Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) announces Keelan Cook, former associate director of the Lewis A. Drummond Center for Great Commission Studies (CGCS), as the new George Liele Director of the CGCS, effective June 1. After 13 years as director of the CGCS, Scott Hildreth will be stepping away from the role to dedicate more time to mentoring, teaching and writing at SEBTS.

“Southeastern is a Great Commission school,” said Danny Akin, president of SEBTS. “At the heart of this commitment is the CGCS. Scott Hildreth led this program with distinction for more than a decade. As he steps aside, I am delighted that Keelan Cook will take up the mantle as the George Liele Director of the CGCS. Keelan is perfectly gifted for this assignment, and I am excited about what he will bring to this center. The future is bright as we continue to mobilize students to GO to the nations with the gospel of King Jesus.”

Originally from Lawrenceburg, Tenn., Keelan Cook decided while serving with the International Mission Board in West Africa that he would return to the U.S. and study at SEBTS. During his time in West Africa, Cook was encouraged by recordings of Danny Akin’s Great Commission preaching and often heard how his fellow journeymen intended to pursue further training at SEBTS. Returning to the U.S. in 2011, Cook enrolled in the Ph.D. program at SEBTS in 2012, confident that he would be rigorously trained for ministry and challenged to prioritize the Great Commission in his life and ministry.

“During my time at Southeastern,” Cook said, “I stumbled into a role here in the CGCS doing research on diaspora missions, immigration and the massive numbers of unreached peoples scattering throughout North American cities. That research changed my life and my direction. I switched tracks in the Ph.D. program and began research on immigration and its impact on missions in North America. My current work centers on missionary methods to engage displaced peoples, and I think it’s one of the most important issues facing the church in North America today.”

Over the last decade, Cook has served in leadership roles at various local churches and Baptist associations with experience mobilizing Baptists for Great Commission ministry. Leveraging that ministry experience, Cook will continue teaching students at SEBTS as an instructor of missiology while also taking on his new administrative responsibilities as the director of the CGCS.

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(EDITOR’S NOTE – Chad Burchett is a writer for the SEBTS office of  communications.)