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New Theology Dean at SWBTS

Discussion in 'Baptist Colleges & Seminaries' started by Jimmy C, Apr 7, 2004.

  1. Jimmy C

    Jimmy C New Member

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    Heard today that David Allen was elected as the new Dean of the Theology School. Anyone know anything about him? It is interesting to me that he has been on the board of trustees for the last eight years and was chairman of the board this past year. I think he is a Criswell graduate and is probably a long time friend of Paige.

    Not suprising to me that Blaising was removed from that position, but I think that he retains his position as VP and provost - but probably with reduced powers.
     
  2. Jimmy C

    Jimmy C New Member

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    SWBTS also approved 8 new professors for the school of theology - including a new NT proff, wonder who he is going to replace?? Got any guesses Preach in Jesus?
     
  3. Daniel David

    Daniel David New Member

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    They will replace the mindless liberals of course.
     
  4. Jimmy C

    Jimmy C New Member

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    Daniel

    Name one, with proof if you please
     
  5. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
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    Well it is true that David Allen has been elected to the deanship of SWBTS' School of Theology. I am overtly optimistic about his coming tenure here. After being at Criswell College for many years, Dr. Allen helped shape a program devoted to expository preaching. This same emphasis in exposition will be the focus of the school theology at Southwestern as we continue to see pastor-theologians shaped and produced to do the work of the Kingdom.

    Now there has been a New Testament appointment to fill vacancies which will appear after this semester. I know there is a tendency in this board particular (since we are all good baptists) to speculate that certain professors have been fired, when anything but that matter is the case. We must remember that in times of administration change many faculty are moved around in various schools. Southwestern is not alone in this pattern. Check out the Southwestern website: www.swbts.edu for a press release.

    I am extremely optimistic about the future of this good school, which I shall be graduating from and assuming a position at a church in GA in December. Dr. Patterson's leadership will bring forward a new era in the history of SWBTS marked by increased enrollment, students being fully equipped for the ministry, and SWBTS continuing as an academic powerhouse in the SBC. One will surely note that a major accomplishment of this last trustee meeting is the dismisal of the needless MDiv Track II (w/o languages) from the offered degrees. Now any student entering SWBTS' MDiv program will have to be fully prepared in the languages.

    There are great things going on here at SWBTS. I encourage you all to maintain us in your prayers and give joyful praises for our continuing success in educating the clergy!
     
  6. Baptist Believer

    Baptist Believer Well-Known Member
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    Nothing against Allen, but Southwestern has had a strong expository preaching emphasis for at least 20-30 years. I realize that there’s always room for improvement in every institution, but this sounds more like PR than a paradigm shift.

    Do you know any names? The SWBTS press release I read yesterday didn’t give any.

    As I understand it, these new hires are mostly coming in to replace vacancies. Most of the firings, dismissals, and forcing outs because of unwillingness to sign the 2000 BF&M have already occurred.

    I am glad to see that change. Although I struggled mightily with Hebrew and Greek, I thought it was ridiculous to award an MDiv to someone who didn’t learn the biblical languages.

    I was also pleased to see that there is a mandatory spiritual formation element that has been added to the degree plans. I only hope it is a program that helps students learn to be disciples of Jesus and not legalistic religionists.
     
  7. RandR

    RandR New Member

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    There are about 10 different working definitions of "expository preaching."
    Of SWBTS grads I've heard preach who graduated circa 70s and 80s, I'd suggest that their version of "expository preaching" (if that was what was taught for the 20-30 years mentioned above) and the kind that will be the focus of the new emphasis and program are decidedly different.

    That isn't a knock on several generations of Baptist preachers, just an observation.
     
  8. Jimmy C

    Jimmy C New Member

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    BB

    The spiritual formations element was added a few years ago as a small group study. Unfortunately it has been watered down into mandatory chapel attendance. understand I have nothing against chapel attendance, SWBTS has had some great speakers, but how are the night students or students that attend only on mondays going to satisfy the requirement? The change is another rash decision made by the administration to artificilally bolster chapel attendance which has been embarassingly low.

    I also agree with dumping the track II, divinity students need the languages.

    Preach - have you actually asked our favorite NT prof - I have. congrats on your upcoming December graduation! I pray that you have a great experience in your church, from what I read of you, you sound like a great person excited by your ministry.
     
  9. RandR

    RandR New Member

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    If chapel attendance is the way the board needs to measure the spiritual vitality and evangelistic zeal of the student body then God help us all.
     
  10. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
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    Chapel attendance surely DOES measure spiritual life in a college or seminary. In college, it is mandatory because most of the students have not developed character enough to make wise decisions. Lots of other rules needed (and if they are not in place, campus soons looks like a secular place).

    In Seminary, it would really bother me to think of students training to be pastors who would opt to blow off chapel. Been there. Had lots of work in the library. Had a job. Had classwork that needed to be done. Even did some reading DURING chapel.

    But missing chapel? There IS a spiritual problem.
     
  11. RandR

    RandR New Member

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    Sorry Doc. I agree with about 95% of what you say, but not this.

    I certainly agree that Chapel attendance is one way to measure the spiritual environmnet, but not the only way. And probably not the best way in Fort Worth.

    This current Board was all over Hemphill about chapel attendance for a couple of years before they moved him out...I mean before he resigned. Out of deference to their concerns, he closed the cafeteria during the chapel hour. It apparenlty didn't help "enough" because he later closed the Library during chapel. But that apparenlty didn't do "enough" because he eventually closed down the entire student center (Chapel South) during chapel.

    Amazingly...none of that really made a marked difference in chapel attendance.

    But this Board was hearing all those stories of revival taking place in North Carolina...seminary students were being saved. God was obviously "moving" in North Carolina. (Personally, I've always wondered how an unregenerate was accepted in the first place... but I'm funny like that.) Meanwhile, back in Cowtown, agency presidents and even sitting Board members couldn't manage more than a half-full auditorium.

    What is completely lost on those who want to "compare" chapel attendance at different seminaries is that they can't be compared.

    SWBTS could put up gates around the campus and not let anyone off the premises from 11-12 and it wouldn't magically improve chapel attendance. Too many students drive from Dallas, Garland, Plano, and all points in between. They arrive in time for class at 8 and hit the highway as soon as their 10 o'clock dismisses. It might be that they don't love Jesus very much and choose to "blow off" chapel, OR it could be that they have obligations (some possibly even spiritual in nature) awaiting them "on the field."

    Nevertheless... all will be well at SWBTS. In a few years, the spiritual development groups will be reduced to mandatory chapel attendance for a semesteror two, and there will be a couple of hundred undergraduates on campus with required chapel attendance, and between the two...the auditorium will "look" more like chapel in Wake Forest. And the Board will be proud of themselves for "fixing" the problem of chapel attendance. Artificial as it may be.

    WILL the spiritual climate be improved through such measures. If the only measure of spritual climate is the number of um...bottoms in the seats, then I guess one could answer in the affirmative.

    Personally, I don't think its quite so simple. Or simplistic.
     
  12. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
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    Dr. Bob I do appreciate your comments but must disagree whole-heartedly with the above statements. I am currently a student at SWBTS. The spiritual life on campus is vibrant and growing. I'll not go into a deep list of the issues surrounding chapel, because there is no need for that here, but shall suffice to say that many seminary students don't enjoy their chapel experience. Yet chapel is getting better. One of the problems of an institution (particularly educational) where the students have near zero input and the command heights of power are occupied by people that, though devout, intelligent, and well intentioned, do not have a pulse for the average stakeholder (i.e seminary student) is many of programs of that institution suffer from a lack of appeal. Like it or not when faced with sitting through a liturgical, mundane chapel service or fellowshipping with fellow seminarians, most seminarians will choose the later. (Note: I am not supporting this approach, just laying out the facts.)

    My circumstance at SWBTS is I make every attempt to get to about 3 or 4 chapels a semester. I have no spiritual problems or lack of sincerity in training according to my calling or my pursuing my relationship with Christ (and I will have strong words against anyone who questions my spiritual integrity on this issue.) My situation at SWBTS is being a 25 yr old seminary student out here directly from college I have to work about 35 hours a week at my job in a local business to keep my bills paid on time and be a good steward of God's gifts to me. My job shuts down at 5 pm, thus night classes have been a great blessing, and with my load of day classes I only have X number of hours that I can work during the week. Many of my fellow students fall into this category, and they have no serious spiritual problem. Now there is serious concern about the present opportunities for the new MDiv with the required chapel attendence. Yet this is neither the time nor place to work out those issues.

    While in college (at LU) I attended, faithfully, every chapel service (3 times a week) for 3.5 years. My time here at seminary has been an excellent time of spiritual and intellectual growth as I prepare for the ministry to which I am called. I do not feel that I would be a good steward of the time, talent, and resources which God has blessed me if I neglected being a good steward of the job opportunity that He has also given me. Thanks for your post. [​IMG]
     
  13. Baptist Believer

    Baptist Believer Well-Known Member
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    I’ve been there… To add to the struggle, Fort Worth has quite a few seminarians who come to the job market with college degrees, but must attend daytime classes that makes it unfeasible to hire them for professional jobs. Therefore, they are forced to work for substandard pay at odd hours in order to attend classes during the daytime.

    When I was in school, I had a jobs (when I was only working one job at a time) where I worked from either 12pm-9pm to make ends meet. I had an 8am class, 9am class and 11am class (where I had to hit the door at exactly 11:50 and sprint to my car or else I would be late). My only time to go to the library was at 10am (during the chapel time) to take care of the bare minimum of research and checking out of books to prepare for my classes.

    Yep. I always got rather irritated at the psuedo-spiritual attitude of those who assumed that one was less spiritual for not attending chapel on a regular basis.

    Chapel is not a local church (although some folks seem to think it is). When I was in seminary I was very actively involved in my church and did not suffer much from missing most of the speakers who came to seminary. (In fact, given some of the speakers who came through, it was probably beneficial to my spiritual health that I did not attend.)
     
  14. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    My wife works in a hospital and has gotten the employee of the month award a few times. She only attends church every other week. She shares her faith with the other workers. We are involved in a weekly discipleship group that I lead. She helps me with the women in that group. Does her attendance in church make her any less spiritual?

    What about those missionaries that will not attend a church service in the country they are in, because it is against the law?
     
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