The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is an American, private, non-profit institution of higher education, associated with the Southern Baptist Convention, established in 1908, and located in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of the largest seminaries in the world and is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada and also by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award diploma, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. The school uses the Baptist Faith and Message (2000) as its confessional statement (see the Southwestern Declaration on Academic and Theological Integrity) Its stand on inerrancy and gender is as stated in the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, which states that science cannot override scriptural statements on creation and the flood, and the Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.
Maps, Directions, and Place Reviews
History
SWBTS grew out of the Baylor University theological department, which was established in 1901. By 1905, B. H. Carroll had managed to convert the department of five professors into the Baylor Theological Seminary, but still under Baylor University. In 1907, while Baylor University President Samuel Palmer Brooks was on vacation in Europe, B.H. Carroll, then chairman of the Baylor Board of Trustees, made a motion that the department of religion be separated from the University and chartered as a separate entity. The seminary was established in 1908, with Carroll as its founding president.
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary received its charter on 14 March 1908, but remained on Baylor's Waco campus until the summer of 1910, when the board accepted an offer made by Fort Worth citizens for a campus site and enough funds to build the first building. The 200-acre (0.81 km2) campus was located on what came to be known as "Seminary Hill," the highest natural elevation in Tarrant County. The first building was named "Fort Worth Hall" in honor of the seminary's new location. In 1925, the Baptist General Convention of Texas passed control to the Southern Baptist Convention.
The Department of Religious Education and the Department of Gospel Music were established within the seminary in 1915. These departments were eventually converted into schools within the seminary in 1921, becoming the School of Gospel Music and the School of Religious Education. As of 2009, the School of Religious Education is now known as the Jack D. Terry, Jr. School of Church and Family Ministries and the School of Gospel Music is now known as the School of Church Music.
Conservative Resurgence & Russell Dilday's Dismissal
In 1994, the seminary experienced a sudden change in leadership with the dismissal of Russell H. Dilday as president, during the Southern Baptist Convention conservative resurgence. Board trustees voted 26 yea to 7 nay to dismiss Dilday after his 16-year tenure as seminary president. On March 9, 1994, Dilday was called to a board meeting where he was removed without warning and his office was locked while he was still at the meeting, preventing his removal of personal effects. The Associated Press reported that the newly elected trustee chairman stated that the "institution needed new direction for the 21st century." Students gathered in front of the president's home in protest and support for Dilday. The appointment of Ken Hemphill followed. President Dilday was the only president of SWBTS ever to be removed.
Recent history (21st century)
On June 24, 2003, the board of trustees unanimously elected Paige Patterson as the seminary's 8th president. Patterson previously served as president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary for 10 years, thus becoming the second Southern Baptist leader to serve as president for two seminaries within the convention. Patterson also served as the president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1998 to 2000 and was a leading figure behind the Conservative Resurgence movement within the convention.
In 2006 the seminary imposed a prohibition on professors or administrators promoting charismatic practices, such as private prayer languages.
In 2007 a gender discrimination suit in federal court was filed by Professor Sheri Klouda over her dismissal. Klouda claimed she was dismissed from the faculty due to her gender, being a woman. In response, the seminary commented that Klouda was not dismissed but that she would not have tenure. The Klouda lawsuit was immediately dismissed because of church-state separation-related concerns. The federal judge who dismissed the case stated that "Leaders of a prominent Southern Baptist seminary who believe women are biblically forbidden from teaching men were within their rights when they told a female professor to leave", including a statement that the seminary was well within its First Amendment rights to dismiss Klouda.
In 2014, the school received criticism from other evangelicals when it admitted its first Muslim student from Palestine. The Muslim student was enrolled in Southwestern's PH.D. in archaeology program. Seminary president Paige Patterson defended his decision to accept the student's application, despite criticism.
The School of Preaching was established in 2015 with David Allen serving as the first dean. The purpose of the school is to teach students the importance of text-driven preaching. The seminary added two new graduate programs, Master's Degree of Art in Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy in World Christian Studies, in 2016. On April 12, 2017, the executive committee reported to the board of trustees that the College at Southwestern would be renamed to The L.R. Scarborough College at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, in honor of the seminary's second president Lee Rutland Scarborough.
Roy Fish Video
Administration and faculty
SWBTS is currently administered by a 40-member board of trustees serving staggered terms of office. Board members are elected by the Southern Baptist Convention. Trustees elect faculty members and administrative officers. Financial support is derived from the Southern Baptist Convention's Cooperative Program, endowment earnings, gifts and student fees.
Dr. L. Paige Patterson, selected in 2003, is the current president of the seminary. Current (2014) deans include Michael Wilkinson (College at Southwestern), Waylan Owens (School of Church and Family Ministries), David Allen (School of Theology), Keith Eitel (Roy Fish School of Evangelism and Missions), Leo Day (School of Church Music) and J. Denny Autrey (Havard School for Theological Studies in Houston, Texas).
The full-time faculty includes ninety-two individuals and there are also forty-seven part-time faculty members.
Academics
The school offers 18 tracks of study in areas such as corporate chaplaincy, Islamic Studies, marriage and family counseling, urban evangelism and social work.
Since 1908, Southwestern Seminary has graduated more than 40,000 students. In 2007-2008, students came from 46 states, 2 US protectorates, 47 foreign countries and represented 46 denominations, although more than 94% are Southern Baptists. The seminary's academic journal, Southwestern Journal of Theology has been published since 1958. It is conservative and Baptist in orientation.
In the fall of 2005, the Seminary converted its undergraduate program (baccalaureate school) into The College at Southwestern which awards a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities. In 2007, a Bachelor of Arts in Music (B.A.M.) was added. In 2007 the seminary began an initiative for engaging and transforming culture, its new Center for Cultural Engagement, named in honor of Richard Land. In line with this initiative, the seminary employed prominent intelligent design advocate William A. Dembski. In 2016, the seminary added a master's degree program in Philosophy. The program was approved by the Board of Trustees and, in January 2017, by the accreditation body, the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). Seminary President, Paige Patterson, stated Everybody is a philosopher, the question is are you a good one or a bad one? We are committed to having good philosophers and to making good thinkers and philosophers out of our people.
Southwestern is divided into eight schools:
- The L.R. Scarborough College at Southwestern
- The School of Theology
- The School of Preaching
- The School of Church Music
- Roy Fish School of Evangelism & Missions
- Jack D. Terry School of Church & Family Ministries
- Women's Program
- J. Dalton Havard School of Theological Studies (Houston, TX)
The School of Theology
Established in 1908, The School of Theology trains seminary student for master's or doctorate degrees in theology. Concentrations include biblical languages, apologetics, theology, church history, preaching, pastoral ministry, etc. The current dean is D. Jeffrey Bingham. Students are able to obtain a master's or doctoral degree essential for Christian ministry.
School of Church Music
Originally a department within The School of Theology, The School of Gospel Music was established in 1921. The school was renamed to The School of Sacred Music in 1926, a name which it bore until 1957 when the school was renamed The School of Church Music. The current dean of the school is Leo Day.
Roy Fish School of Evangelism & Missions
In 2005, the division of evangelism and missions in the School of Theology was reorganized as the Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions. This division provides students with spiritual mentorship, a solid theological grounding in Scripture, and coursework that equips them to share the Gospel with intelligence, relevance and boldness. The current dean is Keith Eitel.
Jack D. Terry School of Church & Family Ministries
The Terry School of Church and Family Ministries offers several different master's and doctoral degrees such as the Master of Arts in Christian Education (MACE). The school was originally a department within The School of Theology until The School of Religious Education was established in 1921. The school was renamed to The School of Educational Ministries in 1997. The school was officially renamed in 2009 in honor of Jack D. Terry. Current concentrations provided in this school include biblical counseling, children's ministry, collegiate ministry, and student ministries. The current dean is Waylen Owens.
J. Dalton Havard School of Theological Studies
Located in Houston, the Havard School offers bachelor's and master's degree in theology. Degree options include a Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies, Master of Theological Studies, Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Christian Education, and Master of Arts in Theology. Students have an opportunity to serve in a local church in Houston while taking classes at the same time. The school has 8 academic staff members. The current dean of the J. Dalton Havard School is Dr. Denny Autrey.
Extension Campuses
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has its main campus in Fort Worth, but also offers programs and selected degrees at remote campuses.
- Masters of Arts in Theology at their Bonn, Germany, campus
- Masters of Divinity, Masters of Arts in Christian Education, Masters of Arts in Lay Ministry, Masters of Arts in Theology at their Houston, Texas, campus
Courses toward a degree are made available at their campuses in Little Rock, Arkansas, Plano, Texas, San Antonio, Texas, and Shawnee, Oklahoma.
Presidents
Notable people
Faculty
Alumni
SWBTS includes many notable and well known alumni including several different Southern Baptist Convention Presidents, a U.S Senator, a US Governor, U.S. presidential candidates, members of the White House Cabinet of the United States, seminary presidents, pastors, educators, theologians, Civil Rights activists, songwriters, authors, and etc.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
EmoticonEmoticon