The 20th Annual Heritage Classic Golf Tournament ended triumphantly as 108 golfers came together at Big Spring Country Club to raise $249,800 for Southern Seminary and Boyce College student tuition, August 21.

“We could not have had a better kickoff to our new academic year and the fall semester," said Vice President of Institutional Advancement Edward Heinze.

"This year, we celebrated two golfers who have played in all 20 tournaments: Dr. Tim Beougher, Professor of Missions & Evangelism, and Chip Hutchison, Content Editor of Kentucky Today. We also enjoyed celebrating a hole-in-one by one of our long-time Louisville patrons and participants, Dr. Tom Benninger. Most importantly, this year’s tournament helped the students of Southern Seminary and Boyce College prepare for service by raising close to $250,000 for the Southern Fund.”

Participants ranged in their golfing skills from amateur to experienced, but Jonah Twiddy and his family were real winners. Twiddy is a Master of Divinity student at Southern Seminary and received the $5,000 Rick Bordas scholarship.

A longtime friend of Southern Seminary, Bordas had a passion for seeing students trained to take the gospel to local churches and to international mission fields. Upon his death in 2013, his family and friends established a scholarship fund in his name.

Twiddy’s wife Leah and one-year-old daughter Dakota stood with him as he accepted the scholarship. The Twiddys plan to serve in overseas missions as church planters—fulfilling the vision of Bordas and the mission of Southern Seminary.

“Before we take God's word to others, we wanted to know it better ourselves,” Twiddy said. “The Lord introduced Southern Seminary to us as a place where we could pursue that leading while preparing to be sent out. Southern has been exactly what we hoped it would be. Our knowledge of God and his Word is growing daily, and we regularly stop to thank God for all of the rich blessings He has brought into our lives during this season."

President R. Albert Mohler Jr. thanked the participants for their commitment to the work of Southern Seminary and Boyce College.

“God is doing something absolutely remarkable at Southern Seminary and Boyce College,” Mohler said. “It will make a difference on the mission field and in the pulpits of our churches and places we will never go, places we’ll never see. That is absolutely glorious. What a great way to spend a day.”

Plans are already underway for the 21st Annual Heritage Classic Golf Tournament, with organizers hoping to build on this year's success and continue making a positive impact for the global church. As the tradition carries on, golfers and supporters eagerly anticipate the chance to once again tee off for “the purpose of gospel ministry,” Heinze said.

In this year’s SBTS Alumni & Friends Academy, Rob Plummer, Adam Howell, and several other professors offered guidance to over 200 ministry leaders trying to get back on track in their biblical language skills at the Greek & Hebrew for Life conference, July 28–29.

With the intense duties and demands of ministry, many leaders can slip in their comprehension and utilization of the biblical languages, says Rob Plummer, Professor of Biblical Studies at Southern Seminary. The purpose of the conference was to help pastors and other leaders retain what they previously learned in the classroom.

“We want to keep pastors and other Christians reading their Hebrew Old Testaments and Greek New Testaments for their entire lives,” Plummer said. “We had a variety of fascinating and practical breakout sessions—everything from how to read ancient papyri text to how to use Greek responsibly in weekly sermon preparation.”

Most of the conference attendees were alumni or current students at Southern Seminary and Boyce College. But many guests, including participants from Japan and New Zealand, connected with the conference through the Daily Dose of Greek, Daily Dose of Hebrew, Daily Dose of Aramaic, and Daily Dose of Latin.

While many attendees were Southern Baptists, the conference included Presbyterians, Lutherans, Assembly of God, and Evangelical Free church representatives who all came to Southern to experience the world-class teaching and breakout sessions in the biblical languages.

For Plummer, Southern Seminary’s decision to continue including Greek and Hebrew in the curriculum and emphasizing the languages in day-to-day ministry represents Southern Seminary’s larger commitment to the final authority of Scripture. While other institutions are dropping Greek and Hebrew requirements, Plummer and Southern Seminary continue to stress the necessity and practicality of reading the Bible in its original languages beyond the classroom.

“If we value the Bible as the Word of God, then we will value the biblical languages,” Plummer said. “If it doesn't matter what the Bible says, then studying the biblical languages is a waste of time. If, however, we continue to uphold the Scripture as our final authority in doctrine and ethics, we have a joyful obligation to study the biblical languages. Of course, some pastors around the world will never have the opportunity to study Greek and Hebrew, and the Lord can still use them mightily. But, if we have this opportunity, how can we pass it up?”

In a 2021 Faculty Address, Plummer presented a systematic case for why seminaries must include biblical languages for ministerial training.

“I confess that I find it embarrassing that evangelical seminaries are reducing biblical languages to an optional part of their MDiv curriculum,” Plummer said. “We’re sending soldiers into battle with muskets and powder horns instead of powerful and accurate weaponry.”

In a world where compassion and guidance are needed more than ever, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's commitment to training Chaplains is paving the way for individuals to make a lasting impact in the lives of others.

This fall, Ken Lovett (PhD, SBTS) is teaching a brand-new chaplaincy course (35660) designed to equip leaders to serve in hospitals, firehouses, the military, and wherever else they are called.

“Jesus demonstrated loving and caring for people, especially among those outside the church. That is where a chaplain operates.” Lovett said. “Chaplains have an opportunity to be there, in the actual hospital room, firehouse, or foxhole, when something terrible happens. And they get to be the face of God's loving-kindness to people who need him but might not ever enter the doors of a church. There are a lot of "foxholes" in places all over the world and in every town in America. The chaplaincy is an ideal way to serve, especially in a bi-vocational situation while serving as a student or pastor.”

Lovett earned his PhD (2019) from Southern Seminary and is currently a Chaplain in the Indiana National Guard. He believes Southern Seminary is the ideal place for chaplaincy training because of the numerous opportunities to serve around Louisville, the dedication of the faculty, and the fruitful ministry of Southern Seminary graduates serving as Chaplains.

“When it comes to choosing a seminary to train as a Chaplain, you can't beat the location of Southern Seminary, which is close to both Indiana and Kentucky National Guards, Ft. Knox, and Ft. Campbell,” Lovett said. “Add to that the vast opportunities with the police, hospitals, a huge VA hospital, and corporate situations like Humana, UPS, and Churchill Downs. Southern Seminary also has excellent faculty and leadership in biblical counseling, which is immensely helpful for the training of Chaplains.”

Southern Seminary graduates are reaching the highest ranks as Chaplains worldwide, such as the Air Force Chief of Chaplains, Randy Kitchens (MDiv, 1989), and most recently, Chaplain Scott Wells (2008), who was named the new State Chaplain for the Indiana National Guard earlier this year.

As global tensions rise, so will the need for biblically grounded and theologically trained Chaplains in all areas of life.

“The growing threats of secularism, social unrest, and international conflict will only increase the need for Chaplains,” Lovett said. “But with tensions high around the globe, we need to be equipping Chaplains for future situations that haven't yet broken the horizon.”

For more information about Southern Seminary degree programs and chaplaincy, visit www.sbts.edu/admissions. Current students can register for the new chaplaincy course (35660) at my.sbts.edu.

When John D. Wilsey met David Puckett as a seminary student in 1996, he never expected Norton 234 to be his own office one day. Puckett taught church history at Southern Seminary for seventeen years and his mentorship and friendship helped spur a young Wilsey to earn a PhD and begin his own seminary teaching career.

Now occupying the same desk as one of his ministry heroes, Wilsey teaches Boyce College and Southern Seminary students modern church history, history of Western thought, American patriotism and theology, history of the Black church, and American religious history. He’s also an expert on Christian nationalism, a topic that has engulfed Christians since 2016 but has historical roots.

Following the celebration of American Independence Day, Wilsey shared his expertise and pastoral wisdom to help Christian ministers assess competing visions of national identity—a topic he will address more fully in an upcoming book. He also encouraged aspiring college, graduate, and doctoral students to study American church history to serve the church.

Here are Wilsey’s answers to three questions Christians face today.

Should patriotism matter to Christians?

Patriotism matters a great deal. Patriotism is, to put it simply, love for country, for home, for one's own people and heritage. Love for country, like all loves, belongs on a hierarchy. Love for God is the highest love. Love for family is second to love for God. Love for country fits on that hierarchy of loves after love for God and family. Love for the gospel and for the church is part of our love of God. But love of country, while it is lower on the hierarchy of loves, does not war against love for God or family. Love for country fits coherently in a rightly ordered set of loves, and Christian leaders should model it, teach it, and extol it.

Is it necessary for church leaders to study the American founding?

Yes, because the American founding represents one significant part of who we are as Americans. The American experiment is, in prominent respects, an experiment in religious freedom. As leaders in the church—pastors, teachers, missionaries, counselors, and parents—we have the privilege of exercising religious freedom every day as we model the truth of the gospel through precept and example. People who know history know that things were not always as they are. The American founding is a landmark event in the history of the church, and to ignore it is to take religious freedom for granted in some way.

Patriotism reflects gratitude to God for the good gifts He has given us. We hope in the mercy of God in all things and recognize that every good and perfect gift flows from him (James 1:17). Our country, though by every measure not perfect, is a good gift that the Father has bestowed on us. Central to who we are as followers of Christ is the knowledge that life is worth living, that the human person is of inestimable value, and that gratitude expresses dependence on God and his everlasting mercy. Allowing us to be beneficiaries of such a bountiful land and broad freedoms to raise our families, fulfill our callings, and grow in spirit, intellect, and body is a tremendous blessing from the Lord. Patriotism is not just acceptable for a Christian. I think it is a Christian duty.

Why should students consider further study in American church history at Southern Seminary?

The purpose of seminary is primarily for the training of pastors, counselors, missionaries, and teachers for the benefit of the church. It is also aimed at training scholars who seek to edify the church through research and writing. The fields of biblical studies and theology are the most intuitively obvious fields for further study in seminary, but history is often overlooked. This is a great tragedy because it is a liberal inclination to be contemptuous or dismissive of history. But history is central to our faith because our faith is rooted in history. And the study of American history is so needed among rising Christian scholars because the advancement of the gospel is central in American historical studies. So, if you are interested in studying American history on the doctoral level, Southern is the place to do it!

Wilsey’s books include One Nation Under God: An Evangelical Critique of Christian America, American Exceptionalism and Civil Religion: Reassessing the History of an Idea, an abridgment of Alexis de Tocqueville’s classic 1840 work, Democracy in America: A New Abridgment for Students, and God’s Cold Warrior: The Life and Faith of John Foster Dulles.

He is an elder at Kenwood Baptist Church at Victory Memorial in Louisville. His wife Mandy and their two daughters, Caroline and Sally, bring joy to him each day.

For more information on earning a PhD in church history from Southern Seminary, visit here. Find all other admissions information here.

President R. Albert Mohler, Jr. has named Roberto Carrera as Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies. Carrera brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to enhance the seminary's academic community and will play a vital role in shaping the next generation of Christian leaders by equipping students with a comprehensive understanding of the Bible’s historical, cultural, and theological contexts.

"I am excited to start this new journey at Southern Seminary,” Carrera said. “Southern has been my home for many years, and I am grateful to the Lord that I now get to give back from all I have received in my theological education. I want to train men and women to read Scripture faithfully and have complete confidence in the totality of the inspired Word of God. "

Completing his MDiv in 2016 and PhD in Old Testament under Peter Gentry in 2022, Carrera has worked for Online Hispanic Program since December 2019 and was named director in 2021. He will continue as Director of the Online Hispanic Program while joining the Southern faculty. Carrera has also served as an adjunct faculty member since 2019.

The Dean of the School of Theology, Hershael York, is delighted to welcome Carrera as a new member of the faculty and expressed his joy that future students will have the opportunity to learn from him.

"Roberto Carrera is further evidence of God's continued favor on Southern Seminary," said York. "Uniquely gifted and a brilliant teacher, Roberto's classroom is ablaze with thoughtful engagement, intellectual challenge, and a deep commitment to biblical truth. I am excited and grateful that the next generation of Southern Seminary students will be shaped by such a promising godly scholar."

Paul Akin, Provost at Southern Seminary, is thrilled to see Carrera join the faculty and praises his academic and missional leadership.

“Roberto Carrera loves God, loves the Bible, and is committed to the Great Commission,” Akin said. “I have traveled with him to Latin America and have seen firsthand how his leadership through our Online Hispanic Program is bearing fruit in the Spanish-speaking world. I am excited to see how the Lord will use him to help raise up a generation of faithful pastors, missionaries, and leaders for the church across Latin and South America and beyond.”

Hispanic Online collaborates with institutions and leaders by providing theological education in Latin America. With high-quality dubbing and contextualization, students can learn in their own language with the quality and depth that characterizes Southern Seminary professors. In 2023, Hispanic Online launched a new fully-Spanish doctoral program.

For more information on Spanish degree programs and admissions, visit SBTS.edu/hispanos

During the President's Report for The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary at the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting, President R. Albert Mohler, Jr. received heartfelt appreciation for his thirty years of dedicated service. Josh Powell, the current Chairman of the Southern Seminary Trustee Board, expressed deep gratitude and announced that in December 2023, President Mohler will become the longest-serving president in the history of The Southern Baptist Seminary and the longest-serving leader of any SBC entity.

Speaking on behalf of the board, Powell stated, "We want to express our gratitude for thirty years of unwavering leadership, commitment to biblical truth, and unwavering adherence to our confessional standards." The crowd responded with a standing ovation, underscoring their deep respect and admiration for President Mohler.

President Mohler initiated his report by extending his gratitude to the Southern Baptist community for the privilege of serving at Southern Seminary for three decades. He highlighted how the Lord has done more at Southern Seminary than he could have ever imagined as the seminary continues to have unprecedented enrollment and a secure financial future the remarkable progress the seminary has made under his leadership, including unprecedented enrollment and a strong financial foundation.

Drawing inspiration from 2 Timothy 2:15, President Mohler urged the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention to remain steadfast in their commitment to faithfully handle the Word of truth. He emphasized the significance of nurturing the next generation of pastors, missionaries, and gospel ministers within their congregations. With passion, President Mohler declared, "Let us not forget that within your church right now, there may be a young boy whom God will call to preach. I pray that he, like myself, will be nurtured by faithful Southern Baptists to love the Word of God, embrace the gospel, and encounter the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ."

President Mohler's report encapsulated his deep appreciation for the Southern Baptist Convention and encouraged pastors and congregants alike to remain faithful in handling the Word of God as they seek to invest in the next generation of leaders.

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary on June 14 hosted its annual Alumni and Friends Luncheon in New Orleans, LA, in connection with the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. Over 760 guests gathered at the Sheraton Hotel for a time of fellowship and to celebrate the Lord’s faithfulness to Southern Seminary.

The luncheon commenced with a special appearance by Bart Barber, the President of the Southern Baptist Convention. Despite never having taken a class at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Barber expressed his gratitude for the far-reaching impact of R. Albert Mohler, Jr.’s ministry, which extends beyond the seminary campus.

Josh Powell, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, awarded this year's Alumnus of the Year Award to President R. Albert Mohler, Jr. As a two-time graduate of Southern Seminary, Mohler has bestowed the award 29 times, but this is the first time he has been the recipient of this honor. Powell said of the Trustees' choice of Mohler, “I know of no other graduate that deserves this honor more than Dr. Mohler. No one in recent times has done more for our beloved seminary than him. Not only what he has done for our seminary but his greater impact on evangelicalism is incalculable. He is the best example of a distinguished alumni. We are thankful for him.”

After receiving the award, President Mohler took the stage to express his gratitude and to provide an update. Reflecting on thirty years as president, Mohler quipped there was a time that he did not believe he could last long at Southern Seminary but expressed the overwhelming joy it is to look back over three decades and see all that God has done to bring so many students to prepare for ministry at Southern Seminary and Boyce College. Speaking to the success of Southern Seminary over the past thirty years, Mohler attributed it to the institution’s unwavering theological commitments and unyielding commitment to train pastors and scholars in service of the local church. These commitments are embodied in the faculty, who Mohler praised as one of the finest groups of faculty ever assembled.

Mohler concluded his time by stating his immense gratitude to all those who have supported him in his time as president. He thanked the Trustees who have given time and energy, the countless men and women who have supported the institution financially, and the faculty and students who make Southern Seminary and Boyce College one of the truly most joyful places to be. Above all, he noted his gratitude for the love and support of Mary Mohler, who has been an essential part of the work the Lord has used him to do.

In reflecting on the luncheon, Mohler said, “I am thankful for every single opportunity to gather together with Southern Seminary alumni and friends. After Mary, our kids, and grandkids, they are our family. What a sense of gratitude comes over me on the occasion of this thirtieth anniversary luncheon.”

The 2023 SBC Ministers’ Wives Luncheon began by honoring Mary K. Mohler as this year’s Willie Turner Dawson Award recipient. This award is given to a minister's wife who has made a significant denominational contribution beyond the local church and has displayed Christian character in her service to others.

Mrs. Mohler began her remarks by recognizing the tireless sacrifice of so many ministers’ wives who are deserving to be honored and too often go unrecognized. “There are women serving in difficult places among difficult people who give very little affirmation yet are persevering day after day. We know that as Scripture teaches us, God is not unjust as to overlook your work and the labor you do and the love that you show in his name in serving the saints,” said Mohler.

In accepting the award, Mrs. Mohler expressed her love of the Southern Baptist Convention and the joy it has been to serve the convention as the President’s Wife of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and the founder of the Seminary Wives Institute. Mrs. Mohler acknowledged that her service has only been possible because of the wonderful faculty wives she has had the gift of serving alongside, many of whom were present at the Ministers’ Wives Luncheon. Mrs. Mohler expressed, “I am surrounded by a stellar group of faculty wives who bring their own gifts and talents and energies to the table. Together we have the joy of seeing the rich fruit come from the Seminary Wives Institute.” Alongside these faculty wives, Mrs. Mohler has led the Seminary Wives Institute to prepare hundreds of women for faithful church ministry alongside their husbands.

Mrs. Mohler concluded her remarks by expressing her gratitude for the love and support of her family, who were present at the luncheon. President R. Albert Mohler, Jr. stood beside her during her acceptance speech, showing his delight at her receiving the award.

The Southern Seminary community celebrates the SBC Ministers’ Wives Luncheon selection of Mary Mohler for the Willie Turner Dawson Award. Mrs. Mohler has played an instrumental part in President Mohler’s work to recover faithfulness at Southern Seminary and has impacted the lives of countless students and families through her joyful service.

Brent Small has been appointed Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Boyce College, President R. Albert Mohler, Jr. announced. Small will join the faculty while continuing in his role as Associate Vice President of Human Resources.

Small's background in pastoral ministry, non-profit leadership, and finance makes him particularly suited to train Christians in approaching business from a biblical perspective.

"Since 2017, I have counted it a privilege to serve at Southern Seminary and Boyce College," Small said. "Having been a seminary student, a pastor, and a non-profit leader, I know firsthand the importance of gaining a solid theological foundation for life, ministry, and professional pursuits. Now, being a part of that process at Boyce College is a real joy."

Dustin Bruce, Dean of Boyce College, says the hiring of Small will continue Boyce College's mission to train biblically-minded Christians for careers in the church and marketplace.

“I am delighted to have Brent Small joining the Boyce College faculty,” Bruce said. “His broad business experience coupled with his commitment to a biblical worldview will allow our business program to prepare students for an even broader variety of careers in the business world.”

David Bosch, Business Program Coordinator at Boyce College, believes Small’s professional experience and teaching skills make him an excellent fit for the Boyce College business program.

"I am excited to welcome Brent Small to the business program,” Bosch said. “Brent has a strong background in accounting and administration, and his interests align well with our program's focus on developing top graduates in the accounting and finance arena. He is also a gifted teacher and has already proven to be a valuable asset to our students.”

Small joins Erin Austin as new faculty additions to the Boyce College business program. Small and Austin have strong academic credentials and professional experience that will equip students to succeed in the marketplace and life for years to come.

For more information on Boyce College Business Administration degrees, including the Seminary Track option, go to BoyceCollege.com.

President R. Albert Mohler, Jr. has named Erin Austin as Assistant Professor of Business Administration and Marketing at Boyce College. Austin becomes the first professor of marketing, a new faculty position approved by the Board of Trustees during their April meeting. Along with decades of teaching experience, including serving as an adjunct professor at Boyce College since 2020, Austin brings her years of leadership in the business world to the classrooms of Boyce College.

"Teaching at Boyce as an adjunct over the past several years has been an absolute joy,” Austin said. “I am so thankful and honored by the opportunity to move into the role of assistant professor. I look forward to walking alongside the Boyce business students as they study and prepare to serve their customers and colleagues in the marketplace."

Dustin Bruce, Dean of Boyce College, says the hiring of Austin will continue Boyce College's mission to inspire graduates to faithfulness in all areas of life.

"Erin Austin makes an excellent addition to the Boyce College faculty. With her passion for marketing and love for teaching, I am confident she will inspire countless students to enter their field committed to professional excellence and Christian faithfulness."

Students increasingly seek marketplace degrees at Boyce College, and Austin fits the growing need to help students navigate the corporate world from a Christian worldview. She is excited to apply her unique marketing background to help train the students of Boyce College.

“My experience in a corporate environment allowed me to interact with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and walks of life and taught me of the need for gospel-minded believers in the marketplace,” Austin said. “From conversations in the break room to planning a marketing campaign, the gospel transforms how we think about those whom we serve and serve alongside, and I look forward to helping students as they learn to think in that way."

David Bosch, coordinator for the Business Administration program at Boyce College, is delighted to welcome Austin to the faculty. He commended Austin's ability to teach and her zeal for discipling the next generation of Christian leaders.

“Erin has a strong background in marketing, and her expertise is allowing us to launch our new Marketing Management emphasis,” Bosch said. “She is a gifted teacher and has already impacted our students. Most importantly, her love for the Lord is contagious. I am confident she will continue to be a valuable role model for our students as they use their knowledge, skills, and abilities in the marketplace for God's glory.”

For more information on Boyce College Business Administration degrees, visit BoyceCollege.com.