In October 2009, Union University hosted a conference titled Southern Baptists, Evangelicals, and the Future of Denominationalism. The conference was held in conjunction with the four hundredth anniversary of the Baptists. It also revisited an oft-asked question: what is the relationship between Southern Baptists and American evangelicals? You can listen to the conference audio at Union’s website.
For those who are interested, the proceedings of that conference are also now in print. Southern Baptists, Evangelicals, and … [Read More]
Southern Baptists, Evangelicals, and the Future of Denominationalism
The Story of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1950-2010 (Part Four)
Author’s note: This year marks the sixtieth anniversary of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. This is the final of four posts commemorating that history.
Every Classroom a Great Commission Classroom, 2004–Present
In January 2004, Daniel L. Akin was elected the sixth president of Southeastern Seminary. Akin, a professor of both theology and preaching, previously served as Southeastern’s dean of students from 1992–1996 before serving eight years as the academic vice president at Southern Seminary. Akin furthered Southeastern’s … [Read More]
The Story of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1950-2010 (Part Two)
Author’s note: This year marks the sixtieth anniversary of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. This is the second of four posts commemorating that history.
Seasons of Controversy and Change, 1974-1992
Upon President Binkley’s retirement in 1974, trustees elected Randall Lolley, then pastor of First Baptist Church of Winston-Salem, as the seminary’s third president. The seminary experienced numeric growth during much of Lolley’s tenure. Enrollment reached almost 1300 in 1982, which remained the record until the mid-1990s. In the … [Read More]
Al Mohler’s Reflections on Moderate Baptist Leader Cecil Sherman
I sent the following email around to the Southeastern family this morning. I also wanted to share it with our readers on this blog.
Dear SEBTS family,
My friend Al Mohler has written an important article on Cecil Sherman who recently passed away. It provides an excellent assessment of a very important figure in Baptist life. It also helps us understand why we needed a Conservative Resurgence that began in 1979. You will be well served to … [Read More]
Heresy is Not Heroic
Al Mohler asks today in his Conventional Thinking blog, “Is Crawford Howell Toy a Baptist Hero?” You may remember that Toy embraced modernist theology, resigned from Southern Seminary, and then became a Unitarian. You can guess Mohler’s answer to the question. Toy is not a hero, despite the ongoing accolades he has received from the Baptist Left over the years.
I think it is interesting that Mohler has written on this timely subject around the same … [Read More]
The 21st Century SBC: Conclusion
(By: Danny Akin & Bruce Ashford)
The great crisis of the SBC in the late 20th century was that biblical revelation itself was being attacked. The churches of the SBC met that challenge and will continue to do so. The challenge of the 21st century is not only to hold the ground won in the Conservative Resurgence, but to foster a Great Commission Resurgence. Evangelical Baptist theology goes hand-in-hand with mission. There is an inherent connection … [Read More]
Messenger Insight Vidcast with Nathan Finn
In addition to the previously mentioned podcasts, Doug Baker of the Baptist Messenger is conducting short vidcast interviews with Southern Baptist pastors, thinkers, and other leaders. One of the first vidcasts is with our own Nathan Finn, who along with Alvin Reid was in Oklahoma last weekend for a conference. The topics discussed include the Conservative Resurgence, the GCR, competing visions among Southern Baptists, the Cooperative Program, and ethnic diversity in the SBC. The vidcast, which … [Read More]
Doug Baker on the SBC’s Ominous Future
Doug Baker has written a very insightful editorial about what’s at stake for Southern Baptists in the current debates about the GCR and related issues:
“Were the moderates right?” The sheer posing of such a question sent a collective gasp across Alumni Chapel. During a recent panel discussion when Southern Seminary President R. Albert Mohler, Jr., uttered these words in a place where moderates once dominated one of the world’s largest seminaries, it was not as … [Read More]


