About

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Our Identity

In keeping with its heritage as a Great Commandment and Great Commission institution, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary guides and equips students in living their calling, seeking to glorify God through Christ-centered education that encourages academic excellence and faithful ministry preparation.

Our Vision

Through theological education, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary will seek to equip servants for the church to influence Texas, the region, the nation, and the world for the cause of Christ and the Kingdom of God.

Our Mission

The primary mission of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is to glorify God by providing theological education for individuals engaging in Christian service, assisting Southern Baptist Convention churches by biblically educating and equipping Christian men and women for ministry which encourages the priority of the Great Commandment and the fulfillment of the Great Commission.

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Meet the Faculty

Completing a seminary degree is a challenging journey, but you will not make it alone. These men and women are committed not only to your academic success, but to your spiritual development and growth as a minister of the Gospel. Come meet the professors committed to equipping you for ministry.

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History

At the turn of the 20th century, America’s western frontiers needed trained ministers of the Gospel. Benajah Harvey Carroll led Texas Baptists to establish The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Waco, officially chartered on March 14, 1908, after having begun initially as part of Baylor University in 1905. At that time, Carroll was the most influential leader in the Southern Baptist Convention. His vision for the new seminary was so compelling that seminary trustees elected him as first president.

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Affirmed Statements

Core Values

"The dual task of fulfilling the Great Commission and living the Great Commandment is supported by our six core values that are central to our engagement inside and outside of the classroom. We are an institution that is Grace Filled, Christ Centered, Biblically Grounded, Confessionally Guided, Student Focused, and Globally Engaged."

W. Madison Grace II

Provost, Vice President for Academic administration, Dean of the School of Theology

WHO WE ARE: GRACE FILLED

In all we do, we seek to practice a posture of biblical grace toward one other, throughout the Southern Baptist Convention, and within our communities.

WHO WE ARE: CHRIST CENTERED

Jesus Christ is at the center of who we are, what we believe, what we confess, what we teach, and what we seek to practice. The totality of our Christian worldview determines our commitments and orients our perspective. As ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, we are called to be salt and light in a fallen world.

OUR FOUNDATION: SCRIPTURALLY GROUNDED

The Bible is the primary textbook in every classroom at Southwestern Seminary. All our curriculum is built on and every member of our faculty is dedicated to the unchanging, inerrant, and infallible Word of God.

OUR FOUNDATION: CONFESSIONALLY GUIDED

The Baptist Faith and Message outlines our core doctrines as an institution.

WHAT WE DO: STUDENT FOCUSED

The focus of all we do is serving students so that they may be deployed for maximum Kingdom impact wherever else God may call. We are a seminary that connects our students with other believers communally, academically, and spiritually.

WHAT WE DO: GLOBALLY ENGAGED

Our vision for education and ministry is guided by the words of the risen Christ in Matthew 28:19-20: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you” (CSB).

Accreditation

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097 or call 404.679.4500 for questions about the accreditation of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

The seminary is also accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (10 Summit Park Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15275-1103, Telephone: 412.788.6505; sacscoc.org). Comprehensive information on Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s ATS designations can be accessed through the ATS list of member schools.

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.

Each of these accrediting bodies stands ready to respond to accreditation related issues. All other inquiries about Southwestern should be directed to the seminary at 817.923.1921.

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