Graduation Spotlight: A Conversation with Wesley Scoggins

Why did you choose Southeastern Seminary?

I started at Judson College back in 2012 after graduating from high school. I am a North Carolina native, so when I discovered that Southeastern was a little over an hour from my hometown, it seemed to be the most natural choice for theological education. The Lord used the proximity of Southeastern to bring me to a place where I’d spend the next 13 years (BA in 2017, MDiv in 2020, ThM in 2022)! For this most recent degree, I toured another school with the intention of adding some diversity to my education. However, nothing can beat the genuine culture of gladness, the quality of the faculty, or the Great Commission emphasis that Southeastern brings.

However, nothing can beat the genuine culture of gladness, the quality of the faculty, or the Great Commission emphasis that Southeastern brings.

What aspects of your time at Southeastern were particularly formative or encouraging to you?

By far, the most formative aspect was my relationship with my major professor, Benjamin Quinn. I first took Dr. Quinn in my undergraduate degree for the Great Books program, then History of Ideas. I remember asking him for guidance on a major life decision, and since then, he has been a constant source of encouragement and wisdom. I probably took every class he taught! Dr. Quinn helped sharpen my mind, root my convictions, and point me to the way of Christ in all things. He has mentored me, served on my ordination council, and prayed for my family during a difficult season.

My first encouragement for anyone preparing for ministry through theological education is to find one professor who will serve as that source of encouragement, challenge, and wisdom. Take all their classes, meet with them outside of the classroom, and allow them to speak into your life beyond just papers and grades. This kind of relationship will shape not only how you think theologically, but who you become pastorally.

How did your education at Southeastern shape your view of the Great Commission?

Profoundly! Dr. Akin’s vision of “every classroom a Great Commission classroom, every student a Great Commission student” is not just wishful thinking but a reality. My Doctor of Ministry emphasis is in faith and culture, and in every seminar, the center of gravity was the Great Commission. Here are some of the questions we wrestled with: How should the Great Commission shape how we engage with culture? What is the natural connection between the cultural mandate (Gen 1:28) and the Great Commission? How can we best share the truths of the gospel as the fulfillment of cultural longings?

In every class, even while writing my ministry project, my understanding of Jesus’s marching orders expanded. One goal in my project was to help members of my church understand that the realities of God’s Kingdom should motivate the work done in their vocations. The Great Commission should fuel every aspect of our lives.

In every class, even while writing my ministry project, my understanding of Jesus’s marching orders expanded.

Which classes, professors, or memories stand out from your time here?

One seminar that was particularly helpful during my Doctor of Ministry was Cultural Apologetics with Dr. Ross Inman. It was not only the course content (which was great!) that was beneficial but also the culture of the class. Dr. Inman has a strict “no technology” policy, which helped foster conversation around the room. One takeaway from that class is that the gospel is not only good news, but it is good news for our longings. In the person of Jesus, we find true beauty, truth, and goodness. Our role is to help the lost see how Jesus is the fulfillment of our deepest desires.

How have you seen theological education go hand in hand with ministry preparation during your time as a student?

In my experience, they naturally went together. I began serving on staff at a church during my undergrad. The truths I learned in the classroom directly fueled and shaped the work I was doing in ministry. They informed the Bible stories I taught in kids ministry and shaped the way I thought about church polity. The opposite is also true; the work I was doing serving the church informed my approach to theological education. It sharpened the questions that I asked in the classroom and the assignments I wrote. Theological education should always be in conversation with the local church.

The truths I learned in the classroom directly fueled and shaped the work I was doing in ministry.

Where are you currently serving, and how are you using your Southeastern education?

I serve as an associate pastor overseeing the next generation ministries at Baptist Chapel Baptist Church (yes, the most Baptist-named church!) in Autryville, NC, and teach adjunctly at Carolina College of Biblical Studies in Fayetteville, NC. My time at Southeastern has equipped me to help others see their role in God’s grand redemption plan.

How can your Southeastern family be praying for you?

Pray that the Lord will continue to keep me and that I will yield to his direction. Pray for my marriage to Ashley to be continually strengthened and that our kids will one day turn to Jesus in faith. Pray for the saints at Baptist Chapel, that they will continue to be conformed into the image of Christ. Overall, pray that Jesus may increase and that I may decrease (John 3:30).