Christ-Centered Exposition Workshop highlights Southeastern’s Heart for Pastors

The second annual Christ-Centered Exposition Workshop, focused on the Book of Acts, is one of the many ways that Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary’s (SEBTS) Pastor’s Center is seeking to equip pastors and students to effectively lead in the local church. 

“Teaching others the truth of God’s word is an essential element of the Great Commission,” said Scott Pace, director for the Center for Preaching and Pastoral Leadership and the Johnny Hunt chair of biblical preaching at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS). “The Christ Centered Exposition workshop is specifically designed to equip preachers and teachers to faithfully expound the Scriptures in order to make disciples and fulfill Jesus’s marching orders for the Church.”  

The one-day workshop, hosted on the SEBTS campus April 4, will feature a chapel message by Tony Merida, who will be preaching out of Acts. Merida, pastor of Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, will also be speaking on a panel later that afternoon with Scott Kellum, professor of New Testament and Greek; Jim Shaddix, W.A. Criswell chair of expository preaching and professor of preaching at SEBTS; and Pace. Preceding chapel, Kellum will be speaking to attendees on exegetical issues that can come to light when preparing to preach through Acts. 

“This conference is a concerted effort to provide a unique training opportunity for local church leaders by offering sound teaching and practical tools to encourage and equip them to fulfill their calling in their specific contexts,” said Pace.   

The Pastor’s Center seeks to equip pastors and students alike who are currently serving or hope to serve in leadership roles within the local church. This is done in a number of capacities, most notably through degree programs at Southeastern, ranging from B.A. to Ph.D. Two of these degrees include the Master of Divinity in preaching and pastoral ministry and the Hunt Scholars Program. 

The M.Div. in preaching and pastoral ministry is the second-highest, sought-after degree program at SEBTS, which prepares students for pastoral ministry and expositional preaching. The Hunt Scholars Program is a five-year degree plan that allows students to receive a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Divinity in pastoral ministry. Throughout these academically-rigorous degrees, students have the opportunity to sit under the teaching of professors who have served in pastoral roles for a number of years. 

The Pastor’s Center also seeks to connect students with churches and associations. Likewise, it desires to help students train within a local church setting through the EQUIP Network by partnering with churches to provide mentored internships while receiving course credit. 

This fall, the Pastor’s Center will be hosting the Evangelical Homiletics Society (EHS) meeting on the SEBTS campus Oct. 17-19. Started in 1997, EHS is an academic society that meets annually to discuss various ideas related to biblical preaching. 

The Center for Preaching and Pastoral Ministry exists to equip and encourage pastors to lead healthy, disciple-making churches for the glory of God around the world. It represents an intentional bridge between the seminary and the local church. 

Registration for the conference is $10 and includes lunch and a copy of “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Acts,” written by Merida. To register for the workshop, click here. 

For more information on the Center for Preaching and Pastoral Leadership, visit http://pastorscenter.sebts.edu/.