KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)–Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary awarded its first doctor of educational ministry (D.Ed.Min) degree to James Fulton Amonette during commencement May 22 at the Kansas City, Mo., campus.
Midwestern established the D.Ed.Min. degree in 2000 and currently has 14 students enrolled in this program.
Amonette, who also received the Outstanding Doctoral Studies Graduate Award, has been in the ministry for more than 25 years and a pastor for nearly 20 years, during which time he has led churches in Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. He is currently pastor at Northwest Baptist Church in Miami, Okla.
Amonette said his decision to pursue the D.Ed.Min degree at Midwestern was based on the seminary’s strengths in the areas of spiritual growth and development, theological studies and practical preparation.
“The administration and faculty are in my opinion Spirit-led servants, world-class theologians and educators who exhibit convictions and divine calling reflective of consistent belief and adherence to God’s inerrant Word,” he said. “It was my desire to receive a theological and educational experience that I would be proud of in the years to come. I felt Midwestern was such an institution.”
Amonette also noted that, “The personal manner and touch shown to me as a prospective student certainly helped make up my mind to attend Midwestern and pursue the D.Ed.Min. degree.”
He holds a master of arts in religious education degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and a bachelor of career arts in pastoral ministries from Dallas Baptist University.
While growing up, he admitted he was not the best of students and did not get serious about the educational process until he started college. His desire to attend college and then seminary came as a result of his call to preach.
“I was saved at a church encampment near Hot Springs, Ark., on a hot summer night in 1970,” Amonette recounted. He was attending youth camp with the First Baptist Church of Nashville, Ark., where he said he came under the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
“The focal speaker was an older foreign missionary whom the Lord used to grip my attention with the message of Christ’s death and sacrifice and the call to salvation and to service,” Amonette said. “I did not trust Jesus in the service but did talk to our youth leader that night, and he was able to lead me to Christ.”
As soon as he asked Jesus to do for him what he could never do for himself, Amonette said he immediately searched the campgrounds for his older brother who also gave his heart to the Lord Jesus.
“My call to salvation and my call to do missions are interconnected,” he said. “I recognized early in my young Christian pilgrimage that my spiritual giftedness from the Holy Spirit came at the same time of my conversion. When the Lord called me to salvation He also gave me the overwhelming desire to preach, teach and reach people everywhere for Christ.”
Over the past 20 years, Amonette said he has had the opportunity to be a part of numerous missions trips.
“Everywhere I go in this world I must be about my Heavenly Father’s business of giving and being a witness to people,” he said. “Evangelism and missions go hand in hand, so my ‘walk’ and my ‘talk’ must coincide. Perhaps this degree will open some doors to do even more in the area of missions.”
Amonette said he is grateful to his seminary professors, noting that each contributed to his experience in a unique, yet significant manner.
“Any student who is searching for a good seminary experience, whatever level or degree, would do well attending any of the SBC seminaries,” Amonette said. “However, Midwestern will provide not only a sound biblical education, but the faculty and staff will go the extra mile to ensure that the needs of every student are met.”
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(BP) photo posted in the BP Photo Library at http://www.bpnews.net. Photo title: JAMES AMONETTE.
