Posts by Andrew J.W. Smith

Mohler releases new book on the Apostles’ Creed, asserts its critical place in Christian instruction March 26, 2019

The book calls every generation to embrace the faith of the first Christians with the very words they used

Among all the statements and confessions in the history of the church, one stands above them all: the Apostles’ Creed. Recited at every commencement ceremony of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and in churches — of all traditions and varieties — across the world, the Apostles’ Creed has long been considered the basic teaching of Christianity.

But it is much more than a historical document, according to R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Seminary. It is a deeply compelling and transformative link between Christians old and new. In his new book, The Apostles’ Creed: Discovering Authentic Christianity in an Age of Counterfeits, Mohler seeks to rekindle a love for the creed nearly 2,000 years after its writing.

The book is out today from Nelson Books, and can be purchased at Amazon and major booksellers everywhere.

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SBTS Professor T. Vaughn Walker, the first African-American full professor at a Southern Baptist seminary, dies at 68 January 28, 2019

Professor and pastor Thomas Vaughn Walker, the first African-American to become a full professor at any Southern Baptist seminary and who taught at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary beginning in 1986, died yesterday in Louisville, Kentucky. He was 68.

“T. Vaughn Walker will go down in history as one of the most important seminary professors of the last century in the Southern Baptist Convention,” R. Albert Mohler Jr., who is president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said in a statement. “He became the first African-American full professor at any seminary in the Southern Baptist Convention.

"He came to Southern Seminary first as a student, having already completed graduate work all the way to his doctorate. He was quickly recognized for his scholarship and heart for ministry and he became a member of the faculty of the Carver School of Church Social Work, and he later served in two other graduate schools of Southern Seminary. He pioneered in scholarship and leadership through the development of the Black Church Leadership program.” 

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Why earn a second Ph.D.? SBTS Islamic studies professor says it will ‘help and empower’ his students January 24, 2019

A professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary graduated last month with a doctor of philosophy degree — the second Ph.D. he has earned in the past five years. Ayman S. Ibrahim, Bill and Connie Jenkins Associate Professor of Islamic Studies, earned the degree from the University of Haifa in Mount Carmel, Israel, a leading university in the fields of Arabic and Islamic studies. He earned his first doctorate from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, in 2014.

In addition to teaching, Ibrahim leads the Jenkins Center for the Christian Understanding of Islam, a resource center on the campus of Southern Seminary intended to establish a scholarly, Christian perspective of Islam.

Ibrahim, who is already an Islamic studies scholar, said he earned the second terminal degree not only for academic inquiry or professional advancement, but also to aid his students — many of whom will work in ministries focused on reaching Muslim people groups with the gospel.

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Noe Garcia, Southern Seminary alumnus and pastor to the late Senator John McCain, calls students to redefine ministry success October 19, 2018

Success in ministry does not come from your abilities, but from the kindness of God, argued Noe Garcia during an Oct. 18 chapel service at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Garcia is an alumnus of the seminary (doctor of ministry) and senior pastor of North Phoenix Baptist Church in Phoenix, Arizona, which was the home church of the late Senator John McCain. Garcia attracted national attention this past August when he presided over McCain’s memorial service.

During his chapel message, Garcia asked seminary students to rethink the meaning of success in ministry: He urged future ministers not to look for ministry success anywhere but in God’s provision.

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15th annual Heritage Golf Classic Raised More than $200k to Keep Tuition Affordable August 22, 2018

15th annual Heritage Golf Classic Raised More than $200k for to Keep Tuition Affordable

The15th Heritage Golf Classic, the annual fundraising event for Southern Seminary, generated a record amount money at the August 20 golf tournament.

“This was the 15th annual edition of the Heritage Golf Classic, and by every measure, it was the most successful,” said Craig Parker, who is senior vice president for institutional administration at Southern Seminary and who oversees fundraising efforts at the school. “I’m certain the handful of friends who gathered in 2004 for the first Heritage Classic could not have imagined a tournament with more than 100 players raising more than $200,000 of financial support for the students of Southern Seminary.”

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The SBC is a ‘force multiplier’ for local churches, argue Dever and Mohler at T4G April 14, 2018

The Southern Baptist Convention is a “force multiplier” for local churches, argued Mark Dever yesterday during a public conversation with R. Albert Mohler Jr.

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Charles Draper, founding faculty member of Boyce College, dies at 70 June 26, 2017

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (SBTS) — Charles W. Draper, a professor of Boyce College and chair of the school’s department of biblical studies, died from a heart attack during the early hours of Sunday, June 25. He was 70.

Boyce College professor Charles W. Draper died early June 25.

“Professor Charlie Draper was a cherished member of the Boyce College and Southern Seminary faculty, and he will be greatly missed,” said R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Boyce College. “He has taught an entire generation of students, and he was known in the classroom for his passion for the Bible and his love for students. Time after time, I would hear from Boyce students about the influence of Dr. Draper on their lives. His personal investment in them and in their ministries is a timeless gift.

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