Trustees Elect Two New Southeastern Faculty Members

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary’s board of trustees heard reports on the seminary’s projected sixth year of record enrollment, elected Jim Shaddix and Stephen Eccher to the faculty and celebrated God’s continued provision during its spring meeting.

The seminary’s annual week of events, held April 19-21, included a special chapel service that featured Chuck Quarles, professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology. He preached on Acts 20 about his aspirations for Southeastern students.

“I hope every graduate from Southeastern will be characterized by passion, tears, holy boldness, evangelistic zeal and deep conviction,” he said. “Paul’s ministry was a tearful ministry, and God seldom blesses a tearless one.”
 
Quarles reminded the audience of the need to be faithful to share the gospel. “People around us are dying in their sin and sometimes we give up on the gospel,” he said. “We labor and labor and assume that it is to no avail, but little do we know what eternal difference God might make in some soul.”
 
“The gospel is still the power of God until salvation,” he said. “I want every graduate to believe that with all their heart and be determined to carry the gospel across the street and around the world.”
 
“I want to teach and pray in such a way that students have the right gospel method and message,” Quarles emphasized. “We call it the ‘Great Commission,’ not the ‘Good Commission,’ because it can never be improved upon, even by our clever innovations.”
  
On April 20, the BOT and Southeastern Society (SES) met for the presidential address and reports. Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern, recognized recent accomplishments of the seminary including its sixth year of projected record enrollment.

That evening a banquet was held that included a message from Chuck Lawless, vice president for graduate studies and ministry centers. Lawless spoke on Acts 19 and spiritual warfare.

“I want our students so walking with God that hell knows them by name,” Lawless said. “I want them planting churches that make hell shake a little bit. I want them to know that when they go out hell knows they exist. That’s our task.”

He challenged the guests to seek God’s power in prayer and in the Bible. “Pray we will find the power of God when he has driven us to our faces,” he said. “The only way we do the work God has called us to is on our knees.”

To close, President Akin addressed the audience. “To go is the default mode around here at Southeastern Seminary. It shouldn’t surprise us that the task of going is hard, because the Bible calls this task war.”

In addition, during their spring meeting Southeastern’s trustees:
— were introduced to new faculty members: Jim Shaddix, professor of preaching; and Stephen Eccher, assistant professor of Church history and reformation studies.
— approved faculty promotions of Bruce Ashford to professor of theology and culture; Brent Aucoin to professor of history; David Jones to professor of Christian ethics; Scott Kellum to professor of New Testament and Greek; and Mark Rooker to senior professor of Old Testament and Hebrew.
— approved the 2015-2016 proposed budget.
— approved the purchase and renovation of the Paschal House.
— thanked former board members Brian Akers, Sonny Holmes and Michael Palmer for their 10 years of service to SEBTS. New members will be elected in June.

During chapel on Tuesday, James Merritt delivered a sermon Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 and 21 International Church Planting (2+2/3) students and their wives were commissioned. “You are going to the nations because there is a God who sent Jesus to deliver people from death,” Merritt said.

To view photos from the Southeastern Society and BOT meetings, please click here.

To watch portions of these events online, please click here.