More than 110 golfers raised $232,000 for Southern Seminary and Boyce students at the 19^th Annual Heritage Golf Classic Tournament on August 22 at Big Spring Country Club.

Southern Seminary President Albert Mohler voiced his gratitude for the tournament and the excellent day for it. Temperatures were mild in the low-80s and weather the entire day was perfect for a golf tournament.

“What a spectacular day,” he said. “Golf is something I greatly admire, and I especially admire the fact that today you have transformed golf into a way of helping students at Southern Seminary prepare for ministry.

“We are living in times of incredible moral revolt and one of the glad tasks of Southern Seminary is to press back against that revolt with the faith once and for all delivered to the saints. People like you, who love what the Lord is doing at SBTS and Boyce College, make this task possible.”

Edward Heinze, vice president of Institutional Advancement, was thrilled with the number of participants—there were 112 golfers and numerous sponsors. The tournament raises money to help offset tuition for students at the seminary and Boyce College.

“Every year our donors turn out with big hearts and generous hands to help us keep our degree programs affordable for all of our students,” Heinze said. “Probably the most encouraging aspect of this tournament is the joy that accentuates the entire day—our donors are genuinely happy to participate.”

The curriculum at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Boyce College is not about the Bible or things related to the Bible, it is the Bible, seminary president Albert Mohler told students and faculty Tuesday morning in the school’s annual fall convocation at Alumni Memorial Chapel.

Preaching from 2 Peter 1, focusing on verse 19 where Peter, having spoken in previous verses of the transfiguration of Jesus which he witnessed, said of Scripture, “we have something more sure to which you do well to pay attention,” Mohler said God’s Word must saturate the curriculum at a faithful seminary.

“This is a call to attentiveness to Scripture in all of life,” Mohler said in his 30^th fall convocation address. “But let’s face it, as much as it is about all of life, here we are in this hour, in this place, asking God’s blessing upon the task of Christian higher education and theological education. We are playing with fire, brothers and sisters. We are walking right up to the edge of the precipice and looking down.

“The stakes we know are so high, and if it’s true for all Christians in all places, in all times until Jesus comes, it must especially be true of us that we do well to pay attention to it.”

Mohler said that if the Bible is the authority of all authorities for the follower of Christ, if it is, as Martin Luther put it, “the norm above norms that can’t be normed,” then the subject matter that Southern Seminary and Boyce College are called to build everything upon rings clear.

Jeremy Pierre has seen Southern Seminary from virtually every side.

Pierre moved to Louisville from his native Cleveland, Ohio, in 2002 and enrolled as a Master of Divinity student. Soon, the seminary hired Pierre to establish a new writing center and in the two decades since, he has compiled a vast and varied ministry resume, one that reflects faithfulness to God’s call; after finishing his MDiv, Pierre completed a PhD in biblical counseling and systematic theology and served as instructor of English composition and instructor of literature and culture at Boyce College.

Since 2011, Pierre has been the Lawrence and Charlotte Hoover Professor of Biblical Counseling at the seminary, and from 2013 to 2018, he was dean of students for the seminary.

Now, he is stepping into another important role at Southern: President Albert Mohler this week announced the appointment of Pierre as the sixth dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Ministry. He replaces Paul Akin, who was named SBTS provost in June.

“Jeremy Pierre is simply outstanding,” Mohler said. “He is a man of great strengths, clear conviction, and tremendous pastoral experience. He is among the most influential figures in biblical counseling and a colleague greatly admired by this faculty. I am incredibly pleased that he will serve the Billy Graham School as dean.”

Southern Seminary has named accomplished pastor, speaker, and author, Jimmy Scroggins as professor of Christian Ministry in the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Ministry.

“I’m very grateful for the investment that Southern has made in me, as a pastor, as a leader, and as a scholar. It’s a tremendous joy to continue this relationship through the ministry of teaching,” Scroggins said. “I place a tremendous value on training new generations of leaders for the churches of the world and there’s no place I’d rather do it than SBTS.”

Paul Akin, provost at Southern Seminary and dean of the Graham School, said Scroggins displays a heart for the local church and will contribute a wealth of practical ministry experience to the Southern faculty. Akin believes Scroggins represents the highest values of Southern and is a perfect addition to the faculty.

“Jimmy Scroggins is a quintessential alum of the Billy Graham School,” Akin said. “He exemplifies what we desire in all of our graduates: a love for the Bible, the local church, and evangelism and missions. I am thrilled that he is joining our faculty and eager for our students to learn from him.”

Scroggins will continue as lead pastor of Family Church—a network of neighborhood churches in South Florida. While Scroggins has proven himself in the fields of pastoral ministry and evangelism, he has experience in academia and higher education.

Scroggins has a decades-long history with Southern Seminary, having received his PhD and MDiv from SBTS after first coming to the seminary as a student in the mid-1990s. He served as dean of Boyce College from 2004–2008 and is the author or co-author of multiple books including, Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations and Full Circle Parenting.

His combination of zeal for the classroom and local church makes Scroggins precisely the type of faculty member Southern seeks to serve its students, SBTS President Albert Mohler said.

“Jimmy Scroggins is a remarkable pastor of a thriving church in West Palm Beach, where for years he has demonstrated vision, conviction, passion, and joy in ministry.”

Said Mohler, “I have known Jimmy Scroggins since he came to Southern Seminary as a young student. I know his heart, and I look forward to his contributions in the classroom, as well as in the fields of ministry. Of course, I know the leadership of Jimmy Scroggins through his years as dean at Boyce College and as a member of this faculty, so this is just another way of continuing an influence that began long ago. To know Jimmy is to know a pastor's heart that beats for evangelism.”

When Jesus’ disciples asked him why he sometimes taught in pithy stories known as parables, the Lord gave them a surprising, if not slightly shocking answer: he taught in parables so that some would have their spiritual eyes opened to the truth of God’s kingdom and that others would have their hearts and minds blinded to it.

Such is the nature of those stories Jesus tells, which is, of course the outcome of engaging all of Scripture—some hearts are softened toward the kingdom, others are hardened.

In his new book, Tell Me the Stories of Jesus: The Explosive Power of Jesus’ Parables (Nelson), Southern Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. says in this way the parables “sneak up on Jesus’ hearers” with incredible power that makes clear truths about the kingdom of God.

In a little over 200 pages, Mohler examines many of the parables—most of which are found in the first three books of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, and Luke—showing how they announce the arrival of God’s kingdom in all its glory, communicating both God’s grace in salvation to the found and his wrath in judgment to the lost.

“To be human is to be a storied creature in a way no other creature is,” Mohler said. “Dogs don’t know stories, they don’t tell stories; human beings tell stories—it’s a part of understanding who we are. Parents tell stories to their children and then those stories get repeated about the identity of a family. Churches and other organizations have stories.

“To be human is to have a story. To be human is to understand ultimate truth in terms of a story. The Bible is much more than a story, but it’s never less than a story. There is a storyline that goes from Genesis to Revelation and there are stories in the Old Testament. Jesus perfected the use of parables in teaching, and they are particular kinds of stories; they are stories that sneak up on us, they are stories that explode and disclose truth in an unbelievable way.”

SBTS has named Will Bishop as associate professor of church music and worship. Bishop brings
a background of local church ministry and advanced training in theology to Southern’s
Department of Biblical Worship.

“I love the curriculum at Southern that is designed to equip students with the musical,
theological, and ministerial needs of today's churches.” Bishop said. “My background is in local
church ministry, and my passion is preparing students for a lifetime of faithful and fruitful
service to our churches.”

Bishop has served as Assistant Professor of Worship Leadership at Mississippi College since
2017. He currently serves as the interim worship pastor at Parkway Baptist Church in Clinton,
Mississippi. Bishop also earned his Doctor of Musical Arts from New Orleans Baptist Theological
Seminary in 2015.

A major reason he decided to join the mission at Southern is his respect for the faculty at SBTS
and its commitment to training ministers for the church.

“I admire the faculty at Southern.” Bishop said. “I love that the faculty here are both scholars
and active leaders in local churches. I believe it is vital that our students are taught by faculty
who are modeling faithful gospel ministry by serving in their churches.”

Churches need theologically rich worship ministries and Southern is committed to training their
leaders. Hiring Bishop is a good step in ensuring that worship leaders who train at Southern
receive the highest quality instruction in musical, theological, and ministerial needs.

Paul Akin, Provost of SBTS, is thrilled to see Bishop take on this new role.

“Will Bishop brings a strong Southern Baptist pedigree and proven experience as a college
professor and leader in local church.” Akin said. “He has a heart to train and equip the next
generation of worship leaders for the local church.”

The Bishops will relocate to Louisville. Bishop, his wife Jamie, and his four children; Caroline, Jackson, Carter, and Julianne.

Pastor, author, and noted podcast co-host J. T. English has been named associate professor of Christian Theology at Southern Seminary.

An alumnus of SBTS, English currently serves as lead pastor of Storyline Church in Arvada, Colorado, a role he will continue while teaching at the seminary.  English formerly served as chief of staff to seminary President Albert Mohler.

English possesses a significant background in theological education in service of the local church, having previously served as an adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary and as founder of the Village Church Institute, which offers discipleship and theological training through the local church.

“J. T. English combines a deep theological scholarship with a very keen understanding of the culture and contemporary challenges of ministry,” Mohler said. “He is a leader in shaping thought and in influencing pastors in his generation.

“J. T. is a proud son of Southern Seminary, and we are very proud to welcome him to the Southern Seminary faculty. It was my honor to work with J. T. when he served as chief of staff in my office, and it will be a joy to be teaching colleagues together.”

English is thrilled to join the work of SBTS in equipping the next generation of graduates to love and serve local churches.

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has appointed veteran pastor-scholar Mitchell L. Chase as associate professor of biblical studies.

Chase, who brings years of experience as a pastor, teacher, and author, will join Southern’s faculty after previously serving as an adjunct professor at Boyce College since 2014. Along with a prolific academic career, Chase has served as the preaching pastor at Kosmosdale Baptist Church in Louisville since 2012.

Southern carries out its mission of equipping leaders for the local church through the faithful ministry of pastor-scholars such as Chase. Seminary President Albert Mohler said he is pleased to be adding a scholar of Chase’s caliber whose ministry feet are firmly planted in the local church.

“Mitch Chase is a remarkable combination of pastor and scholar,” Mohler said. “His pastoral heart is evident in the congregation he serves and in the devotion of its people. He is strong in the pulpit and he is strong in the study.

“I've had the great opportunity to work with Dr. Chase on a major work of biblical scholarship and ministry. I found him to be a wonderful Christian whose character is evident, whose scholarship is stellar, and whose gift of teaching is first rate.”

In February of 1997, Mary Mohler met with a few wives of Southern Seminary faculty members to share a burden and a vision that wives of seminary students needed to be encouraged and trained, and in the fall of that year, Seminary Wives Institute (SWI) was born.

On Wednesday, during the annual seminary luncheon at the SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California, Southern Seminary honored Mary Mohler, wife of SBTS President Albert Mohler, for 25 years of faithfully serving seminary families through SWI.

Tanya York, a longtime SWI faculty member and wife of Theology School Dean Hershael York, attended that initial meeting and has watched SWI grow into one of the seminary’s most vital and cherished ministries.

“Mary shared with us a passion, a burden, and a vision,” York said. “Mary’s passion very quickly spilled over to a willing group of participants from within Southern’s faculty wives as they joined her in investing in educating and equipping student wives in the service of the kingdom.

“God has used this incredible and fruitful ministry to equip, fuel, and inspire hearts, homes, churches ministries and lives in general.”

Hershael York, who teaches theology at SWI, said male students often stop and extol the incredible impact and encouragement SWI is having on their wives.

Leaders at Southern Seminary didn’t have to look far to find the school’s new provost. Seminary President Albert Mohler announced on Wednesday at the school’s annual luncheon at the SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California, that Graham School Dean Paul Akin has been named Southern’s provost and senior vice president for academic administration.

Mohler said seminary leaders searched widely to fill the office, but it became clear that the best candidate was already in the SBTS family. Akin has served as dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Ministry since 2019.

Current Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Administration Matt Hall was recently elected provost of Biola University an evangelical school located a few miles from the site of the SBC’s 2022 annual meeting.

“Faculty affirmation of Paul Akin in this role was simply overwhelming and I understand why,” Mohler said.

Referring to the historic Seminary Hymn, “Soldiers of Christ in Truth Arrayed,” Mohler said: “I am very much looking forward to working with Paul in this new role. He and his wife, Kari, are a wonderful gift to Southern Seminary. As we meet to part and part to meet, the parting and the meeting are both very special, so it is my great joy to make this announcement.”

Akin was 12 years old when he first came to Southern Seminary as his father, Danny Akin, was elected as dean of the School of Theology and senior vice president for academic administration. That was in 1996. Akin surrendered to ministry as a young man and received both his MDiv and PhD from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, where his father serves as president.

Now, Danny Akin and Paul Akin become the first father and son to serve in the same leadership role at Southern Seminary, covering two generations of Southern Baptist life.

“It’s a bit surreal,” Paul Akin said. “I’ve been able to watch what the Lord has done at Southern over the last 30 years. It’s been fun for me to have a front-row seat and also to watch from afar what the Lord has done.”

Akin brings extensive missions experience to his new role.

Following seminary, Akin served for many years on the mission field, working among Muslims in Africa and the Middle East, training missionaries in both local church and seminary contexts. In all, Akin served alongside mission teams in 40 countries. He was later team leader for new missionary sending with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.

When Mohler approached him about the new role, Akin said he immediately sought the counsel of his father, who served in a similar role at Southern for many years in the 1990s and early-2000s.

“Any time you step into any kind of role like this you feel inadequate,” Akin said. “You don’t feel like you belong. One of the first things I did when I had this conversation with Dr. Mohler was to call my dad and ask for his wisdom, insight, and counsel. He was very encouraging. He told me, ‘Paul, if the faculty believes you can serve in this role, then I think you can do that.’

“Dr. Mohler was also very encouraging, saying I had been mentioned by several faculty members. I’m just trusting the Lord, taking it day by day, trusting that the Lord is the one who equips us and gives us the strength we need to do these kinds of roles.”

For the time being, Akin will also remain as dean of the Graham School until a successor can be found, likely by fall, Mohler said. Akin and his wife, Kari, a Louisville native, have four children.

Mohler highlighted the importance of selecting the right candidate for this vital role at the seminary.

“This role is so important at Southern Seminary and beyond,” Mohler said. “Academics are at the very heart of what we do. The credibility of our academic program, the strength of our faculty, the faithfulness of the curriculum, what happens in the classroom is of crucial, crucial importance. This role is so vital. I eagerly look forward to Paul Akin assuming this new role.”