Andrew J.W. Smith

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) -- God designed human beings to live fully embodied lives as the proper state of their existence, theology professor Gregg R. Allison noted during a faculty lecture at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Sept. 4. The lecture, titled "Four Theses on Human Embodiment," was delivered to an audience of students, faculty and staff in Broadus Chapel.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- Protecting sexual abuse victims is central to the mission of the church, said a group of denominational leaders during the Baptist21 panel on June 11 in Birmingham, Ala. Immediately after the panel, Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas, addressed his church's handling of a sexual abuse case as reported June 10 in the New York Times. The panel was held in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting, June 11-12.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) -- The Gospel needs to spread throughout the world by ordinary people, just like it did in the book of Acts, J.D. Greear said during Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's chapel yesterday (March 26). Greear, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, used the example of Stephen in Acts 6-7 to bring this point home, describing the blueprint for the spread of Christianity as more like Stephen's dramatic sermon before the Sanhedrin than the Sermon on the Mount.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) -- Southern Baptist Theological Seminary released a report today (Dec. 12) that discloses the history of slavery and racism at the seminary. "Slavery was not only tolerated in many schools, but also expressly defended and even praised as divinely ordained," the seminary said in its initial news release on the school's past. "Though this was true of many of the most historic colleges and universities in the nation, it was particularly true of the South. Theological seminaries were not innocent of this charge, and this included Southern Baptist Theological Seminary." Produced by a team of its faculty, the report recounts the history of these issues at Southern Seminary -- from the school's slave-holding founders in the 19th century to its segregation-defending faculty in the early decades of the 20th century. The report, commissioned by President R. Albert Mohler Jr., represents a year of research conducted by a committee of six current and former Southern Seminary faculty members.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) -- A new book edited by two Islamic studies seminary professors explores the weaknesses of the popular "Insider Movements" in Muslim missiology. "Muslim Conversions to Christ: A Critique of Insider Movements in Islamic Contexts," which released last week, is a multi-author academic response to "Insider Movements," a missiological approach that argues Muslims can confess Jesus as Lord and remain Muslim, according to Islamic studies professor Ayman S. Ibrahim, an editor of the book. He is Bill and Connie Jenkins Professor of Islamic Studies and director of the Jenkins Center for the Christian Understanding of Islam at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Ant Greenham, an associate professor of missions and Islamic studies, is a co-editor of the book.

DALLAS (BP) -- Southern Baptists should take a strong stand against all forms of abuse and fight to create gracious church environments in which abuse victims are heard and loved, panelists said during the Baptist21 luncheon on June 12 in Dallas. More than 1,300 people attended the sold-out event in the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center during the 2018 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting to hear seven Southern Baptist leaders address the theme of "United and Diverse: Critical Issues for our Cooperative Future."

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) -- Graduates of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary can draw strength for ministry from the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and their obedience to His call, President R. Albert Mohler Jr. said in his commencement address to the seminary's 2018 graduates. During the 220th commencement exercises on the seminary lawn May 18, 284 master's and doctoral students were present to receive degrees as part of a graduating class of 320. The 320-person class is the largest during Mohler's 25-year tenure as Southern's president.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) -- The Lord's Prayer is a revolutionary manifesto for God's eternal reign in heaven and earth, R. Albert Mohler Jr. writes in his new book, "The Prayer That Turns the World Upside Down." Most people recognize the familiar refrains of the prayer Jesus taught to His disciples in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4. It's recited at graveside services and before many high school football games. But people often don't understand the words they're saying, Mohler writes. Mohler hopes readers will see the large-scale purpose of this famous prayer: The Lord alone reigns.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) -- Ministers of the Gospel are instruments of God's plan to renew the world, delivering humanity from its curse, said R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, at the school's 220th commencement exercises on Dec. 8. During the ceremony in the seminary's historic Alumni Memorial Chapel in in Louisville, Ky., 156 master's and doctoral students received their degrees as members of a 211-person graduating class.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) -- Pastors should endure amidst ministry challenges, said leading voices in church revitalization at the summer Alumni Academy at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Despite challenges and trials involved in church revitalization, ministers who are turning around congregations should maintain their vision for a healthy, biblically sound local church. They need to focus on God's plan instead of being discouraged when people scowl at biblical preaching, said Andy Davis, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Durham, N.C., and author of "Revitalize: Biblical Keys to Helping Your Church Come Alive Again."