After 28 years of faithful teaching as professor of New Testament and Greek and associate dean of biblical studies, David Beck is retiring from teaching and administration on July 31, 2023.
“At Southeastern, our commitment to the Scriptures and to academic excellence are primary pillars of the ministry training we offer,” commented Provost Scott Pace. “David Beck has admirably embodied both of these values through his biblical scholarship, administrative leadership, and personal discipleship for an entire generation of students over the last 28 years.”
Born in Michigan and raised in Ohio, Beck was exposed to local church ministry at a young age as the son of a Baptist pastor. After attending college and seminary, Beck pastored churches in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York before pursuing his PhD at Duke University in Durham, NC. While studying at Duke, Beck continued pastoring — with a deep love for Scripture that fueled his local church ministry.
Beck graduated from Duke in 1994 and joined the faculty at Southeastern a year later as assistant professor of New Testament and Greek. When Beck accepted the position at Southeastern in 1995, Beck was confident that Southeastern would be an institution that championed the authority of the Bible and the priority of missions.
“I knew Southeastern would be a place that shared my commitment to biblical truth, and where I could teach faithful interpretation of God’s word to students called to minister to God’s people and carry the gospel to the nations,” recalled Beck.
Over the next 28 years, Beck contributed to Southeastern’s biblical and missional culture, challenging generations of students to love God’s word and God’s mission and to serve the Church with integrity. For Beck, that has been his goal in teaching for nearly three decades.
“I teach at Southeastern to equip God called leaders to faithfully interpret his word and to live their lives and fulfill their calling with biblical integrity,” noted Beck.
Embodying what he taught, Beck distinguished himself as a scholar, mentor, and minister of the gospel. As a local church pastor during much of his time at Southeastern, Beck modeled faithfulness in ministry to his students not only in the classroom but also at each church he served. In God’s kindness, Beck’s ministry continues to fuel ministry and mission through the lives of his students who are now serving the Church around the world.
“For nearly 30 years, David has served our Lord and this institution well, equipping generations of students to love God’s word and to teach it faithfully,” commented President Danny Akin. “His heart for the Church, the New Testament, and the Greek language have deeply blessed me for as long as I’ve known him. I am eager to see how God continues to use this brother in retirement.”
As he retires, Beck will continue using his gifts by doing some occasional teaching in the area of biblical leadership. He also plans to enjoy time with his wife Jeannie and their grandchildren while pursuing his hobby of gardening.
