[1]Dockery named one of Fort Worth’s most influential
By Michelle Workman/SWBTS
FORT WORTH, Texas – For a fourth consecutive year, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President David S. Dockery was named one of the top influential people in the latest issue of the Fort Worth Inc. magazine.
“We define potential members of this list as people in Tarrant County who wield significant influence … within their own spheres,” says an award description of The 500, formerly The 400, on the Fort Worth Inc. website. The list has been compiled annually since 2018.
“To be recognized among such a wonderful group of leaders and influencers across the city of Fort Worth is a high honor indeed and one that I do not take lightly,” Dockery said of the recognition. “While truly grateful, I acknowledge that the recognition is in so many ways about Southwestern Seminary and its important place in this community.”
Dockery was recognized in the religion category of the list, alongside 17 other religious leaders including pastors, bishops, rabbi, a campus pastor, imam, and a divinity school president. Other categories include banking and finance, transportation, economic development, arts and leisure, sports, education, government, healthcare and life sciences, industry, nonprofits and foundations, philanthropy, professional services, and real estate.
[2]“I think it is important to note that the recognition also points to Southwestern’s intentional emphasis over the past 45 months to once again engage with and serve the citizens of Fort Worth in a fresh and concerted manner,” Dockery said of the seminary’s goal to partner with the city, which recently became the 10th largest city in the nation, surpassing 1 million residents.
Ross Perot Jr. and Mike Berry of AllianceTexas were named co-Persons of the Year by the magazine. The complete list of The 500 of 2026 can be seen here [3].
Jason S. DeRouchie releases ‘Understanding and Applying Jesus’s Bible’
By Jonathan Lumley/MBTS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is pleased to announce the release of “Understanding and Applying Jesus’s Bible: The Old Testament for Christians,” a new book written by Jason DeRouchie, research professor of Old Testament and biblical theology at Midwestern Seminary.
“Dr. DeRouchie’s new book serves as an excellent resource for helping the whole church read the Old Testament profitably,” said President Jason Allen. “As a model pastor-theologian, Dr. DeRouchie’s work will be a blessing to anyone regularly engaging with the riches of God’s Word. I am excited that this book will soon be in the hands of pastors, ministry leaders, and small group teachers.”
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This book serves as a follow-up to “Enjoying Jesus’s Bible: The Old Testament for Christians,” which was released in 2025. Understanding and Applying Jesus’s Bible builds on that foundation by helping readers take the next step – not only valuing the Old Testament rightly, but also learning how to approach it carefully and apply its message faithfully today.
Together, the two books are designed to help Christians grow both in their appreciation for the Old Testament and in their ability to interpret it responsibly within the broader message of Scripture.
“God wants every Christian to know how to interpret God’s pure, perfect, true, and abiding Word,” DeRouchie said. “For only through it can people be reborn in Christ, empowered for holiness, sustained to glory, and satisfied always.”
This newest work is a condensed version of DeRouchie’s lengthier and more technical work, “How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament,” intended for all who desire to know God through His Word.
DeRouchie wrote this book to address a common challenge among many Christians today: Many believers struggle to read and understand the Old Testament with clarity and confidence. Whether because of the vast distance from the original historical setting or unfamiliar literary forms, the Old Testament can often feel inaccessible or unclear to contemporary readers.
Yet DeRouchie emphasized that this portion of Scripture remains essential for the life of the church today: “This book helps develop skill in reading the initial three-fourths of our Christian Scriptures effectively. It’s a guide to studying, practicing, and teaching the Old Testament for the Christian Scripture it is.”
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