WAKE FOREST, N.C. (ABP) — Trustees at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary unanimously elected Daniel Akin the school's sixth president Jan. 15.
Akin, 47, comes from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., where he was vice president for academic administration and dean of the school of theology. He was assistant professor of theology and dean of students at Southeastern from 1992-96.
In an interview after his election, Akin was asked if Southeastern in his administration would be more like Southeastern under Paige Patterson or Southern under Al Mohler.
Patterson left Southeastern after 11 years last summer to become president at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Mohler, a frequent Southern Baptist Convention spokesman, has led Southern Seminary to become more Calvinistic than in previous years.
“I think I'd bring the best of both,” Akin said.
When asked which of the two he would most agree with theologically, Akin described himself as “thoroughly evangelical.” He said he would be opposed to any attack on the sovereignty of God and called the open theism movement “serious Christian error if not heresy.” Open theists believe that the future is not predetermined because God allows human decisions.
Akin added that Mohler is not as much of a Calvinist as he's been painted. Southern emphasized missions and evangelism under Mohler, Akin said.
Akin said Southeastern would not lose its missionary zeal. “Southeastern is a seminary, in my judgment, going in the right direction,” he said.
Akin told the trustees it is an “awesome thing” to follow someone like Patterson.
“I don't think I can fill his shoes, but I can follow in his footsteps,” Akin said in the interview. “I think under Dr. Patterson Southeastern became one of the greatest seminaries in the world. I'm awed and honored to be following one of my heroes and my father in ministry.”
Trustees voted on Akin after meeting with him behind closed doors for about an hour.
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