Dockery notes progress, recognizes personnel during annual Southwestern faculty-staff meeting

With the new semester just days away, faculty and staff of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary gathered to hear an update from President David S. Dockery reflecting on the 2023-2024 academic year and noting the faithfulness of God with enrollment increases and ongoing steps toward financial stability of the institution, as well as looking forward to the future.

“We give thanks for new starts, new beginnings, a new semester, and new opportunities that come,” Dockery said during an Aug. 14 all-employee meeting.

The meeting began with the singing of the hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” which Dockery said was an opportunity to reflect on God’s goodness, celebrate His kindness, and thank Him for his blessings over the past year.

Dockery announced that Chandler Snyder’s role has been expanded to vice president for institutional relations, providing leadership to all “external” matters of the seminary. In addition to his current roles leading Student Services and Admissions, Snyder’s new role includes Institutional Advancement. He has served in various capacities at the seminary since 2022.

The president also noted the previously announced positions of Carl Bradford as the new dean of Texas Baptist College and Ashley Allen as assistant to the president, as well as Terry Coy as interim director of Hispanic Programs.

Dockery expressed gratitude to all the teams involved in recruiting and retention, noting 3,586 non-duplicating students enrolled during 2023-2024, the second year in a row that enrollment saw an increase after having 3,403 students in 2021-2022.

Dockery noted that total credit hours taught also increased for a second straight year, more than 2,600 hours higher than it had been in the 2021-2022 academic year.

“We’re up a significant amount over the past two years,” Dockery said, which this past year also included an additional 50 Master of Divinity students enrolled. He added “we’re headed in the right direction, and we continue to move in that direction and trust God for what is coming in the days to come.”

Dockery also praised budget managers for concluding the fiscal year below budget for most expenses. Unrestricted giving for the year was $2.8 million, another encouraging marker since it was budgeted to be $2.6 million. Temporarily restricted was a million dollars over the previous year at $4.2 million.

“There are many improvements for which we can celebrate and give thanks to God,” Dockery said, adding that though he now believes the seminary is at a point of institutional stability, the school is not yet at the point of institutional health.

“We celebrate every blessing from God, and we won’t get discouraged because we still have work to do, because we’ve seen what has happened in dramatic ways, really, over the past 23 months, and very hopeful for days to come,” he said.

With that hope in mind and the desire to not grow discouraged while continuing the Lord’s work, Dockery shared this year’s theme verse is 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, our dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immoveable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (CSB).

“We commit ourselves afresh to the Lord,” Dockery said. “We commit ourselves afresh to the mission. We commit ourselves afresh to the core values, to being a place that is grace filled and Christ centered, scripturally grounded, confessionally guided, and student focused. And to carry on with the great Southwestern tradition of being globally engaged.”

The president was careful to note God’s favor over the last two years.

“I am confident that any progress that we’ve made over the past 23 months, it’s only because of God’s goodness to us, His kindness for this institution,” Dockery said. “We have pleaded with Him and begged Him for His blessings and his favor and his guidance. So, we continue to do that on a regular basis, acknowledging our complete dependence on God.”

Dockery reminded staff and faculty that beginning Aug. 19, at 11:30 a.m., all staff and students are invited to attend a weekly prayer gathering in the Rotunda of the Memorial Building each Monday, as well as prior to chapel services throughout the semester.

Dockery announced three employees as staff members of the year: Micah Englehart, associate director of Student Life; Samya South, director of Campus Housing and Residence Life; and Zachary Robinson, help desk manager for Campus Technology.

“They are people who believe in the mission of this place, that are deeply committed to Southwestern,” Dockery said of the honorees. “They exemplify the core values that we affirm here together. They invest deeply in students, as well as in their peers and other colleagues. They all do their work extremely well without drawing attention to themselves. They’re very other-centered, Christ-exalting in what they do.”

Quinquennial anniversaries for personnel were also recognized during the meeting.

Those honored for five years of serving at Southwestern were Kyra Wade, senior accountant; Joe Crider, dean, School of Church Music and Worship; Rickesh Patel, enrollment systems and data coordinator, Admissions; Moses Sanders, plumber, Facilities; Ed Stucky, associate director of recruiting, Admissions; Colby Adams, senior advisor to the president and chancellor; David Austin, chief of police; Charles Lewis, associate dean, School of Church Music and Worship; and Jack Im, director of finance.

Robert Caldwell, professor of church history, was recognized for 20 years of service at Southwestern.