WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP)–Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is making final preparations for the inauguration of Daniel L. Akin as the school’s sixth president.
The official inaugural ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27, in the seminary’s Binkley Chapel in Wake Forest, N.C.
Four days of events are planned for the inauguration, including a worship and prayer service at Wake Cross Roads Baptist Church in Raleigh, where Akin and his wife, Charlotte, are members; a special chapel service on the seminary campus; an inaugural dinner; a brunch honoring Mrs. Akin; and an inaugural reception.
Special speakers at the various inaugural events will include Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and a former president at Southeastern Seminary; R. Albert Mohler Jr. and his wife, Mary, the president and first lady of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.; two Atlanta-area pastors, Johnny Hunt of First Baptist Church in Woodstock and James Merritt of Cross Point Church in Duluth; and Kevin Ezell, pastor of Highview Baptist Church of Louisville, Ky., the Akins’ former home church.
Akin was unanimously elected by Southeastern trustees as the seminary’s sixth president on Jan. 15. Akin previously served at Southeastern as assistant professor of theology and dean of students from 1992-96. He was vice president for academic administration/dean of the school of theology at Southern Seminary before his return to Southeastern. Akin also has served churches in Texas, Alabama, Virginia and Florida.
After earning a bachelor of arts in biblical studies from Criswell College in 1980, Akin went on to earn both a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Seminary in 1983 and a doctor of philosophy in humanities from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1989.
He has authored numerous articles and several books, including Epistles of John in the New American Commentary series, Song of Solomon in the Holman Bible Commentary series, and “God on Sex,” published last year by Broadman & Holman of LifeWay Christian Resources.
The Akins have four children: twins Nathan and Jonathan, Paul and Timothy.
Southeastern Seminary has been supported by the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention since its beginning in 1951. Its undergraduate program, Southeastern College at Wake Forest, has been in place since 1994. Southeastern’s faculty members affirm the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 as well as the Abstract of Principles. It is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
–30–
For more information on the inauguration, contact Jerry Higgins, Southeastern Seminary’s director of public relations, at (919) 761-2271.
