September 15, 2025 - September 16, 2025

Dr. Akin is the sixth president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and has been serving in the role since 2004. Known as an advocate for international missions and expository preaching, he also has a reputation as a faithful husband and father and genuine man of God. Akin and his wife Charlotte have four sons, four daughters-in-law, and 14 grandchildren.

Dr. James Merritt is the senior pastor of Cross Pointe Church in Duluth, Georgia.  He is the host of a nationwide and worldwide broadcast ministry, Touching Lives. He earned a MDiv and a PhD from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He served as President of the Southern Baptist Convention–the largest protestant denomination in the country. He and his wife, Teresa, have three sons and five grandchildren.

Dr. Stephen Rummage is the Executive Director-Treasurer of the Florida Baptist State Convention. Before beginning that role last year, Dr. Rummage pastored churches in North Carolina, Florida, and Oklahoma. Dr. Rummage is also a published author of several influential works including “Planning Your Preaching,” “Engaging Exposition” (named “Book of the Year” by Preaching Today in 2012), and “Moving Forward Day by Day.”

Robert Smith Jr. served as professor of Christian preaching at Beeson for over 25 years, holding the Charles T. Carter Baptist Chair of Divinity. Previously, he was an associate professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he received the 1996 Findley B. Edge Award for Teaching Excellence. He pastored New Mission Missionary Baptist Church in Cincinnati for 20 years while earning his PhD. A recognized authority in preaching, Smith authored “Doctrine That Dances,” which won the 2008 Preaching Book of the Year Award and was named one of the 25 most influential preaching books of the past quarter-century. He has edited several significant works on preaching and ministry, spoken at over 135 academic institutions worldwide, and delivered the closing message at the 22nd Baptist World Congress. In 2005, he received Beeson Divinity School’s “Teacher of the Year Award.” His research focuses on passion in preaching, African American preaching history, and Christological preaching.