heartbeat of a city: the people are. 

Every one of those hearts needs Jesus. 

The new DMin in Urban Ministry from 

Southern Seminary is designed for men 

and women called to plant and revitalize 

churches in urban settings anywhere in 

America and around the world. 

Cities need strong churches. City churches 

need strong leaders. And strong leaders 

need the DMin in Urban Ministry from 

Southern Seminary. 

Learn more at SBTS.EDU/URBAN. 

12 

SOUTHERN SEMINARY | SPRING 2021 SBTS.EDU 

13

NEWS 

NEWS.SBTS.EDU 

NEWS 

Boyce College Community Remembers 

Nick Challies as a Young Man “Living 

and Breathing for God” 

BY JEFF ROBINSON 

Mohler Elected President 

of the Evangelical 

Theological Society 


F 

riends, family, and faculty members 

gathered November 6, 2020, on the 

lawn at Southern Seminary to remember 

the life of 20-year-old Nick Challies 

who died suddenly three days earlier. 

Nick Challies was the son of noted evangelical 

blogger and author, Tim Challies. 

Challies, a Boyce College junior and Toronto, 

Canada, native, collapsed suddenly 

while playing a game with his sister, fiancée, 

and other students at a park near Southern 

Seminary’s campus. Efforts by emergency 

personnel to revive him were unsuccessful. 

Testimony after testimony described 

Nick Challies as a young man who worked 

tirelessly to build strong relationships, prioritized 

others, and lived every moment all 

out for the glory of his Savior. Nick grew up 

in church and was saved at age 13. He came 

to Boyce College and Southern Seminary in 

2018 after sensing a divine call to pastoral 

ministry. 

“He came home after his first semester here 

and he was a different person,” said Michaela 

Challies, Nick’s sister. “He was a person who 

was living and breathing for God . . . I know 

that I’ll think about the things he never got to 

do, but then I’ll think about what he’s doing 

right now, what he’s wanted to do since he 

was 13 years old—he’s living with the Lord.” 

While at the seminary, Nick met his fiancée, 

Ryn Conley, and his sister, Abigail, 

joined him this year as a freshman student 

at Boyce. He had made numerous friends 

and had become a leader among students. 

“All the pieces were falling into place that 

would position Nick for many years of 

faithful ministry,” Mohler said. 

“Every single student is a gift,” Mohler 

said. “Every single student is a stewardship. 

Every single student is a test: are we really 

who we say we are? Do we really teach what 

we say we teach? Do we really serve whom 

we say we serve? Every student becomes 

proof of what an institution really is and 

what it really believes, who it really serves. 

In the brief time in which he was with us, 

Nick Challies affirmed that we are who we 

say we are and we’re the kind of school that 

would draw the kind of student that Nick 

Challies was.” 

S 

outhern Seminary President Albert 

Mohler was elected president 

of the Evangelical Theological Society 

(ETS) in November during the organization’s 

72nd annual meeting. Due to 

the pandemic, the meeting of evangelical 

scholars met virtually. The meeting was 

originally scheduled to meet in Providence, 

Rhode Island. 

Previously, Mohler had served as vice 

president of ETS, having been elected to 

that office during the 2018 annual meeting 

in Denver, Colorado. 

“I am deeply honored to serve as president 

of the Evangelical Theological Society,” 

Mohler said. “As a young evangelical, I came 

to respect and admire this society for its identity 

as a society of evangelical theologians 

that would demonstrate the highest quality 

of theological and biblical scholarship. 

“Formed by men of the stature of Carl 

F. H. Henry and others, this has been the 

central point of scholarly conversation for 

evangelicals in the United States for well 

over half a century. I’ve been pleased to 

serve as an officer of the society and I’m 

now very honored to be its president.” 

“It is vital that ETS 

continue to promote 

scholarship built 

upon the inerrancy 

of Scripture and a 

commitment to 

biblical orthodoxy.” 

Mohler is the third member of the 

Southern Seminary faculty to serve as 

ETS president in the past 11 years. Bruce 

Ware, T. Rupert and Lucille Coleman 

Professor of Christian Theology, served 

in that role in 2009 and Tom Schreiner, 

James Buchanan Harrison Professor of 

New Testament, was elected in 2014. Gregg 

Allison, professor of christian theology, is 

the current secretary of ETS. 

“Southern Seminary has had a deep and 

abiding commitment to ETS and leadership 

roles in the society as seen by the fact 

that several of our faculty members have 

also served as president and each annual 

meeting sees dozens of our faculty and 

students presenting important papers defining 

and defending conservative evangelical 

scholarship,” Mohler said. 

“Serving in ETS leadership is an important 

stewardship because of the way 

the society helps frame the conversation 

among conservative evangelicals. It is vital 

that ETS continue to promote scholarship 

built upon the inerrancy of Scripture 

and a commitment to biblical orthodoxy.” 


SBTS.EDU 15

FEATURE 

FEATURE 

Religious Liberty 

Made Me a Baptist 

BY ANDREW T. WALKER 

I 

am a little embarrassed to admit this 

considering I am a professor at a Baptist 

seminary, but I came to be a passionate 

Baptist not because I thought baptism 

by immersion was the most compelling 

foundation but because Baptist ecclesiology 

was the natural outcome of what I understood 

to be the correct theory and practice 

of religious liberty. That may sound confusing, 

so let me unpack it. 

I grew up in central Illinois going to a 

Southern Baptist church. If you grew up outside 

the geographic South, you may have attended 

a Southern Baptist church without 

any real sense of it feeling explicitly Baptist. 

That is because in the North, at least in my experience, 

we did not understand ourselves as 

Baptist as much as just Bible-believing Christians. 

I remember going to the church we went 

to because, well, they believed the Bible without 

qualifying it a thousand times over with 

nuance and deference to our cultured despisers. 

In other words, they were not theological 

moderates or liberals. If you would have asked 

me as a teen if I were a Baptist, I would have 

answered yes, but only because I understood 

that I was not Catholic. 

Feeling a call to ministry, I went to a Baptist 

college in southwest Missouri (Southwest 

Baptist University). Upon graduation, I went to 

the seminary where I now teach, The Southern 

Baptist Theological Seminary. At both institutions, 

I took Baptist history classes and became 

aware of our history and our theological distinctives, 

which I appreciated at the time but 

still did not feel overly zealous about. 

Coming of Age 

This was not the fault of the professors. In fact, 

looking back, I recall that my two Baptist history 

classes were well taught, and the professors 

were passionate about their subject. Perhaps 

owing to my general immaturity, ideas 

like regenerate church membership, believer’s 

baptism, baptism by immersion, congregational 

authority, local church autonomy, and 

religious liberty did not really animate me. 

That does not mean I disagreed with them; I 

agreed with them because they seemed biblical. 

But ecclesiology was not front and center 

in my earlier theological angst. Questions 

about Calvinism, inerrancy, and the emergent 

church were front and center. 

It was not until I “came of age” that my first 

“If one does not possess 

the freedom to act on 

one’s most primary 

beliefs, one is not free 

in even the most basic 

sense of the word.” 

jobs, incidentally, led me in a more fervently 

Baptist direction. My first jobs out of seminary 

were for think tank and advocacy organizations 

that focused on social conservative causes 

like the sanctity of life, marriage, and, well, 

religious liberty. Of course, I had heard of the 

issue, but at the time, I did not understand its 

urgency. What is now a token issue of concern 

for Christians was not so a decade ago. In 2008 

to 2010, there was a different cultural climate. 

Many of the religious-liberty challenges 

we are encountering now were predicted, at 

the time, by documents like the Manhattan 

Declaration. This joint document of Catholic 

and Protestant luminaries declared in 

somber tones that were the government to 

continue its leftward lurch, a reassertion of 

religious-liberty rights would be necessary, as 

would the possibility of civil disobedience. I 

knew I was treading in deep, turbulent waters. 

I recall that as I was getting my feet beneath 

me careerwise, I was having to play catch-up 

on an issue that I was told was fundamental 

but was now threatened. 

So I got to work in both Kentucky’s capital 

and our nation’s capital on, among other things, 

religious liberty. I was largely unfamiliar with it, 

aside from what little I had learned in my Baptist 

history classes. It certainly was not, at the time, 

the top-tier pillar or foundation to my public 

theology as it is now. I argued for it because, well, 

my job required me to. 

My work required me to read on the 

subject, and that is what I did. The heavy 

reading load in religious-liberty theory did not 

initially convince me of religious liberty’s importance 

as much as my immersion into the advocacy 

world of social conservatism, which 


Liberty for All: Defending 

Everyone’s Religious Freedom 

in a Pluralistic Age 

Andrew T. Walker 

(Brazos Press 2021, $39.99) 

In this profoundly timely work, 

Walker argues for a robust 

Christian ethic of religious 

liberty that helps the church 

defend religious freedom 

for everyone in a pluralistic 

society. "Whether explicitly 

religious or not," says Walker, 

"every person is striving to 

make sense of his or her life. 

The Christian foundations of 

religious freedom provide a 

framework for how Christians 

can navigate deep religious 

differences in a secular age. 

As we practice religious liberty 

for our neighbors, we can 

find civility and commonality 

amid disagreement, further 

the church's engagement 

in the public square, and 

become the strongest 

defenders of religious liberty 

for all." The book begins with a 

foreword by noted Princeton 

scholar Robert P. George. 

16 


17

FEATURE 

SBTS.EDU/FACULTY 

FACULTY 

necessarily and rightly treated religious liberty 

as a lifeblood issue. Because I was enamored 

of the intersection of first principles, theology, 

and political philosophy, religious liberty afforded 

me the opportunity to merge topics I 

was already passionate about but on which my 

inchoate understanding still needed tuning. 

Limited or Coercive 

As I would learn, the posture a state takes 

toward religion is one of the most decisive 

indicators of whether it will be broadly 

pluralistic and limited or tyrannical and 

coercive. I would also learn that unless you 

have the requisite liberties to act on your 

convictions, you cannot do much of anything, 

whether worship in your church or 

advocate in the public square. If one does 

not possess the freedom to act on one’s most 

primary beliefs, one is not free in even the 

most basic sense of the word. 

The idea that persons are endowed with 

self-constituting capacities that endear 

them to religion made more and more sense. 

If religion informs morality, then morality 

in public life hinges on the doctrine of religious 

liberty. Life, I came to understand, 

entails various types of liberties (speech, 

association, religion) in order for it to be authentic, 

meaningful, and worthwhile. The 

presence of these liberties determines what 

type of life someone will have in their community. 

In short, religious liberty is deeply 

intertwined with human flourishing and 

the common good. 

All of these questions about religion 

and society led to a flood of first-principle 

questions, among them the following: 

• How does one understand what truth is? 

• How does an individual come to grasp religious 

claims? 

• What posture should the state take toward 

religion? 

• How is one’s quest to understand truth 

related to their personhood? 

• What is the relationship between moral 

obligation and religious foundation? 

• What are one’s obligations to the state? To 

God? 

• What are the jurisdictions and responsibilities 

of the state? 

• What are the jurisdictions and responsibilities 

of the church? 

• Who gets to decide who is right and wrong 

about such matters as religion and morality? 

• What is the relationship between religious 

liberty and other liberties? 

Baptist's and Freedom 

When I began to answer these questions, 

I was led to a distinctly Baptist ecclesiology. 

It was in the Baptist tradition, which 

had helped birth religious liberty in North 

America through the likes of Roger Williams 

and John Leland, that I saw the principles 

of religious liberty most fulsomely applied. 

How so? Because the questions above 

are best answered in light of key Baptist 

ecclesiastical distinctives that focus on the 

individual and the associations they form 

in life. 

Based on both natural law and overlapping 

similarities with principles that emerge from 

Scripture, like widening concentric circles, 

religious liberty is based on an understanding 

of (1) individual assent, (2) group association, 

and (3) institutional distinction. These 

are reflected in the practices of individual 

conversion and regenerate church membership, 

which entail a distinction between 

membership in the church and membership 

in society and between the institution of the 

gathered church and the institution of the 

state. 

I do not believe other ecclesiastical arrangements 

are hostile to religious liberty. 

I am thankful for godly Presbyterians, Lutherans, 

and others who stand for religious 

liberty. However, a rightly ordered account 

of religious liberty bears the richest fruit 

within a Baptist ecclesiology. 

Religious liberty implies a recognition 

that individuals make conscientious decisions 

to participate in group associations 

that have different requirements and different 

callings than the rest of society and 

the state. In my view, these truths lead one 

inside the walls of a Baptist church. 

Editors’ note: This article is excerpted from Andrew 

Walker’s new book, Liberty for All: Defending 

Everyone’s Religious Freedom in a Pluralistic Age. 

Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group, 

www.bakerpublishinggroup.com 

N 

ext fall, for the first time since 1999, 

masters-level students at Southern 

Seminary won’t be able to take Peter 

Gentry’s Hebrew class. 

Dr. Gentry is retiring from teaching after 

22 years of teaching the Old Testament, Hebrew 

and Greek grammar and morphology 

(word forms), various exegesis classes, and 

more at the seminary. 

The bookshelves and stacks of books that 

populate the floor space in his office like 

a dense forest bespeak of a life given to research, 

study, and teaching the biblical languages. 

A popular question to ask Gentry is 

“How many languages do you know,” a question 

he’s never answered. 

“Right now, I’m working in a dozen languages,” 

he said, laughing. “Counting them would 

be something like David taking the census.” 

“If You Have No 

Morphology, You 

Have No Theology” 

Peter Gentry Retiring After 22 Years of Faithful Service 


He points to the various sections of books 

on the shelves and floor: there are sections 

of Hebrew, Aramaic, Phoenician, Akkadian, 

Syriac, Babylonian, the Targums, the Latin 

Vulgate, the Dead Sea Scrolls and others. 

There are also dozens of books on topics 

ranging from medieval Judaism to geography, 

plants, and animals of the Ancient Near 

East, scores of commentaries, lexicons, and 

an entire bank of works on the church fathers 

and systematic theology. 

Gentry has taught virtually every subject 

within the realm of biblical and theological 

studies, including both Hebrew and Greek at 

the doctoral level. It’s difficult to isolate one 

favorite class he’s taught. 

“I’ve always been a big believer in the importance 

of the biblical languages,” he said. 

“The course that I enjoyed teaching most 

was probably beginning Hebrew. . . . It was 

always my desire to drive students back to 

the sources—the great cry of the Reformation, 

ad fontes—giving them skills to access 

the sources for themselves.” 

Gentry joined the SBTS faculty before the 

1999 fall semester. In addition to teaching 

hundreds of students at SBTS, he has written 

several books, and has perennially worked 

on scholarly projects in biblical languages, 

including directing the Hexapla Project—republishing 

critical editions of early fragments 

of the Greek Septuagint under the auspices of 

the International Organization for Septuagint 

and Cognate Studies. He edited Ecclesiastes 

for the Göttingen Septuagint Series and is 

currently working on the edition of Proverbs 

and also writing a commentary on Isaiah. 

During his years as Southern, Gentry 

wrote or co-wrote several important books, 

including Kingdom through Covenant: A 

Biblical-Theological Understanding of the 

Covenants, a work he wrote with close friend 

and SBTS colleague Stephen J. Wellum. 

Crossway published an abridgement of that 

work in 2015, God’s Kingdom through God’s 

Covenants: A Concise Biblical Theology. 

Prior to his coming to SBTS, Gentry 

served on the faculty of Toronto Baptist 

Seminary and Bible College for 15 years and 

taught at the University of Toronto, Heritage 

Theological Seminary, and Tyndale Theological 

Seminary. 

A native of Canada, Gentry grew up in 

both the Philippines and Southern Quebec, 

where his father pastored churches for 

nearly four decades. Gentry’s father attended 

Dallas Theological Seminary and led a 

Brethren church then was called to a Baptist 

church. Growing up the son of a pastor 

shaped Gentry as a churchman which has 

been central to his life and ministry. 

Professor Gentry and his family were members 

of Highview Baptist Church for several 

years and now belong to Franklin Street Baptist 

Church where Gentry teaches a Sunday 

school class he was instrumental in founding. 

While he is retiring from full-time classroom 

work at SBTS, Gentry is by no means 

retiring from ministry. He hopes to continue 

participating in PhD seminars at SBTS 

and will also teach classes as a visiting professor 

at Phoenix Seminary. 

18 


19

FACULTY 

FACULTY 

An Academic Center 

with a Missionary Heart 

Jenkins Center Going Strong in Equipping 

Students and Laypersons to Engage Islam 


C 

OVID-19 has done nothing to quarantine 

the urgency of the ministry of 

Southern Seminary’s Jenkins Center 

for the Christian Understanding of Islam. 

Ayman S. Ibrahim, PhD, the Bill and Connie 

Jenkins Chair and associate professor 

of Islamic studies, serves as director of the 

Jenkins Center which continues to help 

equip students and other Christians to understand 

Islam and to engage Muslims with 

the good news of Jesus Christ. 

“Our goal is to help the church to learn 

how to connect with Muslims and how 

to understand different aspects of Islam 

and how Islam is presented and practiced 

worldwide in different ways,” Ibrahim said. 

“We’ve developed our unique way of 

ministry here in terms of writing—we write 

a lot of pieces, including articles, book reviews, 

blog posts, and we also write books. 

Every book I publish is supported by the 

center. Although we’ve had to adjust to not 

traveling here and abroad, we’ve not backed 

off the ministry over the past year at all.” 

Ibrahim began with the Jenkins Center 

in July of 2015, a few months after it was established. 

In that time, he has trained dozens 

of students and written many articles 

on Islam and now serves on the committee 

on Islam for the Evangelical Theological 

Society (ETS). He gave a plenary address 

at the ETS annual meeting last fall and last 

November published an important book on 

Islam through Baker, A Concise Guide to the 

Quran: Answering Thirty Critical Questions. 

The book sold nearly 1,000 copies within 

the first two months and has opened doors 

to Ibrahim for interviews about Christianity 

and Islam with several media outlets. 

Ibrahim describes the Jenkins Center 

as “an academic center with a missionary 

heart.” In addition to academic lectures and 

events designed to bring experts on Islam 

to campus, the Jenkins Center exposes students 

to Islam by traveling to heavily Muslim 

regions in the U.S. and abroad. Ibrahim 

looks forward to those trips resuming after 

COVID-19 is fully under control. 

“Our goal is to help the 

church to learn how to 

connect with Muslims 

and how to understand 

different aspects of 

Islam and how Islam is 

presented and practiced 

worldwide in different 

ways.” 

Ibrahim said the number of children 

born into Muslim families in America is 

growing, but the number of converts to 

Islam is not. The latest studies show that 

roughly the same number of Muslims are 

de-converting from the faith as non-adherents 

are converting in America. In 

other places like eastern Iran and Muslim-dominated 

Algeria, conversions to 

Christ are on the rise. 

He encourages students to read the Quran, 

but with some guidance from his new 

book. 

“The Quran is a very disconnected text,” 

he said “It is very hard to follow. I think 

it’s very valuable for Christians to read the 

Quran just to know the text that Muslims 

revere and to value the Bible we have. The 

more you go through the Quran, the more 

value you will have for the Bible. 

“The Bible was written over millennia, 

but from Genesis all the way to Revelation, 

there is unity even though there is diversity 

in the writing. But the Quran is very different. 

It is very scattered. It will make you appreciate 

the Bible even more.” 

If a Christian has a Muslim neighbor 

and wants to engage him, where is the best 

place to start? Ibrahim said it’s important 

not to shrink back from discussing religion 

with them. 

“Befriend them, and before you leave the 

first meeting ask them a religious question,” 

he said. “Usually, Americans are reluctant 

to speak of politics and religion, but Muslims 

are open to talking about religion immediately. 

If you don’t talk about religion 

within two minutes, they will talk about it. 

They’ll invite you to (embrace) Islam. 

“Asking questions is always the greatest 

philosophy for interacting with Muslims 

because you don’t appear like you are attacking 

them. Ask questions that are meaningful 

like, ‘Are you religious?’ or ‘What do 

you know about the life of Mohammed?’ 

Present the image of Jesus in your loving 

heart and in your loving attitude. Don’t 

leave the first meeting without planting a 

seed. Maybe you ask a question that would 

help you present the gospel at the next 

meeting or to continue the conversation.” 

A Concise Guide to the 

Quran: Answering Thirty 

Critical Questions 

Ayman S. Ibrahim 

(Baker 2020, $22.99) 

What is so unique about 

Islam's scripture, the 

Quran? Who wrote it, 

and when? Can we trust 

its statements to be from 

Muhammad? Why was it 

written in Arabic? Does 

it command Muslims to 

fight Christians? Why 

is it so important for 

Christians to know what 

Muslims believe? Dr. 

Ibrahim frames this vital 

discussion by answering 

30 questions. 


SBTS.EDU 

21

FACULTY 

FACULTY 

Deep Personal 

Convictions about 

Corporate Worship 

An interview with Matthew Westerholm 

BY JARED KENNEDY 

Seminary Adds Three 

Professors to Faculty 


In the fall of 2020, President R. Albert Mohler Jr. appointed three new professors 

to the faculty of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. 

M 

atthew Westerholm has seen it all in 

church music. And God has used all 

the encounters of his years in music 

ministry to shape his God-centered, Christ-exalting 

views of corporate worship today. 

In this interview, Westerholm, discusses how 

God has grown him as a church leader. Westerholm 

serves as associate professor of church 

music and worship and is executive director for 

the Institute for Biblical Worship at SBTS. 

When did you first become interested in music? 

Who were the strong musical influences in your 

life early on? 

Music has always mystified me. It probably 

began standing in church on Sunday morning 

between a dad who sang tenor and a mom who 

sang alto. I’d listen and wonder, “What is this 

magic harmony thing that I'm hearing?” 

Then, in high school, our youth worship 

leader discipled me and also dropped me into 

the deep end with piano. Instead of making 

chord charts, he would photocopy the overheads 

and put them in front of me. In rehearsal, 

he’d call out the chords as he sang “Holy, 

Holy, Holy” or “We Bow Down” by Twila Paris, 

and I’d try to write them down furiously. He 

helped me learn to hear and see music. 

I also had a great band director in high 

school. He was Roman Catholic, but he respected 

my faith. He could see the way Christian 

faith motivated excellence in music, and 

he pushed me. He let me take an independent 

study where he sent me in a room with a keyboard 

and a sequencer and let me explore. 

You know, “Here’s a sandbox. Go make some 

castles.” Having him encourage my creativity 

was super important. 

When did you sense a call to church music? 

I went to Trinity College in Chicago as a music 

performance major. While I was there, I got 

hired by some churches in the Chicagoland 

area to play piano for their new contemporary 

worship services. I did that initially to help pay 

my way through school. But in the process, I 

met worship team members who were more 

excited about sneaking a Metallica riff into the 

prelude than they were about the glory of God. 

I also met worship pastors who had a dysfunctional 

relationship with their senior pastor. 

So, during the sermon, the band would go 

back to the “green room” instead of sitting under 

the Word. It broke my heart in a profound 

way. That’s not how it’s supposed to be. I talked 

to an amazing and wise young lady—who is 

now my wife—and she had me figured out. She 

said, “This is what you should do with your 

life. You should do church music.” The Lord 

used her and those circumstances to open me 

up to his call and also to give me deep personal 

convictions about corporate worship. 

In your time as a worship pastor, what are some 

of the pitfalls you’ve seen churches fall into? 

In my early days in ministry, I served in a 

very attractional, franchise-style, multi-site 

church. That environment shaped my heart 

in ways I didn't like. In that context, it was 

assumed that we should be doing identical 

services at all of our church’s locations. I was 

designing services that could be put in a box 

and sent anywhere: Just open it up, and do a 

service that will bless God's people. Designing 

those services seemed like a personal honor. 

But, over time, I began to see this was the opposite 

of what I wanted to do. Through that 

experience, I discovered I’m a Baptist. I believe 

in the autonomy of the local church, and the 

importance of contextualized ministry. 

You serve as the executive director of the Institute 

for Biblical Worship. What are your hopes 

and dreams for the Institute? 

The Institute for Biblical Worship is the outward 

facing arm of our Department of Biblical Worship. 

Our plan is for the Institute to be a place 

where local church leaders go when they’re looking 

for reviews of new church music or when 

they’re asking questions about corporate worship. 

Worship leaders have questions: Is it okay to 

use music from a different theological tradition? 

Should we employ more liturgical practices? 

More revivalist practices? The Institute won’t 

prescribe what your church should do; we don’t 

want to commend a particular system of practices 

or a particular ethos for every service. 

As a Baptist, I believe biblical worship is a 

call to contextualized worship. We obviously 

must include what the Bible commands 

for our worship services, and we must do so 

with great joy. But the Bible also prescribes 

and describes a great variety in local church 

practice. I believe it’s the Institute’s job to 

help local church leaders navigate that variety 

by providing the best thinking and the 

best conversation on these subjects. 

Scott Connell 

was appointed as professor of church music 

and worship. He also serves as pastor of 

worship and communications at historic 

First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida. 

Connell is a face familiar to the Southern 

Seminary family, having obtained a PhD in 

christian worship at Southern and serving 

as associate professor of music and worship 

leadership for eight years at the seminary. 

Scott and his wife, Mary, have seven children. 

“I am really glad that Scott Connell is rejoining 

the Southern Seminary music and biblical 

worship faculty. He is a fine professor, an excellent 

musician, and a skilled minister and worship 

leader. His experience in the local church 

is invaluable, and his heart for ministry and 

music is infectious,” said Mohler. 

Bradley Green 

was appointed to serve as professor of philosophy 

and theology. Green holds an MDiv 

from Southern Seminary and a PhD from 

Baylor University and is the author of several 

books, including Augustine of Hippo: 

His Life and Impact (Christian Focus, 2020), 

Covenant and Commandment: Works, Obedience, 

and Faithfulness in the Christian Life 

(IVP Academic, 2014). 

Green will also continue as professor of theological 

studies at Union University in Jackson, 

Tennessee, where he’s served since 1998. Green 

and his wife, Dianne, helped found Augustine 

School, a Christian liberal arts school in Jackson. 

The Greens have three children. 

Mohler said, “Brad Green combines a 

first-rate Christian mind with years of proven 

experience in the classroom. He is a true 

Christian scholar and professor who sees his 

teaching role as ministry. His scholarship is 

a great gift to the church.” 

John Henderson 

(PhD, University of North Texas) was appointed 

as associate professor of biblical 

counseling. He also currently serves as 

an associate pastor at University Baptist 

Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas, primarily 

overseeing the counseling, equipping, and 

family ministries. 

Previously, John served as associate 

pastor at Del Ray Baptist Church in Alexandria, 

Virginia as well as a counseling 

pastor at Denton Bible Church in Denton, 

Texas. He is a board member of the Biblical 

Counseling Coalition and also serves on the 

board of the Association of Biblical Counselors. 

He is author of Catching Foxes: A 

Gospel-Guided Journey to Marriage (P&R, 

2018), a book for marriage preparation. John 

and his wife, Ruth, have five children. 

22 


23

FACULTY 

FACULTY 

Feeds for Your Soul 

Four podcasts with thousands of listeners originate from SBTS and extend the seminary’s ministry 

to thousands beyond the seminary—encouraging pastors, missionaries, and church planters, as 

well as laypeople. 

THE BRIEFING 

The Briefing is SBTS President Albert Mohler’s daily podcast. Last September, the program celebrated 10 

years of analyzing daily events in the news from a Christian perspective. 

The Briefing’s audience is significant: at least 80,000 listeners per day and 400,000 downloads per 

week. The decision to move from a one-hour radio show to a 25-minute podcast was motivated mainly 

by the medium’s flexibility both for host and listeners. “The Briefing is intended to be where enduring 

Christian truth and the headlines collide, where biblical truth and matters of cultural urgency intersect,” 

Mohler said. “And that’s what makes it fun. I get to talk about—and help Christians think about— 

the most important issues of the day. That keeps me at it.” 

Faculty Profile: Paul Akin 


AMAZON TO THE HIMALAYAS 

The Amazon to Himalayas podcast was launched in October 2020 and produces new episodes on a 

weekly basis during the fall and spring semesters, taking breaks in winter and summer. 

Paul Akin, dean of the Billy Graham School of Evangelism, Missions and Ministry, hosts the program. 

Each episode features a conversation with a missionary who shares how God is at work in their particular 

missional context. Amazon to the Himalayas has featured guests from all over the globe including 

Kenya, Brazil, Middle East, Europe, North America, South America, and all over Asia. “I have heard from 

many missionaries that they have been encouraged to hear what the Lord is doing in other parts of the 

world,” Akin said. “They are often isolated and unaware and this provides a way for them to hear encouraging 

things that are happening in other parts if the world.” 

THE URBAN MINISTRY PODCAST 

Aimed at encouraging church planters in an urban context, The Urban Ministry Podcast launched in 

2019 with two dozen episodes. 

Each episode features a minister serving faithfully in an urban context, sometimes internationally, 

sometimes here in the United States. Timothy Paul Jones, C. Edwin Gheens professor of Christian Ministry 

and director of the Dehoney Center for Urban Ministry, hosts each episode. “Many listeners are also 

serving in church revitalization,” Jones said. “I want people to love the locations where God has placed 

them, whether that’s in the city, in a small town, or in a rural context. I hope that God works through their 

renewed love of their context to equip listeners to share the gospel more effectively wherever they are.” 

PASTOR WELL 

Pastor Well is a podcast by a veteran pastor-theologian aimed at pastors at all stages of the ministry. 

Hershael York, dean of the School of Theology and professor of preaching at SBTS and longtime pastor 

of the Buck Run Baptist Church in Frankfort, Kentucky, hosts the program. 

Pastor Well launched in May of 2019 and recently wrapped up its third season. In each episode, York 

interviews well-known and lesser-known figures in ministry from across the evangelical world and the 

Southern Baptist Convention. Recent episodes have featured Steve Gaines, Johnny Hunt, Ray Ortlund, 

Michael Reeves, and Christopher Ash. 

C 

oming to Southern Seminary to serve 

as dean of the Billy Graham School of 

Missions, Evangelism and Ministry 

was a homecoming for Paul Akin. 

Akin first moved to Louisville at age 12 

when his father, Danny Akin, was elected 

dean of the School of Theology at SBTS, 

where he remained for eight years. 

“I have fond memories of this time and of 

growing up around SBTS in the Louisville 

area,” he said. “We were new to Louisville, the 

Mohler s were so gracious and welcoming to 

us. Our families would get together and enjoy 

meals. There may have even been a water balloon 

fight between the four Akin brothers and 

Dr. Mohler. Louisville and SBTS have always 

felt like home, and I’m so grateful to be back.” 

Akin’s world was turned upside down 

during his freshman year in college on a mission 

trip to Southeast Asia. There, he met a 

fellow student who had never heard of Jesus 

Christ. Growing up in America, particularly 

in the realm of the Southern Baptist Convention, 

made it difficult to believe there was a 

person out there who hadn’t heard of Jesus or 

his death on the cross. 

“God used that experience to change the 

course and trajectory of my life,” Akin said. 

“Fast-forward a few years and my family 

(wife, and six-month-old son) moved to East 

Africa and later to the Middle East to live and 

work among Muslim people. God had put a 

special burden on my heart for Muslims, and 

we committed to serve for a minimum of two 

years with the IMB, sharing the gospel and 

trying to make disciples among Muslims in 

Africa and the Middle East. 

“Following this time living overseas, I 

spent the next decade of my life training, 

sending, and serving alongside missionaries 

all over the world through the local church, 

the International Mission Board, and now 

through Southern Seminary. Regardless 

of my location or vocation, involvement in 

missions and the Great Commission is central 

to who I am in Christ.” 

In God’s good providence, Akin shares a 

birthday with one of his missionary heroes, 

Jim Elliot. Both were born on October 8. 

Akin also considers Billy Graham to be one 

of his heroes, both for the sort of man the late 

evangelist was and for his love for lost souls. 

“It’s almost surreal to be called to serve as 

dean of the school named for him, the school 

that’s part of the seminary around which I 

spent many of my formative years. 

“I am extremely humbled and excited to be 

serving as dean of the Billy Graham School,” 

Akin said. “I have always considered Dr. Graham 

a hero and example of what it means to 

be a Christian man. His passion for personal 

evangelism and the Great Commission is 

what I have always admired most. To be entrusted 

to carry on that legacy here at SBTS 

and to champion the Great Commission 

from this position is humbling but also very 

exciting, and I want to serve the Lord faithfully 

in this role.” 

Akin has been dean a relatively short 

time, but he has already been helped as a 

young leader by Southern’s renowned veteran 

faculty. 

“Our faculty have served all over the globe 

as pastors, missionaries, and church leaders,” 

he said. “God is bringing students to us from 

all over the world. By God’s grace, our reach, 

focus, and footprint is truly global in scope. 

“As a result, this school is uniquely poised 

and positioned to influence the cause of the 

Great Commission for decades to come. I 

want to lead this school to love the Word of 

God, cherish the gospel of God, prioritize 

lost people, and to actively engage in God’s 

mission of redemption here and around the 

world. It is this task and endeavor that I give 

my time, energy, and resources to accomplish, 

with the Lord’s help.” 

24 


25

FACULTY 

Faculty Profile: Tyler Flatt 

T 

he only thing Tyler Flatt enjoys more 

than teaching is learning. 

Flatt, who has served as assistant 

professor of humanities at Boyce College since 

late 2016, and program coordinator for Humanities 

since 2019, looks forward to the eschaton 

because there he’ll have unlimited time 

to learn. 

“I love to learn about the world around me, 

and I'm looking forward to the day in heaven 

when time will never be short, when I can 

learn all about the worlds and the universe 

that God has made,” he said. 

“I look forward to taking delight every day in 

all of the things he's made and the way that he's 

made them. Learning about the world around 

me is endlessly rewarding. And in the midst of 

these difficult times, I have had a little bit more 

time to do some learning on different subjects, 

which has been a consolation in strange days.” 

Perhaps Flatt's favorite time in world history 

is the classical period, an epoch that 

produced some of the most profound literature 

in human history. 

Flatt is a native of Ontario, Canada, and 

holds a PhD from Harvard University and 

a MA from the University of Toronto. Flatt’s 

passion is teaching the classical tradition in 

general and Great Books I and II in particular. 

The seeds of his love for the classical period 

and classical education were sown in an encounter 

with Greek mythology at a young age. 

“I remember as a kid, I had a book of Greek 

and Roman mythology, and I think there was 

some Norse mythology in there too. I grew 

fascinated by those stories, many of which are 

not necessarily true or good or beautiful, but 


they got me interested in how the Greeks and 

Romans looked at the world, and then I started 

learning about their history. Then when I 

was in high school, I started getting into classical 

literature—at first in English translation. 

“From the history I got into the literature 

and philosophy and once that happened, I 

just said, ‘I don’t want to always be relying on 

translations. I would love to encounter these 

authors in the original.’” 

His mother taught chemistry at the University 

of Waterloo, which is in his hometown. 

Since it had a strong Classics Department, 

the choice was simple for undergrad 

studies and that began the journey that 

brought him to Boyce today. 

Flatt grew up in a Christian home and was 

converted to Christ at age seven. While in 

high school, a desire to learn theology began 

to germinate in his heart and mind. He became 

absorbed in the Scriptures and began 

to read authors like John Calvin, Martin Luther, 

and John Owen. 

And through the influence of a family 

friend who was a professor, Flatt knew what 

he wanted to spend his life doing. 

“For lots of people, it takes them a long time 

to figure out what they're supposed to do,” 

he said. “But for me, I'm not a well-rounded 

person. I'm one of those pointy people where 

the gifts and opportunities that God has given 

me are all kind of concentrated in some 

very specific areas, and so from a young age 

it was clear to me that I wanted to grow really 

deeply in knowledge, and I wanted to help 

other people grow in knowledge too.” 

He hopes to see students recover the tradition 

of developing the Christian mind and 

using the classics broadly in their ministries. 

In partnership with Rob Plummer and the 

Daily Dose Team, he has established the Daily 

Dose of Latin, available by YouTube subscription, 

in which he walks viewers through 

a book of the Vulgate. Together with Melissa 

Tucker, he’s also helped to develop the Classical 

Education Minor at Boyce, which aims at 

equipping teachers with a thorough knowledge 

of classical pedagogy to serve in the 

growing number of classical schools. 

“I like to ask students who are skeptical of the 

‘pagan classics’ a provocative question: ‘I want 

you to name for me a single major Christian 

thinker or theologian born before 1950 who was 

not steeped in the classical tradition,’” he said. 

“And nobody can because there are none. 

“Whether you start at the early end with 

Tertullian, or Cyprian, or Clement of Alexandria, 

or even as recently in our own time 

as C. S. Lewis, all of these great thinkers on 

whom we rely in the Christian tradition 

were steeped in classical literature. And 

that's because they found it extremely useful, 

not only for understanding the world 

around them, but also for becoming better 

and more sensitive readers of Scripture. 

“Regardless of what ministry our students 

at Boyce may be engaged in, a classically-inspired 

education is going to equip them to 

communicate persuasively and powerfully. 

Getting in touch with the literature, philosophy, 

and history of the classical tradition 

will endow them with a treasure-house of 

time-tested wisdom and good sense about 

the world and about humanity.” 

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27

BOOKS 

SBTS.EDU 

BOOKS 

Cultural Shifts, 

Political Regimes, and 

the Constant Need for 

Biblical Teaching 

Mohler talks about The Gathering Storm 

BY FORREST STRICKLAND 

O 

ver the last hundred years, a cultural, moral, 

and political shift has taken place in Western 

society that has led to broad devaluing and 

rejection of Christian truth claims both privately 

and in the public square. The place of Christian convictions 

have gradually eroded, and this erosion will 

have tectonic effects on modern society. Evidence 

for how this shift has reshaped and will continue to 

reshape modern society is available for all to see, if 

people will only look, argues R. Albert Mohler Jr. in 

his newest work, The Gathering Storm. 

The Gathering Storm addresses questions like worldview, 

western civilization, marriage and the family, gender and 

sexuality, as well as other topics. These are issues you have 

spoken about publically in some way for over thirty years. 

Why this book now? 

In every generation, Christians have been called upon to 

understand our responsibility for the particular cultural 

moment and context within which we find ourselves. 

This has been true throughout the history of Christianity. 

But when we look back at church history, there have 

been times when there was a particular urgency about 

asking the question of our responsibility, because the 

culture had experienced such a massive transformation. 

It’s not just the transformation of the culture in the big 

tectonic plates of economics and politics, but also at the 

deeper level of morality and even the understanding of 

reality and the consumption of truth. There are times in 

which it seems all of these things are coming together, 

and that's exactly what characterizes our time. 

I have self-consciously borrowed the title, The Gathering 

Storm, from Winston Churchill, who is one of my 

heroes of history. Churchill largely stood alone during 

the 1930’s, as he saw the storm of war gathering. Others 

denied that Churchill had even seen clouds, but history 

proved him horrifyingly right. When Churchill wrote 

his history of the second World War, he entitled the first 

of those six volumes, The Gathering Storm. Like Churchill, 

Christians need to see and understand the gathering 

storm in our own day, and then we need to step into 

the next responsibility, which is thinking seriously and 

biblically about what the times will require of us. 

Secularization has the effect of eroding truth claims over 

long periods of time—even in the church. What can a Christian 

do to ensure their own faithfulness and defend against 

secularization eroding their own convictions? 

Our beliefs are contaminated unless we do two things, 

and these two things are paramount. First, we must turn 

to the Bible so that the living, breathing, and infallible 

Word of God will cleanse us of cognitive contamination. 

We cannot expect that our thinking will be biblical 

unless we are immersed in the Scriptures, unless our 

The Gathering Storm: 

Secularism, Culture, and 

the Church 

R. Albert Mohler Jr. 

(Thomas Nelson 2020, $18.99) 

A storm is coming. Western 

civilization and the Christian 

church stand at a moment of 

great danger. The storm is a 

battle of ideas that will determine 

the future of Western 

civilization and the soul of the 

Christian church. The forces 

we must fight are ideologies, 

policies, and worldviews that 

are deeply established among 

intellectual elites, the political 

class, and our schools. More 

menacingly, these ideas have 

also invaded the Christian 

church. From threats to religious 

liberty and redefinitions 

of marriage and family to 

attacks on the sacredness 

and dignity of human life, the 

perils faced by the West and 

the church are unprecedented. 

How should Christians 

respond to this challenge? 

thinking is predicated upon the truthfulness of God’s Word. 

We must hear God speak, obey him, and have our minds filled 

with the cognition that comes from the Bible. 

Second, we must be deeply involved in the life of a local 

church. As it meets together in worship and shares the gift 

of Christian fellowship together, a local church practices 

communal cognitive detox. That is part of what we’re doing 

when we gather for worship. We do renew our minds with the 

songs we sing. If the songs we sing are robustly biblical, then 

we are fulfilling what Paul exhorted the Colossians to do: We 

are encouraging and cognitively correcting one another with 

psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Then, by our prayer, we 

are cleansing our thinking and beliefs. Of course, the same is 

true when we sit under the preaching of God’s Word. 

When we participate in a healthy local church, our minds 

are transformed by the kind of constructive brotherly and 

sisterly Christian conversation that can only come in fellowship 

there. Sometimes we have to say, “What do we exactly 

mean,” or, “What you said is almost right, but maybe we 

can learn to put that in a way that's even more biblical.” 

In our time—especially in the West—historic Christian convictions 

are both disapproved of and also increasingly seen as 

hostile to the status quo. What precursors from history might 

encourage Christians today? 

My ultimate confidence in writing The Gathering Storm is 

that Jesus Christ is Lord, and thus no storm will mean the 

end of Christianity, the end of the church, or the end of truth. 

Nevertheless, a gathering storm can represent a real and an 

unavoidable challenge for us. Through its twenty centuries 

of existence the church has had to face all kinds of storms. 

When you think about our particular cultural moment, we 

are being told that we are on the wrong side of history, that 

we hold positions that cause human suffering and unhappiness 

rather than human flourishing. But we must recognize 

this: Christianity was born into a hostile culture. 

Christianity first emerged in the first century in the context 

of the Roman Empire. Throughout the next three centuries 

after Christianity emerged, Roman emperors came 

to the conclusion that Christianity was a subversive threat 

to the flourishing of the empire. Emperor after emperor 

sought to do everything within 

his power to make clear that 

“We are not without 

the confidence 

that we are on the 

right side of history, 

because we are 

on the right side of 

eschatology.” 

Christianity was on the wrong 

side of history. Yet, we know 

it was the Roman Empire that 

fell, not Christianity. 

For the Christian Church 

during those centuries of persecution, 

it was horrifying in 

so many ways. Persecution 

required the church to work 

out, with fear and trembling, 

its theology based upon the 

Bible. But that persecution 

created an environment for 

an incredibly powerful gospel 

witness to the Roman Empire. 

So much so that the Roman 

Empire, in its last years, tried to get on the right side of the 

church, believing, all of a sudden, that the church was on 

the right side of history. 

God is sovereign over the times, as he is sovereign over 

all things. We are not in this time by accident, but we’re also 

not in this time without the lordship of Jesus Christ, the 

power of the holy Scriptures, the saving truth of the gospel, 

the reality of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, remembering 

that Christ said, “upon this rock, I will build my 

church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” We 

are not without the confidence that we are on the right side 

of history, because we are on the right side of eschatology. 

28 


SBTS.EDU 29

BOOKS 

BOOKS 

The Published Works of 

Southern Seminary Faculty 

and Alumni in 2020-21 

The faculty and alumni of Southern Seminary are widely 

published and respected as leaders in evangelical scholarship 

and ministry. Here is a sampling of their prolific output 

over the past year. 

Embodied: Living as Whole People in 

a Fractured World 

Gregg R. Allison 

(Baker Books 2021, $19.99) 

The Person of Christ: An 

Introduction 

Stephen J. Wellum 

(Crossway 2021, $18.99) 

Character Matters: 

Shepherding in the 

Fruit of the Spirit 

Aaron Menikoff 

(Moody Publishers 2020, $14.99) 

The Gathering Storm: Secularism, 

Culture, and the Church 

R. Albert Mohler Jr. 

(Thomas Nelson 2020, $24.29) 

The Child is Father of the Man 

Tom Nettles 

(Christian Focus 2021, $14.99) 

The Church: An Introduction (Short 

Studies in Systematic Theology) 


(Crossway 2021, $14.99) 

Jesus the Great Philosopher: 

Rediscovering the Wisdom Needed 

for the Good Life 

Jonathan T. Pennington 

(Brazos Press 2020, $18.99) 

Paul, Apostle of God’s Glory in 

Christ: A Pauline Theology, 2nd 

edition 

Thomas R. Schreiner 

Small Preaching: 25 Little 

Things You Can Do Now to 

Make You a Better Preacher 

Jonathan T. Pennington 

(Lexham Press 2021, $18.99) 

Taming the Tongue: 

How the Gospel 

Transforms Our Talk 

Jeff Robinson 

(IVP Academic 2020, $50.00) 

(The Gospel Coalition 2021, $12.99) 

The Holy Spirit (Theology for the 

People of God) 

Gregg R. Allison and Andreas J. Kostenberger 

(B&H Academic 2020, $44.99) 

Hebrew for Life: Strategies for 

Learning, Retaining, and Reviving 

Biblical Hebrew 

Robert L. Plummer, Adam J. Howell, and 

Benjamin L. Merkle 

Liberty for All: Defending 

Everyone’s Religious Freedom in a 

Pluralistic Age 

Andrew T. Walker 

(Brazos Press 2021, $19.99) 

40 Questions about Biblical 

Theology 

Oren R. Martin, Jason S. DeRouchie, 

and Andrew David Naselli 

(Kregel 2020, $27.99) 

(Baker Academic 2020, $22.99) 

A Way with Words: Using Our Online 

Conversations for Good 

Daniel Darling 

(B&H Books 2020, $17.99) 

Deep Discipleship: How the Church 

Can Make Whole Disciples of Jesus 

J. T. English 

(B&H Books 2020, $22.99) 

A Concise Guide to the 

Quran: Answering Thirty 

Critical Questions 

Ayman S. Ibrahim 

(Baker 2020, $22.99) 

Nehemiah: A Pastoral and 

Exegetical Commentary 

Terry Betts 

(Lexham Press 2020, $28.99) 

30 


SBTS.EDU 31

BOOKS 

Introducing Southern Seminary’s 

NEW PhD in Biblical Studies 

Remain in the pulpit while earning the credentials to 

teach at a college or seminary. Southern's hybrid class 

format allows students to complete their degree 

without relocating to Louisville. 

Learn more at SBTS.EDU/PHD 

N 

The Glory of God at 

the Heart of Pauline 

Theology 

An Interview with Thomas R. Schreiner 

o matter what you think of 

the apostle Paul, if you are a 

serious teacher of the Bible, 

you’ll have to come to grips with 

him. Thomas R. Schreiner, associate 

dean of the School of Theology 

and James Buchanan Harrison 

Professor of New Testament Interpretation 

and professor of biblical 

theology at Southern Seminary, has 

spent much of his life studying Paul 

and the complexities of his theology. 

In the second edition of Paul, Apostle 

of God's Glory in Christ, which 

has been revised throughout to engage 

the latest Pauline scholarship, 

Schreiner seeks to unearth Paul's 

worldview by observing what Paul 

actually says in his writings, laying 

out the most important themes and 

how they are connected. According 

to Schreiner, “The passion of Paul's 

life, the foundation and capstone of 

his vision, and the animating motive 

of his mission was the supremacy of 

God in and through the Lord Jesus 

Christ.” While continuing to return 

to this foundation, Schreiner explores 

themes such as the inclusion 

of the Gentiles in God’s people, the 


power of sin, God’s liberating work 

of grace, and the unity of the church, 

as well as the often-neglected topics 

of Paul as a missionary and his apostolic 

sufferings. 

What is new in the second edition? 

I included some newer works on 

Pauline theology and reconsidered 

every line as I revised it. I would 

say, however, that upon reading the 

work again it is substantially the 

same book. I felt free to revise but 

for the most part I was pleased with 

what I wrote before. 

How have Pauline studies changed 

since the first edition? What challenges—such 

as the New Perspective 

on Paul—have arisen? 

The new perspective isn't new anymore! 

Still, I continue to interact 

with it, as I did in the first edition. 

The apocalyptic reading of Paul has 

become more popular, and I interact 

to some extent with this perspective. 

Of course, Pauline theology 

has branched off in so many directions 

with post-colonial readings, 

feminist readings, anti-imperial 

readings, etc. My book, however, 

centers on an exposition of Paul’s 

theology from the biblical text, because 

I wanted to write a book on 

Pauline theology that centers on 

what Paul himself said. 

What other books on Paul would you 

recommend that pastors and teachers 

who regularly preach and teach 

God’s Word read? 

I love Stephen Westerholm’s writings. 

He writes beautifully and 

in a compelling way. See his Perspectives 

Old and New on Paul and 

Justification Reconsidered. I think 

Westerholm has the best treatment 

of the New Perspective on Paul. 

I don't agree with some significant 

parts of James Dunn’s The 

Theology of Paul the Apostle, but 

I learned much from reading his 

book. I also don't agree with N. 

T. Wright's take on the New Perspective, 

but I especially enjoyed 

his Climax of the Covenant. His 

two-volume work on Paul, Paul 

and the Faithfulness of God, has 

many good insights but it is far too 

long for most readers. 

You're a scholar who writes in a way 

that’s accessible for pastors and even 

thoughtful laymen. How would you like 

to see pastors benefit from the book? 

I hope pastors have a better understanding 

of Paul, because that would 

mean they would have a better understanding 

of the whole Bible, and 

of God himself. Paul’s theology is 

particularly important because he 

reflects, in a unique and extensive 

manner, on the significance of the 

fulfillment of God’s saving promise 

in Jesus Christ. When we see the 

place which Paul’s writings occupy 

in the canon of Scripture, we see why 

his writings are so important for understanding 

who God is and what he 

has accomplished in Jesus Christ by 

the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Paul, Apostle of God's 

Glory in Christ: A Pauline 

Theology 

Thomas R. Schreiner 


Schreiner seeks to unearth 

Paul's worldview by observing 

what Paul actually says in 

his writings and laying out 

the most important themes 

and how they are connected. 

According to Schreiner, “The 

passion of Paul's life, the 

foundation and capstone of 

his vision, and the animating 

motive of his mission was 

the supremacy of God in and 

through the Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Now in its second edition, Paul, 

Apostle of God's Glory in Christ 

remains a sound, insightful, 

and trusted exposition of Paul's 

theology that is well-geared to 

the needs of seminary students 

and working pastors. 


SBTS.EDU 33

BOOKS 

SBTS.EDU 

BOOKS 

Help! I’ve Lost My Greek 

and Hebrew 

Howell and Plummer discuss strategies and 

motivation for retaining Hebrew 

BY FORREST STRICKLAND 

M 

inisters of God’s Word are 

expected to know the languages 

in which God’s Word 

was originally written, Hebrew and 

Greek, with some Aramaic. But often 

those who have previously studied 

Hebrew and Greek allow their knowledge 

of the languages to slip away, as 

the pressures of ministry reshape priorities 

and commitments. In Hebrew 

for Life, Adam J. Howell (with Robert 

L. Plummer and Benjamin L. Merkle) 

seeks to give readers the motivation 

and accountability to continue growing 

in their understanding of Hebrew. 

When people think of a textbook on 

the biblical languages, they stereotype 

it as filled with declensions, 

grammar rules, and worksheets. 

How is this book different? 

RPL: This book was designed as a 

personal trainer for Hebrew. Everyone 

knows you should exercise, 

but most people don’t go to the gym. 

However, if they hire a trainer, then 

they have someone who tells them, 

“You need to do this. You need to do 

that.” The trainer encourages them 

not to stop when it’s difficult, and 

the trainer also gives them a plan 

for making progress. In a way, this 

book is a paperback personal trainer 

for biblical languages. 

You reference the “law of the harvest” 

as a motivating factor for learning Hebrew. 

What is it and how does it drive 

our study? 

AJH: When it comes to the original 

languages, we have to focus on the long 

game. In our culture, we want things 

fast. We assume we can finish everything 

we need for the languages in 

two semesters. But understanding the 

biblical languages is a lifelong journey. 

I'm hoping we can convince people of 

this. Even if you only get the minimal 

semesters, there's plenty more to know, 

learn, and love about the original languages. 

For most people, it will take 

many years to reach a level of enjoyment. 

So the “law of the harvest” is this: 

the diligent work of planting and watering 

must happen now, and the payoff 

may not come until later. So, long 

for the harvest days when you can sit 

down and open up your Hebrew Old 

Testament and Greek New Testament 

and read them with love and great joy. 

Luther said: “If through our neglect 

we let the languages go, we shall lose 

the gospel.” Why do you think our perception 

of the original languages’ importance 

has shifted today? 

AJH: I can speak to Hebrew particularly. 

One reason is that people are 

intimidated by it. I tell my students 

that Hebrew is more intimidating 

than it is hard. The script is entirely 

foreign to us, and you read it backward 

when compared to most of our 

native languages. Second, positive 

advances in translation techniques 

have led some to assume the original 

languages are unnecessary. Thankfully, 

we do have good English translations, 

but this doesn’t cancel the 

value of learning the languages. Finally, 

there’s an undercurrent in our 

culture: we don't want to do difficult 

things like learning Hebrew. 

RLP: It’s a lot easier for someone to 

waste time on YouTube videos or 

spend hours skimming through Instagram 

and Facebook than it is to 

work on learning Hebrew and Greek. 

But when you think about how many 

thousands of hours we spend on 

trivial and unimportant matters, it’s 

shocking. We need to be challenged 

by this uncomfortable truth: we do 

what we love. We must be careful to 

reinforce our love for God’s Word 

rather than trivial things. 

How would you encourage someone 

who has fallen away from studying the 

original languages? 

AJH: It can be done. A lot of people 

think they’ve fallen too far from their 

previous studies. Pride may even get 

in the way and they’ll start thinking 

“It’s not worth starting with the alphabet 

again.” To that person, I would 

say: you can do it, and it’s worth it. 

RLP: Seeing people successfully return 

can be a great motivation. I've 

personally seen many people come 

back successfully with less ability and 

more years on them than the person 

reading this interview. Success in returning 

to the biblical languages is 

not a matter of raw intellectual ability; 

it’s a matter of desire and strategy. 

Hebrew for Life gives you the strategy. 

If you choose to read it, you already 

have a desire—one the book will fan 

into flames. The future is bright for 

the person who has enough motivation 

to read a book like this. 

Hebrew for Life: 

Strategies for Learning, 

Retaining, and Reviving 

Biblical Hebrew 

Robert L. Plummer, Adam 

J. Howell, and Benjamin L. 

Merkle 


Three experienced biblical 

language professors inspire 

readers to learn, retain, and 

use Hebrew for ministry, 

setting them on a lifelong 

journey of reading and loving 

the Hebrew Bible. This highly 

practical volume incorporates 

research-tested strategies for 

learning; presents methods 

not usually covered in other 

textbooks; and surveys helpful 

resources for recovering 

Hebrew after a long period of 

disuse. 

Today’s Churches 

Need the Whole 

Counsel of God 

Southern Seminary introduces 

the NEW Doctor of Ministry 

in Old Testament Exposition 

Though often neglected in the pulpit, the 

Old Testament richly displays the glories 

of God in Christ, for those trained to 

study it carefully. This concentration 

equips pastors toward faithful preaching 

and teaching by focusing on particular 

language and exegetical skills related to 

the study of the Old Testament with a 

special emphasis on application in the 

local church. NOW OPEN TO MA 

AND MDIV GRADUATES. 

Learn more at SBTS.EDU/OT 


SBTS.EDU 35

BOOKS 

BOOKS 

Cultivating Dependence 

and Calming Fears 

An Interview with Gregg R. Allison 


The Holy Spirit (Theology 

for the People of God) 

Faculty books 

Recent titles written by the faculty of Southern Seminary 

Gregg R. Allison and Andreas 

J. Kostenberger 

T 

he Theology for the People 

of God series by B&H Academic 

combines biblical and 

systematic theology in dialogue with 

historical theology with application 

to the church and life. The series addresses 

the classic loci of systematic 

theology by pairing a biblical scholar 

and a theologian. The first volume released, 

The Holy Spirit, pairs Andreas 

J. Köstenberger, research professor of 

New Testament at Midwestern Seminary, 

with Southern Seminary’s own 

Gregg R. Allison, professor of christian 

theology. 

Can you explain the outline of the book? 

Our approach in the outline of 

the book resonates deeply with 

my personal approach to doing 

theology, that is, that our practical 

theology is rooted in exegetical, 

biblical, historical, and 

systematic theology in dialogue 

together. Andreas wrote the first 

half of the book, looking at all the 

passages about the Holy Spirit in 

the Old and New Testaments. It 

was wonderful to work with him. 

Then, I wrote the second half, 

providing a systematic theology 

of the Spirit aimed at the church. 

When we’re doing systematics, 

we can’t just move directly from 

biblical to systematic theology, 

because, when we do the exegetical 

work, we already have our 

theology in mind. But we have 

to begin somewhere. Because we 

believe in the authority of the 

Bible, it’s both right and helpful 

to begin with the text, allowing it 

to correct our assumptions, then 

moving forward from there. 

How would you expect this book to 

be used profitably by students of 

the Bible? 

It’s an exhaustive work that's going 

to be helpful for any student of the 

Holy Spirit. Anyone who wants to 

look at every passage in the Bible 

that talks about the Holy Spirit will 

have Andreas’s first half; every passage 

is discussed. But, more importantly, 

we pray and hope that people 

who read our book would become 

more consciously dependent upon 

the Spirit, being filled by him and 

walking with him. We also hope 

that that readers of the book will 

have some of their fears about the 

Holy Spirit calmed. 

What other aspects of our doctrine of 

the Spirit are significant for pastoral 

ministry? 

There are three key doctrines. First, 

the Spirit and the Word. Baptists are 

well-known as people of the book, 

but we’re less well-known as people 

who entrust ourselves to the Spirit. 

The reformers achieved a great balance 

here. We call upon pastors and 

Christians to regularly ask the Spirit 

for illumination so they may rightly 

understand the Bible and have soft 

hearts to respond to God’s Word. 

Second, the Spirit and salvation. 

Readers will be amazed at how every 

mighty act of God in saving us is 

connected in some way to the Spirit. 

Before we believe, the Spirit convicts 

us of sin. He brings about the work of 

regeneration, unites us with Christ, 

brings about our adoption, and gives 

us assurance; he sanctifies, guides, 

and ultimately will resurrect us. Finally, 

the Spirit and the church. The 

Holy Spirit gave birth to the church 

when he was poured out by the Father 

and Son on the day of Pentecost, 

and it’s the Spirit who gives birth to 

new churches today; he directs, empowers, 

and pushes churches to engage 

as a witness to the world. 

(B&H Academic 2020, $44.99) 

Why do evangelicals tend to 

treat the third person of the 

Godhead like a member of the 

junior varsity team? Allison 

and Kostenberger take an 

in-depth look at the Holy Spirit 

from biblical, theological, 

and historical standpoints. 

And it also deals with various 

views on contemporary issues 

surrounding the Spirit such as 

the continuation or cessation 

of the so-called sign gifts, how 

the Spirit shapes our worship, 

and much more. 

The Child is Father of the Man 

Tom Nettles 

(Christian Focus 2021, $14.99) 

This book is not merely a summary 

of Nettles’ massive 2013 theological 

biography of Spurgeon. In this new 

work, Nettles isolates 10 key convictions 

that appear in Spurgeon’s life either 

before or immediately after his conversion, 

and traces them through his 

life as he develops into the charming, 

interesting, confident, humble, spiritual–minded 

man and pastor whose work 

and witness dominated evangelicalism 

in the last half of the 19th century. 

The Person of Christ: An Introduction 

Stephen J. Wellum 

(Crossway 2021, $18.99) 

A volume in the multi-volume Short 

Studies in Systematic Theology series, 

Wellum helps readers to see the falsehood 

of the claims that Jesus was far 

more than a wise philosopher, a social 

revolutionary, or the founder of a religion—he 

is very God of very God. Wellum 

argues for the divinity of Jesus according 

to the Scriptures in line with historic, 

creedal Christianity. 

The Church: An Introduction 


(Crossway 2021, $14.99) 

This volume, also part of the multi-volume 

Short Studies in Systematic 

Theology series. It helps define the 

church and its mission by presenting 

an overview of the specific doctrines 

and practices of different churches 

and denominations. Allison lays the 

foundation for a better understanding 

of local church communities and the 

way they diverge from one another, but 

he also shows how they are ultimately 

united as the body of Christ and the 

temple of the Holy Spirit. 

40 Questions about Biblical 

Theology 

Oren R. Martin, Jason S. DeRouchie, and 

Andrew David Naselli 

(Kregel 2020, $27.99) 

To understand what the entire Bible 

teaches about any given subject, we 

must practice biblical theology. By surveying 

the whole canon of Scripture, we 

can best discern what God has revealed 

about any particular issue. But doing so 

requires answering a number of important 

questions: What type of biblical 

theology will we choose? What overall 

story does the Bible tell? How should we 

understand the relationship between the 

Old and New Testaments? How does our 

topic fit within salvation history? How do 

we apply the truths we discover? 


SBTS.EDU 37

ALUMNI @SBTSAlumni SBTS.EDU/ALUMNI 

ALUMNI 

Confident in God’s 

Unchanging Word 

Lenny Hartono's ministry in the Hardest 

Circumstances 


Introducing the NEW Doctor of Ministry 

in Discipleship and Christian Education 

from Southern Seminary 

Designed for Christian educators and those leading 

ministries to children, students, women, or adults. 

Open to MA and MDiv graduates 

Learn more at SBTS.EDU/DISCIPLESHIP 

L 

enny Hartono grew up in a small 

town, Tulungagung in East Java, 

Indonesia. She was raised by a 

Buddhist father and a church-going 

mother. She came to the US in 1999 to 

pursue a marketing degree, and the 

Lord saved her during her junior year 

of college. “After saving me,” says Hartono, 

“the Lord put his desire in my 

heart to pray and fight for the salvation 

of the rest of my family. God saved my 

mom, my big brother, brother-in-law, 

little brother, and later on, my dad” 

After graduating, Lenny worked for 

six years in a small business in Shelbyville, 

Kentucky, and attended a small 

church in Louisville. 

“God used that church to grow me 

in my faith, in love for his Word, and in 

love for the lost.” 

Hartono returned to Indonesia in 

2010 and then spent two years in China, 

studying the language and sharing 

the gospel with Chinese people. When 

she returned to the States, she again 

worked for the business in Shelbyville. 

While working there, a friend who 

was going through a difficult divorce 

approached Lenny and asked for her 

advice and counsel. Lenny tried to help 

the best she knew how, but Hartono was 

at a very different stage of life. Though 

she’d been discipled in a local church 

and even served overseas, she knew that 

counseling her friend through her experience 

alone would not suffice. Hartono 

knew she needed a different basis: “I 

told her, ‘I’m single,’” says Hartono, “but 

I can be confident because I have the 

Word of God.’” God’s Word is timeless 

and unchanging, and it provided exactly 

what her friend needed to hear. “I was 

so blown away that God was able to use 

my counsel,” Hartono said. “It was then 

I realized that the Word of God really 

does change people’s hearts regardless 

of what situation they are in.” 

While working in Shelbyville, Hartono 

had responsibility for around 150 staff 

people at the local business. While she was 

there, some of the female staff opened up 

to her about their life struggles. 

“Instead of being overwhelmed by 

their suffering, God began to give me 

his compassion toward them,” Hartono 

said. “I’d share truths from God’s Word, 

but I’d often get stuck in hard cases.” 

Hartono was developing a love for 

counseling others, but she knew that 

she lacked the kind of formal training 

she’d need to be the best possible counselor. 

She began to pray about it, asking 

the Lord to help her find the training 

she needed. Through her older brother 

Jemmy, Hartono was introduced 

to Southern Seminary, and she began 

classes in the fall of 2015. Hartono’s 

time at Southern was transformational. 


38 


SBTS.EDU 39

ALUMNI @SBTSAlumni ALUMNI 

From Oregon to 

Louisville to the 

Deep South 

SBTS Grad Patiently Revitalizing 

Georgia Church 


“The Word of God 

really does change 

people’s hearts 

regardless of what 

situation they are in.” 

“I not only learned more about counseling, 

but I was changed. I had professors who told me 

that I had to change first before I could be used 

by God to change others,” she said. 

“And now, Southern Seminary has equipped 

me to counsel others. In the hardest cases, I 

can be confident because it is the Word of God 

that changes lives.” 

Hartono received her MA in biblical counseling 

in 2019. After graduation from Southern, 

Hartono served for a short time as a case manager 

and counselor at the Southern Indiana 

campus of Re:Center Ministries, a gospel mission 

organization that reconciles homeless and 

hurting people to God, family, and community 

through the power of Christ and in partnership 

with the local church. 

Hartono provided counseling services and 

lead support groups and classes for people at risk 

of homelessness. 

“God’s grace enabled me to connect the counselees’ 

felt needs with their true need for Jesus Christ; 

I was usually able to share the gospel with each 

counselee during our first or second session.” 

In March 2020, as quarantine restrictions due 

to the COVID-19 pandemic began to be put in 

place, Hartono flew home to Indonesia earlier 

than she had planned. Coupled with the news 

of the pandemic, Hartono received unexpected 

news that her father had been admitted to an 

intensive-care unit. Eighteen minutes after her 

plane landed in her home country, Hartono’s 

father went home to be with the Lord. 

“I had not seen Dad in two years,” Hartono 

said, and “even though I came home much faster 

to see him, I only saw his dead body. It was 

hard to process.” 

Hartono has wrestled with how God can be 

faithful in the midst of her father’s death and her 

sudden transition back to Indonesia: “Things 

have been so heavy that I’ve asked, ‘Why me, 

God?’” “God does not owe me an explanation,” 

Hartono said, “But, in his kindness, he’s given me 

comfort.” 

She pointed to the comfort she’s found in 

Hebrews 4:15–16: “For we do not have a high 

priest who is unable to sympathize with our 

weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in 

every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, 

let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, 

so that we may receive mercy and find 

grace to help us in time of need.” 

Hartono now finds that she needs the same good 

news she’s spoken to others in their hard places. 

“One thing I know. In each of my sufferings, 

God’s Word remains unchanging and timeless.” 

And Hartono is already having opportunities to 

comfort others with the same comfort that she 

has received from God (2 Cor. 1:3–4). 

“In every conversation I’ve had about my 

Dad,” Hartono said, “the gospel has been proclaimed.” 

A 

aron Menikoff was uncertain 

about taking a church in Georgia, 

a Deep South state he was 

unfamiliar with, a place vastly different 

from his native Oregon. 

But after much prayer and consideration, 

Menikoff submitted to what 

he came to know was God’s will, and in 

June of 2008 Menikoff, a two-time SBTS 

graduate, was elected senior pastor of 

Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Sandy 

Springs, a suburb just north of Atlanta. 

The thought of moving to a region that 

was somewhat foreign to him was more 

than a bit uneasy, made worse by Menikoff’s 

soon realization that much of the 

so-called Bible Belt’s Christianity was little 

more than a cultural adornment. 

“I joked how ironic it was that my 

friend, Michael Lawrence who is from 

the South, moved to pastor Hinson Baptist 

Church in Portland while I, being 

from Oregon, landed at Mount Vernon 

in Atlanta. 

“However, not only did I trust God’s 

providence in moving people around as 

he sees fit, but I also saw God’s wisdom 

in placing a man from another culture at 

Mount Vernon. I grew up in an unbelieving 

home in secular territory. That has 

given me a unique voice to speak into a 

region filled with nominal Christianity.” 

A Church in Decline 

Upon arrival in Atlanta, Menikoff found 

a church in dire need of revitalization. It 

wasn’t what he’d expected—the situation 

was far worse. And there was really 

no “honeymoon period” for him as several 

of the church members left because 

he didn’t view pragmatic numerical 

growth as the church’s leading priority. 

“When I arrived, I expected to find a 

conservative church accustomed to fairly 

light preaching with little emphasis 

on robust theology,” he said. “I expected 

to find a church with a heart for missions 

and an eagerness to grow spiritually and 

numerically. The church had been in a 

season of decline for a number of years 

and wanted to see that trend reversed. 

“I quickly discovered the church had 

no meaningful membership. The attendance 

on Sunday morning bore little 

resemblance to the directory. Most 

members said they valued a strong, 

Word-centered ministry. Nonetheless, 

I faced some resistance to too much 

preaching about the cross. 

“A good portion pinned their hopes 

for the church’s future on an exciting 

children, youth, and music ministry 

to grow the church. The majority of 

members who left 



SBTS.EDU 41

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in those early years didn’t appreciate my 

approach to these particular ministries.” 

Menikoff knew it would be a long, slow slog 

to reach a reasonable level of spiritual health 

at Mount Vernon, and it indeed was. He took 

years preaching and teaching sound theology 

and biblical ecclesiology even on things as basic 

as church membership, hospitality, and church 

polity. Over time, the church adopted the New 

Testament teaching on a plurality of elders and 

learned how to live out the “one another” admonitions 

as taught in the New Testament. 

Other dominoes of church health began 

to fall into place: biblical evangelism, discipleship, 

family ministry. Attitudes began to 

change as the church embraced a spirit of 

warm generosity toward fellow members 

and other churches. God raised up mature 

elders to assist with the ministry and servant-hearted 

deacons to help serve fundamental 

physical needs. 

The first key that unlocked needed change 

in the church was expository preaching. 

“The revitalization process took years,” he 

said. “It took me a while to feel comfortable 

preaching week in and week out. I’m glad 

much of the church was patient with me as 

I grew in this area. Preaching isn’t the only 

thing I do, but is the most important, and I 

saw a robust preaching ministry as fundamental 

to our church’s future. 

“We didn’t unveil a special program. I simply 

sprinkled teaching in these areas everywhere 

for the next decade. Looking back, this 

allowed me to stay focused on some areas in 

which we really needed to grow and improve.” 

Oregon to Capitol Hill to Louisville 

Menikoff’s journey to pastoral ministry began 

in Washington, D.C. in the mid-1990s. 

He came to faith in Christ soon after his 

senior year in high school and after graduating 

from the University of Oregon moved 

to D.C. for an internship in 1994 with the 

U.S. senator from Oregon. 

The senator attended Capitol Hill Baptist 

Church and Menikoff began to visit as well. His 

first Sunday at the church was the Sunday before 

a new pastor was installed. The new pastor 

was Mark Dever. Meeting Dever turned out to 

be a life-changing providence for Menikoff. 

“It’s there that I first heard expositional 

preaching, experienced biblical hospitality, 

and fell in love with the local church,” Menikoff 

said. “I enjoyed working in politics—I’d 

gone on staff with Senator Mark Hatfield his 

final term—but I loved the church more than 

working on the Hill. In late 1996 I went on staff 

as a pastoral assistant (at CHBC) before heading 

off to seminary a few years later. 

Menikoff moved with his wife, Deana, moved 

to Louisville in 2000 and completed his MDiv 

at SBTS in 2003. He graduated with a PhD in 

church history in 2008. The Menikoff family 

grew as Aaron and Deana had three children 

while in Louisville and continued to grow as 

they adopted a fourth after moving to Atlanta. 

A Ministry Marked by Dever 

During his years in seminary, Menikoff served 

as an elder at Third Avenue Baptist Church 

and has also continued to work closely with 

Dever and 9Marks Ministries, contributing 

articles and videos as well as speaking at numerous 

9Marks events. 

Said Menikoff: “I remember listening to 

Alistair Begg teach on preaching. He said, ‘Everything 

I learned about preaching I learned 

from Dick Lucas’—the great London preacher. 

Similarly, I could say everything I learned 

about pastoral ministry I learned from Mark 

Dever. When I read his little book Discipling I 

can honestly say he modeled for me what he 

wrote about in that book. 

“I had the privilege of being a member of 

his church before 9Marks even existed. I’m 

thankful for this ministry because I know 

it flows out of a genuine, faithful ministry 

in a local church—one I got to be part of for 

so many years. I’m thankful his ministry has 

expanded through 9Marks.” 

Writing, Preaching, and Encouraging Associationalism 

Last year Menikoff published his first book 

through Moody under the imprint of 9Marks, 

Character Matters: Shepherding in the Fruit of 

the Spirit, a work aimed at the spiritual health 

of pastors. Mount Vernon’s ministry footprint 

continues to expand in Atlanta and beyond. 

Menikoff and the church pour into the Greater 

Atlanta Baptist Network, an association of 

like-minded churches designed to encourage 

and equip member churches. 

Mount Vernon hosts a one-day conference 

for pastors and laymen involved in local 

church ministry called Feed My Sheep. 

The conference will mark its 10th anniversary 

in 2022 and will host its first event this 

October for pastor’s wives. 

“One of my passions is helping pastors rediscover 

a vision for local associations or networks,” 

he said. “The current conversations 

we are having at the national level are contentious, 

in part, because we’ve lost the ability to 

relate to one another at the local level. If we 

think ‘denominationalism’ is what happens 

through national entities, we are a missing the 

biblical example of churches who genuinely 

know, encourage, and equip one another. 

“I’m glad we can partner together nationally. 

However, that national partnership will fray if 

it is not underscored by robust local associational 

life. This is what we’re seeing right now.” 

Even as Mount Vernon continues to grow, 

Menikoff is thankful for the path God has 

taken him down in ministry including the 

eight years his family spent in Louisville. 

“I’m grateful for this extended season to 

study on campus at SBTS under great theologians 

and as an elder at Third Avenue Baptist 

Church,” he said. “Those years in school 

were very challenging, I’m not sure I could 

have lasted much longer! I’m really glad I 

had an on-campus experience. God used 

this season of study to help prepare me for a 

lifetime of learning and teaching.” 

“The current conversations 

we 

are having at the 

national level are 

contentious, in part, 

because we’ve lost 

the ability to relate 

to one another at the 

local level.” 

A Legacy of Wisdom and 

Discipleship 

How Dale and Mavis Smith Support Southern 


D 

ale and Mavis Smith moved to Kentucky 

from East Tennessee 57 years 

ago. They came to start a feed business—one 

that was unique to the area at the 

time. Before the move, Smith purchased a 

large feed mill he towed around from farm to 

farm in the back of his truck. 

“We went to them, to the bigger farmers,” 

Smith said, “and we could grind around 2,400 

pounds of feed with all the necessary minerals 

in about 20 minutes.” Each week, Smith would 

run his route, visiting the big farms in a different 

Central Kentucky county each day. 

“There was nothing like that in Kentucky at 

the time; so, I went up to Pennsylvania to learn 

how, and then I just started doing it.” 

The Smiths live in Cave City, outside of 

Glasgow, Kentucky. Over the nearly six decades 

they’ve spent in Barren County, the 

couple has owned three family businesses. It 

began with the feed business. Several years 

later they became distributors for the Ashland 

Oil Company. Then, in the early 1980’s, they 

opened a machining shop. I asked Mr. Smith 

what was similar about the three business 

ventures. He told me, “They weren’t! That’s 

the adventure. You get to learn all of this stuff.” 

When talking to Smith, he made it clear right 

away that he’s an eager and humble student: “I 

didn’t go into each business and tell people what 

to do, how their line of work should be done. Instead, 

I kept my ears open, and I learned a lot.” 

Smith also kept his ears open to hear from 

the Lord. Smith considers his relationship with 

God to be central to everything he does in business: 

“In every decision, you first talk it over 

with God. Then, you do the best you can and 

leave the rest up to him.” 

Mr. Dale Smith recently celebrated his 

eighty-fourth birthday. At this point in his 

life, Smith has much to pass along to others. 

But in a recent conversation, he couldn’t stop 

talking about those who had first poured into 

him. He reflected on the role of his pastors at 

Glasgow Baptist Church in his discipleship. 

The Smiths have been members there since 

they moved to Kentucky. 

He remembers, too, an evangelist whose 

vision encouraged him to begin supporting 

Christian seminary education. But one individual 

who stood out particularly in Mr. 

Smith’s mind was Clark Madison: 

“One day I was approached by an older 

Christian gentleman; he was one of the godliest 

men I knew, but we were competitors in the 

machining business in the same town. We decided 

to become partners.” 

Madison-Smith Machine and Tool Company, 

which the two founded in 1983, began in a 

4,000-square-foot facility, and it has earned 

a stellar reputation delivering industrial services 

such as machining, welding, and rigging 

for more than thirty years. “We started with a 

little machine shop then we put in a factory and 

then we moved factories,” Smith told me. The 

company now boasts a 63,000-square-foot, 

cutting edge facility. 

Smith’s partnership with Clark Madison 

was a great grace, and now he and Mrs. Smith 

are eager to pass on the same gracious legacy 

to others. The Smiths first became supporters 

of Southern Seminary in 2013 after they sold 

the machine and tool business. They became 

foundation members in 2015. Part of their eager 

support stems from the trust the Smith’s 

have in Southern’s leadership, beginning with 

R. Albert Mohler Jr. Smith described Mohler as 

humble, gracious, and committed to leaving a 

trustworthy legacy for the next generation. 

“We’re convinced Dr. Mohler has the seminary 

on the right track,” he said. 

The love they have for Southern is something 

the Smiths share together. 

“The more you get to know everyone at the 

seminary, the more you love them,” Smith said, 

“We love those people to death up there.” 

42 


43

SUPPORT 

SUPPORT 

Three Fall Giving Campaigns 

Raise $1.5 Million for the 

Southern Fund 


Treasuring the Message 

Remembering the Life of Barbara Bartow 


S 

outhern Seminary’s Fall Giving Day, 

Heritage Golf Classic, and Year End 

Giving Campaign combined to raise 

$1,560,000. The fundraising success came 

at a time when higher education was facing 

a crisis. 

Vice president of communications edward 

Heinze was thankful for the loyalty of 

the SBTS donor base. 

“Our core donor base has stood with us 

through this tumultuous season.” He said 

“They saw the unique needs of our students 

and increased their financial support to help 

ensure that economic pressures didn’t result 

in a decline in graduates.” 

Southern hosts three main giving day 

campaigns: 

· The Heritage Golf Classic (August 24) 

raised $220,000 

· Fall Southern Giving Days (September 

17-18) raised $567,000.00 [The previous 

record was $304,000 in 2018] 

· Year-End Giving Campaign (December) 

raised $773,000.00 

The combined collections are designated 

to the Southern Fund which helps tuition 

rates remain as low as possible. 

“We like to state that every dollar raised in 

the Southern Fund is one less dollar our students 

have to pay in tuition” Heinze said “It’s 

a vital revenue source that has a significant 

impact on our students and the cost of their 

theological training.” 

Proclaiming eternal truth in changing 

times has been Southern’s mission. The donor 

base, according to Heinze, is committed 

to seeing SBTS train ministers of the gospel 

to fulfill this mission. 

“Our donors are looking at the culture and 

the need for the gospel domestically and internationally. 

In response, they have increased 

their financial support of our students.” 

Graduates from SBTS are trusted. Heinze 

recognizes that the biblical fidelity of Southern’s 

faculty give its supporters confidence. 

“Because they have a high regard for our 

faculty and the training provided in our 

classrooms—they see graduates as a highly 

effective way to advance the gospel to a 

world in need.” 

Finances didn’t disrupt the progress of 

students. While institutions across the 

nation are struggling to keep their doors 

open, Southern is achieving record enrollment. 

Between the 15 percent tuition 

reduction and the increased giving from 

the donor base, graduation numbers are 

projected to hold steady. 

“They are looking at our commencement 

ceremonies each May and December 

with delight and hope” Heinze said. “This 

year, while producing numerous challenges, 

will still end with trained ministers 

heading out to serve the church and advance 

the gospel.” 

P 

rivate and a lover of books, Miss Barbara 

Bartow was a servant of Christ. 

Scribbling on a scrap of paper—as 

she was accustomed to—she summarized 

the message of the Bible. The message she 

would treasure until being called home last 

year. Now—delighting in the presence of 

her Lord— she declares the same message: 

“The history of the redemption of humanity 

and the account of a man, Jesus. 

God’s Son.” 

Miss Bartow was an only child. Her family 

suffered in the Great Depression, but they always 

prioritized faith in Christ. Her mother 

was a gifted church organist. Her father was 

a mill worker. For generations, the Bartow 

family worshiped at Red Clay Creek Presbyterian 

Church in Wilmington, Delaware. 

She avoided fancy dress and preferred a 

simple life. But Bartow excelled in her studies, 

especially history. She graduated early 

from high school as part of the World War 

II effort to advance gifted students into the 

workforce. But her pursuit of knowledge 

was not quenched. Bartow went on to receive 

degrees from the Universities of Delaware 

(BA 1947), Pennsylvania (MA 1951), 

and the Drexel Institute of Technology (MS 

1955). A member of the academic honor society, 

she was breaking ground in the male 

dominated world of scholarship. 

After a career as a research librarian, 

she retired in 1996. But she didn’t acquiesce. 

Bartow and her lifelong friend, Jenny 

Spurgeon, maintained a meticulously catalogued 

personal library. Jenny and Miss 

Bartow previously met as librarians at the 

University of Delaware. They had an instant 

bond over their shared commitment 

to Christ. Relocating to Jenny’s hometown, 

White Pine, Tennessee, they both 

would end up attending the same church, 

First Baptist Church Morristown. 

Miss Bartow’s passion for education and 

the gospel will be her legacy. Upon her passing, 

she left a bequest to the James P. Boyce 

Continental Library at the Southern Baptist 

Theological Seminary. 

Her gift was designated to supply written 

and digital resources for the study of church 

history. Initially, she only wanted to provide 

print materials. But was eventually convinced 

of the need for digital products. Her 

gift was valuable at a time when the need for 

digital resources were at an all-time high. 

The 2020 COVID pandemic surged Southern’s 

dependence on technology. 

Modest, scholarly, and godly, Barbara 

Bartow’s legacy will be carried on through 

the students at Boyce and SBTS. As ministers 

take the gospel to the ends of the 

earth, they will be indebted to her gracious 

contribution, and will continue Bartow’s 

chief aim—proclaiming the message of the 

redemption of humanity. And exalting Jesus 

Christ, God’s Son. 

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45

SUPPORT 

E 

Gratitude for God’s Unchanging 

Grace in Ever-Changing Times 

very challenge in a Christian’s life 

must be met with God-honoring resolve. 

During this past year we’ve 

faced our share of challenges in sustaining 

Southern’s mission, but we’ve remained 

faithful, steadfast, and engaged in our calling. 

What is that calling? To equip the students 

whom God entrusts to us to be biblically 

faithful pastors, missionaries, and 

Christian leaders both at home and abroad. 

Every organization has a bottom-line 

objective it pursues each year. For some 

it’s growing profits and maximizing shareholder 

wealth; for others it’s invention and 

the development of new technology or a 

better way. Here at Southern Seminary, 

graduates are our bottom line. Indeed, we 

believe the world needs our graduates—eager 

students trained by our devoted faculty 

in unchanging truth that pours out of an 

ancient book authored by God. We truly 

believe what we sing in our seminary hymn 

at each commencement: 

BY EDWARD HEINZE 

Soldiers of Christ, in truth arrayed, 

A world in ruins needs your aid: 

A world by sin destroyed and dead; 

A world for which the Savior bled. 

In the economic uncertainty of the past 

year, we were resolved to guard against a 

reduction in the pipeline of gospel ambassadors 

being sent out to advance the cause 

of Christ. So determined were we to sustain 

graduate numbers that we implemented a 

15 percent tuition reduction for the 2020-21 

academic year to help our students stay the 

course and progress in their training in a 

lean economy. This resulted in commencement 

exercises in which we celebrated the 

sending out of 829 graduates. 

It’s hard to imagine an institution reducing 

its revenue not suffering fiscal harm as 

a result. But we have a story we are eager to 

tell, one of God’s provision and protection 

during these uncertain days. It’s true that 

we committed ourselves to extreme fiscal 

discipline and a reduction of operating expenses, 

but that wasn’t enough to carry us 

through the last year. 

Truth is, we needed students—and God 

sent them in record numbers. Over the past 

academic year, we enrolled more students 

and sold more class hours than in any previous 

year in SBTS history. 

Truth is, we needed Southern Baptists to 

continue to support us through generous 

Cooperative Program giving—and they did. 

We marvel at the sustained faithfulness of 

Southern Baptists who have helped us keep 

tuition rates affordable. 

Truth is, we needed the long-standing 

patrons of Southern Seminary to stand 

in the gap and help us undergird our students 

financially—and they were more 

than generous. With their support we’ve 

sustained enrollment and graduated the 

students God has called to ministry in 

local churches and mission fields around 

the world. 

Every dollar given to the 

Southern Fund is one less dollar 

that a student will have to pay in 

tuition. You play a vital role in 

referring donors and giving to 

support the thousands of 

Southern students that are 

coming behind them. 

Learn more about supporting 

students at Southern Seminary 

and Boyce College by visiting 

DONATE.SBTS.EDU. 

46 


47

Southern Seminary Magazine 89.1: Eternal Truth in Changing Times

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