HOUSTON – Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, cited Psalm 96 in opening his report to the Southern Baptist Convention on Tuesday, June 11.
“The Psalmist says that the Lord is greatly to be praised for everything,” Akin said. “Well, we are greatly praising the Lord for His faithfulness to us at Southeastern Seminary.”
Akin said Southeastern now has surpassed the 3,000 student enrollment mark. Considering its 1992 enrollment of 550 students and its academic probation, Akin said Southeastern has blossomed by God’s grace into a fruitful and abounding seminary.
Akin said Southeastern is “a Great Commission seminary, which means that every professor is a Great Commission professor, every classroom is a Great Commission classroom, every student a Great Commission student, and by God’s grace, every graduate becomes a Great Commission graduate.”
Southeastern could only take this stance as a Great Commission institution because the seminary rests on an infallible and inerrant Word, Akin said.
Commenting on the declining numbers for the Southern Baptist Convention over the past several years, Akin said he believes it is a great responsibility – alongside the other five seminaries – to train “hot-hearted, mission-minded, fervent and evangelistic pastors who expound the Word of God and teach others to do the same.”
Southeastern is committed to serving pastors who see their churches as base camps that help train “green berets for Christ,” Akin said, “whether these individuals are going across the street or across the globe to share the gospel.”
“And Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary could not do what we do to train Great Commission students without the support of you all, so thank you very much!” Akin told messengers.
(EDITOR’S NOTE – Reported by Michael McEwen of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.)