Southeastern Seminary Connects with NC Baptists at 2025 Annual Meeting

“It’s our joy this year to celebrate with you our 75th anniversary,” Provost Scott Pace told attendees during Southeastern Seminary and Judson College’s institutional report on Monday night. “Seventy-five years is a long time, and it’s a testimony to God’s faithfulness through the generations. In fact, when you look at our history, we’re able to commemorate all that God has done over the recent decades. And even more so, we can celebrate what God is doing and what he’s going to do as we move forward into the future.”

Pace affirmed Southeastern’s mission to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission.

He thanked North Carolina Baptists for their support and confidence in the institution, sharing exciting numbers of enrollment growth across both the seminary and Judson College. The college in particular has increased in total population by 30% in the past three years.

This continued growth is only possible through the faithful support of NC Baptists, the Cooperative Program, and Southeastern supporters.

In addition to the $7 million Southeastern raised in the past year, Pace said, “We’ve had individuals and local churches who have given $1.7 million directly to support our students.”

With this incredible support from Southeastern donors, Southeastern can offer the Master of Divinity, its flagship degree, fully funded for residential students, Pace said.

He also highlighted Southeastern’s newest faculty hires: Landon Dowden, Kelly King, Rhyne Putman, Jason Engle, and Olivia Rall.

At the end of his report, Pace took a moment to recognize and honor the legacy of President Danny Akin, who announced his retirement this past October. Akin’s last day in office is July 31, 2026.

“His steady faithfulness and commitment to honor Christ in all things really does encourage these same values in our students and staff,” Pace said, “and there’s not an aspect of our institution, honestly, that hasn’t been shaped by him and is a reflection of his kindness and sincerity.”

“His leadership has cultivated an environment that’s based on the timeless truths of Scripture and God’s ultimate mission to make disciples of all nations.”

His leadership has cultivated an environment that’s based on the timeless truths of Scripture and God’s ultimate mission to make disciples of all nations.

These enduring pillars, Pace said, provide Southeastern with a stable foundation for transition into the future, and this is all thanks to Akin’s leadership of the past 20 plus years.

Banquets, Sessions, and Celebrations

Following the close of Monday’s session, the Annual Meeting held its Sending Celebration, commissioning 22 missionaries, many of whom were Southeastern students and alumni.

After the Sending Celebration, Southeastern co-hosted a Missionary Meet and Greet with the International Mission Board, providing ice-cream and opportunities for attendees to talk with those who were just commissioned.

This event was one of several that Southeastern participated in over the course of the two-day meeting.

On Monday, Southeastern sponsored the annual Associational Mission Strategists Banquet, during which Tate Cockrell, professor of counseling and director of DMin studies, shared with church leaders a message from 2 Timothy 2:1-13 on enduring leadership.

Cockrell examined five anchors Paul gave Timothy as he led the local church: Be strong, be strategic, be self-disciplined, be a sufferer, and be steadfast.

“We will be discouraged if we expect immediate results,” Cockrell said, speaking of the work of the harvest. “We will want to quit if we think our effectiveness is measured merely by numbers. God’s calling to us is to be faithful in sowing. He is responsible for the harvest. Faithfulness is our part: fruitfulness is his part.”

God’s calling to us is to be faithful in sowing. He is responsible for the harvest. Faithfulness is our part: fruitfulness is his part.

He encouraged church leaders to rest in the hope of Christ in the midst of their ministry and to trust that, even in their failures, Christ remains faithful.

“Ministry leadership is hard,” Cockrell said, “but Christ is sufficient. His grace is enough. His Spirit empowers. His faithfulness sustains. So be strong, endure, and trust that he who began a good work in you will bring it unto completion.”

Brad Hambrick, assistant professor of biblical counseling, also held a breakout session on “Starting a Lay Counseling Ministry” in which he walked church leaders through the steps of creating a counseling ministry from the ground up in their unique settings.

Alumni and Friends Banquet: Vigilance in the Faith

On Tuesday, Southeastern alumni and their families gathered for the annual Alumni and Friends Banquet, during which Akin delivered the keynote address followed by a Q&A session with attendees.

Acknowledging that this would be his final NC Baptist banquet as Southeastern president, Akin encouraged the Southeastern family with a parting word from 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, challenging listeners with each of Paul’s commands: “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.”

Akin urged his listeners to remain strong in the faith and in the truth.

“Be on the lookout always for anything that would distract us from the main business of fulfilling the Great Commission,” Akin said.

He spoke of Southeastern’s confessional identity and its convictions and how these confessions help maintain the institution’s commitment to God’s word and the Great Commission.

Akin expressed his confidence that, with its Board of Trustees and administration, Southeastern will stand firm in its identity for decades to come. However, he said, “That is not something that happens by accident. That happens because of intentionality. That means to be strong, means to be vigilant in fighting the fight and defending the faith day after day.”

“You need to be vigilant. I need to be vigilant,” Akin urged his listeners. “We need to pray that Southeastern will be vigilant in the decades that follow so that we do not lose what we believe and we do not lose, ever, what we believe we have been called to do: and that is, fulfill the Great Commission.”

In closing, Akin urged his Southeastern family, “As we move forward in our ministries and as we move forward in our service for the Lord Jesus Christ, let’s do our best to always and forever do the right thing, do it in the right way, and do it for the right reason: the glory of King Jesus, because he and he alone is worthy.”

Let’s do our best to always and forever do the right thing, do it in the right way, and do it for the right reason: the glory of King Jesus, because he and he alone is worthy.

Following his message and a standing ovation Akin sat down on stage with Jonathan Six, vice president for institutional advancement, to answer questions submitted by banquet attendees.

Akin explained his decision to retire, highlighted memorable moments from his time at Southeastern, and reflected on the mission trip at the beginning of his presidency that inspired Southeastern’s Great Commission commitment and clarified mission statement.

“That became our identity,” Akin said. “People sometimes ask, ‘Well, do you have anything you plan to change in the future related to that?’ No. Why would you change what is the heartbeat of our Lord? It was the last thing he said before he went back to heaven. And so if the Great Commission was on our heart, it is my prayer that it’ll be on the heart of Southeastern until our Lord comes again.”

To learn more about how you can join in partnering with Southeastern and NC Baptists in this mission, visit sebts.edu/church-convention-relations.