Southwestern Seminary announces spring 2025 chapel schedule

Chapel services for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s spring 2025 semester will focus on what it means to be a grace-filled and Christ-centered academic community, highlighting two of the six core values the seminary holds.

The chapel schedule begins Jan. 21 with convocation led by President David S. Dockery. The Chancellor’s Chapel will follow on Jan. 23 with O.S. Hawkins.

“Each chapel service will address the kind of virtues needed to support and sustain our aspirations for teaching, learning, and serving in this kind of community,” said President David S. Dockery. Southwestern Seminary and Texas Baptist College faculty will speak on topics such as Christian unity, love, joy, peace, patience, and more.

Guest speakers include Clint Pressley, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, on Jan. 28, and Robert Smith Jr., International Alliance for Christian Education (IACE) conference speaker, on Feb. 6. Smith also is professor emeritus of Christian preaching at Beeson Divinity School of Samford University, where he previously held the Charles T. Carter Baptist Chair of Divinity.

The schedule also includes a Jan. 30 panel discussion focused on counseling, led by the Jack D. Terry School of Educational Ministries.

Special chapel services will be held March 13 for the seminary’s Founder’s Day, featuring a panel of individuals to be named closer to the service, and on April 8 for the Day of Prayer during the Southwestern board of trustees meeting.

Chapel services begin at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the MacGorman Chapel and Performing Arts Center. Services also will be broadcast live at swbts.edu/live.

Spring 2025 Chapel Schedule

Jan. 21 – Convocation, David S. Dockery, president

Jan. 23 – Chancellor’s Chapel, O.S. Hawkins, chancellor 

Jan. 28 – Clint Pressley, president, Southern Baptist Convention

Jan. 30 – Panel discussion on counseling, with Travis Trawick, assistant professor of theology, vice president for institutional effectiveness and strategy; Chris Shirley, dean of the Jack D. Terry School of Educational Ministries, professor of educational ministries, and Jack D. and Barbara Terry Chair of Religious Education; Lilly Park, associate professor of biblical counseling and Hultgren Chair of Ministerial Counseling; and Jonathan Okinaga, assistant professor of biblical counseling and Hope for the Heart Chair of Biblical Counseling

Feb. 4, Christian Unity – Madison Grace, provost and vice president for academic administration, dean of the School of Theology, and professor of theology

Feb. 6 – Robert Smith Jr., International Alliance for Christian Education

Feb. 11, Love – Chandler Snyder, vice president for institutional relations, instructor of missions in the Roy J. Fish School of School of Evangelism and Missions

Feb. 13, Joy – Jeffrey Bingham, research professor of historical theology and Jesse Hendley Chair of Biblical Theology

Feb. 18, Peace – Chris Osborne, pastor of preaching and pastoral ministry and James T. Draper Chair of Pastoral Ministry

Feb. 20, Patience – Mark Taylor, professor of New Testament, associate dean of the School of Theology

Feb. 25, Kindness – Joshua Williams, professor of Old Testament and director of research doctoral studies

Feb. 27, Goodness – Carl Bradford, dean of Texas Baptist College, assistant professor of evangelism, and Malcolm R. and Melba L. McDow Chair of Evangelism

March 4, Faithfulness – Dean Sieberhagen, interim dean of the Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions, director of the World Missions Center, professor of missions, and Charles F. Stanley Chair for the Advancement of Global Christianity

March 6, Gentleness – Matthew McKellar, professor of preaching and George W. Truett Chair of Ministry

March 11, Self-Control – Andrew Jennings, assistant professor of philosophy of religion and apologetics

March 13 – Founder’s Day Panel

March 25, Holiness – Robert Caldwell, professor of church history

March 27, Forgiveness – John Mann, associate professor of business and theology, Texas Baptist College, assistant to the president for constituent relations

April 1, Humility – James Wicker, professor of New Testament

April 3, Mercy – Malcolm Yarnell, research professor of theology

April 8 – Day of Prayer/Trustees Meeting

April 10, Faithful Endurance – Joshua Waggener, professor of church music and worship

April 15, Acceptance – Andrew Streett, associate professor of biblical studies

April 17, Servant Leadership – Adam Dodd, assistant professor of Old Testament and Biblical Backgrounds, vice president for campus technology, and director of the Tandy Institute of Archaeology