Southern Seminary trustees meet Oct. 14-15 in Wake Forest, N.C.
WAKE FOREST, N.C. — Over the course of their two-day visit, trustees and Southeastern Society (SES) members received institutional updates and participated in Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary’s (SEBTS) 75th anniversary celebrations, thanking God for His mercy and kindness towards Southeastern in its journey of reclaiming biblical fidelity, renewing its commitment to the local church and reigniting its missional fervor.
President Danny Akin announced his intentions to retire as president of Southeastern at the end of the academic year (effective July 31, 2026).
“I just praise God,” said Akin in his address to SES members, “that in His kindness, He really has turned this place into a Great Commission seminary, and we don’t just say that. Our students live it out. And I’m so pleased at where we are, but I think that the future is going to be even brighter, and we’re going to send even more and more and more to take the gospel to the hard places in North America, but also to the hard places around the world.”
Jonathan Six, vice president for institutional advancement, led the celebration of the seminary’s 75th anniversary.
Southeastern’s impact, Six said, is evident in the lives and ministry of generations of its graduates, many of whom are bringing the gospel to the ends of the earth, to those living in darkness and without hope.
He noted the importance of commemorating Southeastern’s past and how that past has shaped the institution into its identity today.
Akin informed trustees of new faculty hires, increasing student enrollment — surpassing 5,400 students — and continued work on the eagerly anticipated expansions of the Ledford Student Center.
Retired professor Keith Harper was honored at the meeting. Harper served as senior professor of Baptist studies. He died in April.
Harper was a part of a team writing a 75-year history of Southeastern. He, along with his co-authors, Josh Pruitt and Faith Steele, labored on this book until his death, after which Pruitt and Steele completed the project.
Copies of the book, titled “Building a Great Commission Seminary: Different by Design,” were presented to Harper’s wife, Johnnie, and to Pruitt and Steele. A framed copy of the book’s cover was also presented to Johnnie in Harper’s honor.
“While Dr. Harper can’t be with us here today to celebrate this,” Six expressed, “we can give thanks to the Lord for his work and his contribution to tell the Southeastern story faithfully, to celebrate and help us celebrate who we are today by fully understanding our past.”
Trustees voted on curriculum revisions and student aid funds.
They also approved undergraduate curriculum revisions to several of its marketplace degrees and approved graduate curriculum revisions to its Christian ministry and ministry to women programs as well as its master’s in education degree and its master’s in Christian marital, family and individual counseling degree.
In addition, they approved two new student aid funds, adding to the extensive financial assistance that Southeastern students receive through donor generosity. The Fletcher-Adams Student Aid Fund will provide general financial assistance to full-time and part-time Judson College and Southeastern Seminary students. The Travers Excellence in Writing Award Fund will award Judson College students who have written winning papers for the Michael E. Travers Excellence in Writing Contest.
Two new board members, Lauren Brown and Steven Owensby, were also approved, both for committee service on the Institutional Advancement Committee of the Board.
“As we look to the future,” Trustee Chair Carlos Goodrich said, “we are beginning a presidential search process that will be guided in prayer and an unwavering commitment to the Word of God and the Great Commission. A committee of trustees will be leading the process, and we’ll be listening carefully to the voices of the Southeastern community as we move forward.”
“The Lord has laid an incredibly strong foundation here at Southeastern,” Goodrich expressed, “and we can have confidence that He will continue to guide us to even greater gospel impact. The mission remains. The gospel still compels us, and I believe, because of the Lord and each of you, that the future of Southeastern is very bright.”
Read the full article at the SEBTS website.
