- Baptist Press - https://www.baptistpress.com -

SBC DIGEST: Third SEBTS president dies; Oklahoma DR responds to tornado

[1]

Randall Lolley, third SEBTS president, dies at 90

By SEBTS Staff

WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP) – The community of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) and The College at Southeastern remembers William Randall Lolley, the third president of SEBTS from 1974–1988, who died Monday (March 21) in Raleigh, N.C.

Succeeding Olin T. Binkley, Lolley was elected in May 1974 to serve as president of SEBTS, having previously served as the pastor of First Baptist Church Winston-Salem, N.C. Lolley was the first alumnus to serve as the school’s president and combined a deep commitment to the school with a passion to see it grow. 

Lolley oversaw several academic advancements at SEBTS that continue to this day, including the development of the Associate of Divinity degree program, the establishment of the annual Adams and Page Lectures series, and the accreditation of the institution by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. 

“This morning I learned of the passing of Dr. Randall Lolley, a man who served SEBTS for 14 years and during some very turbulent times,” said Daniel Akin, current SEBTS president. “I only met Randall Lolley once. I invited him back to the campus of SEBTS for a visit, and he graciously accepted my invitation. We walked the campus, and he shared memories of his time as a student and president. It was a fascinating conversation, and I learned much. Later my wife Charlotte and I joined Randall and his wife Lou for lunch in Raleigh. They were the quintessential Christian gentleman and lady. We had a delightful time with them both. I left lunch that day more grateful for the investment both made to SEBTS. My gratitude has continued to this day. We differed theologically on some very important issues, but we are united in our love for Christ and SEBTS.”

[2]


Oklahoma Baptist DR responds to tornado

By Chris Doyle/Oklahoma Baptist Messenger

MADILL, Okla. (BP) – Tornadic activity struck the Kingston/Madill area around 6:45 p.m. Monday (March 21). Don Williams, director of Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief, reported DR team members are responding to help in this area of southeastern Oklahoma.

“We will have assessors and chaplains on the ground this morning,” Williams said Tuesday (March 22). He reported an initial request to provide 175 meals a day during the recovery process.

Joe Ligon, senior associate executive director of Oklahoma Baptists, spoke to Keith Rogers, pastor of Texoma Southern Baptist Church in Kingston, who reported the church building and parsonage were both damaged.

Williams said a DR incident command station will be set up at First Baptist in Madill, and chainsaw and mud-out teams are standing by for assessments.

“We are familiar with the tornado response,” Williams said. “While this is devastating to the churches and the community involved, we know how to help, and we’re going to be there with them to walk beside them and work through this.”

For more information on Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief or to donate, visit okdisasterhelp.org [3].