Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Charles (Chuck) Lawless
January 19, 2017
Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Chuck Lawless
Dr. Charles (Chuck) Lawless is the former dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. He currently serves as the Global Theological Education Consultant for the International Mission Board as well as Professor of Evangelism and Missions, and Dean of the Graduate School at Southeastern Seminary.
As Dean and Professor, Lawless said he plans to fulfill the Great Commission at Southeastern by first modeling the Great Commission before the Southeastern student body. Secondly, he said that he desires to lead students to get on board with other Southern Baptists who are already doing the Great Commission. “I am serving part-time with the International Mission Board, so we have great opportunities to do the Great Commission but we must tackle this challenge together,” said Lawless.
Recently elected to the faculty at Southeastern, Lawless noted the four governing principles of his philosophy of teaching: “First, teaching is more than a vocation; it is a calling. That calling means I will answer to God for all I do as a teacher. Second, teaching is not limited to the transfer of information. The best teaching is life-on-life teaching that allows for application, questioning, correction and challenge within the context of relationship.
“Third, teaching – especially teaching related to ministry – must not be separated from practical experience. The best teaching assumes practical experience under legitimate, supportive supervision of godly pastors. Fourth, the goal of teaching is to educate. This statement may seem obvious, but I fear too many teachers lecture and test without paying sufficient attention to whether students actually learn.”
Dr. Lawless said that he desires to produce “discipled warriors” while serving at Southeastern. These are men and women ready to march into hell to get the gospel to our closest neighbors and the nations. “We cannot reach that goal,” emphasized Lawless, “by our own power. We desperately need our alumni and friends to be in prayer for us.”