The landscape of Baptist theological education is changing yet again, with news that one of the freestanding seminaries created out of the Southern Baptist Convention schism of the late 20th century is merging with one of the oldest Baptist schools…
Lilly Endowment launches initiative to strengthen Christian preaching
The Lilly Endowment has made the first 32 grants in a new project to “help Christian pastors strengthen their abilities to proclaim the gospel in more engaging and effective ways.” A news release from the Indianapolis-based endowment explained: “The ultimate…
For first time, M.A. enrollment equals M.Div. enrollment at U.S. seminaries
After more than a decade of significant instability, enrollment in America’s accredited theological schools has found some stability, although the degree programs being pursued continue to shift and more schools are shrinking than growing. These are the findings of a…
The present crisis for church staff
Churches in America have been living amid rapid change for several decades now, accelerated like a dive on a roller coaster by COVID. Previously, much of our attention has focused on institutional change and challenges, the big picture of congregations…
Becoming a ‘midwife of grace’ — an interview with Molly Marshall
At age 12, Molly Marshall’s pastor asked if she’d ever considered working with young people as a career option. She thought to herself, “Well of course I haven’t, I am one!” Two years later, at age 14, while at a…
The blessing of provocation
Theological education has been my life’s work, and it has been a joyful and traumatic pursuit at three schools: Southern Seminary, Central Seminary, and now United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. I would consider myself blessed to have labored…
What’s the largest seminary in America today? You might be surprised
If Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary isn’t the world’s largest seminary anymore, what is? While it’s not easy to assess the world’s largest seminary, it is easy to identify the nation’s largest seminary. The answer may surprise some but also illustrates…
Behind the numbers: How Southwestern Seminary’s enrollment came to be the lowest it has been since World War II
When news broke last month about the sudden resignation of Adam Greenway as president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, many Southern Baptist Convention observers and alumni of the Fort Worth, Texas, seminary were surprised to learn how small the school…
New Baylor study finds pastors not as well trained in trauma care as they need to be
Most pastors believe their education prepared them to address the trauma of grief caused by a death, but the majority say their training did not prepare them to address other forms of trauma, including public health crises and sexual assault….