Volume 69, Number 1
Bi-Weekly Publication by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary • Fort Worth, Texas
Thursday, August 22, 2013
A LOOK INSIDE »
All-Campus Picnic/ Church Fair
THE SCROLL
September 5 More Info on pg 7 »
I N SE SI E D E
SPORTSMAN’S BANQUET, GRADUATION HIGHLIGHT REVIVAL IN CUBA By Keith Collier | SWBTS
2013-2014
|| GUIDE
Trustees elect new vice president and deans of music school, college By Keith Collier | SWBTS Seminary trustees elected Steven W. Smith as vice president for student services and communications, Leo Day as dean of the School of Church Music and Michael Wilkinson as dean of the College at Southwestern during a special-called session of the trustee board’s executive committee, July 24. Smith, Day and Wilkinson took on their new responsibilities on Aug. 1. “This is an important moment for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary,” said president Paige Patterson. “The men elected today step into some large shoes, but they do so like the champions they are. They are men ‘after God’s own heart,’ who love and serve Him faithfully.”
Steven Smith, Vice President for Student Services and Communications Smith has served as dean of the College at Southwestern and professor of communication since 2009, and he fills the position vacated by Thomas White, who was named president of Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio, in June. Prior to Smith’s appointment as dean of the college, he served as assistant professor of preaching and associate dean for the professional doctoral program at Southwestern.
“Steven Smith’s success in everything to which he has placed his hand is the first reason why I suggested him,” Patterson said. “He is a genuine man of God, holds degrees in communication, is a fabulous preacher and brings to the task an almost unlimited variety of abilities.” Smith earned his Ph.D. in Communication from Regent University in 2003 and holds a Master of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Science in Communication from Liberty University. In addition to his experience as a professor, Smith served as senior pastor of Salem Baptist Church in Richmond, Va., from 1995–2003. He is the author of Dying to Preach: Embracing the Cross in the Pulpit (2009) and has contributed articles for academic journals as well as blogs.
Leo Day, Dean of the School of Church Music Day has served as minister of music at Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fla., since 2005. As the dean of the School of Church Music, he replaces Stephen Johnson, who left Southwestern to become dean of Azusa Pacific University’s new College of Music and the Arts in June.
“Leo Day is one of the few men in America who functions with a full grasp of both the church and the academic worlds,” Patterson said. “A beautiful tenor voice, a love for teaching, and years of incredible success as a minister of music in a mega-church have prepared him perfectly for the assignment as dean for our School of Church Music.” Along with his ministry at Olive Baptist Church, Day has served as an adjunct voice professor for the University of West Florida in Pensacola since 2008. Prior to coming on staff at the church, Day served as associate professor of voice at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary from 1999–2005 and instructor of voice at William Carey College from 1990–1999. “[Day] has all the qualities that will lead Southwestern’s School of Church Music to prepare a new generation to lead churches in musical worship with excellence and passion for Christ,” said Craig Blaising, provost and executive vice president at Southwestern. Day earned a Ph.D. in Vocal Performance from Louisiana State University (2000), a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Eastman School of Music (1990), and a Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance from William Carey College (1988). He performs frequently across the United States and has performed professionally with the Hawaii Opera Theatre of Honolulu. Day has recorded two solo albums: “He Loves Me” (2003) and “Solace for the Soul” (2005).
Trustees pg 2 »
A partnership formed eight years ago between Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and the Western Cuba Baptist Theological Seminary in Havana continues to produce fruit, as pastors and church planters receive theological training and the Gospel spreads throughout the Caribbean island country. More than 78 students received diplomas, July 5-6, at two graduation ceremonies presided over by Southwestern Seminary president Paige Patterson and missions professor Daniel Sanchez. “The interesting thing is that this is more graduates than they had students when we first started helping them, and this does not count all the (graduates) from the extension centers,” said Sanchez. “They were rejoicing over not only the quantity but the quality of students that they have who are graduating, all of them active in churches throughout the convention.” The Cuban seminary, which was on the brink of extinction a decade ago, has flourished under its partnership with Southwestern. “Our commitment has been to help them any way we can,” Sanchez said, adding that when the partnership began, “they asked us to go to Havana and teach courses so their professors could get master’s degrees.” “We did that, and now their professors are doing an outstanding job teaching, so we’ve not had to go back and teach those courses to their students because they are the ones doing the teaching.” Patterson expressed joy over the explosion of churches that have been planted on the island and the number of pastors being trained. “The Cuban Baptists are amazing,” Patterson said. “They have succeeded in generating a genuine church planting movement, which has produced thousands of churches and baptized tens of thousands of converts. After traveling in 120-plus countries, I know of nothing quite like it.” Patterson, who shares the Gospel at sportsmen’s banquets across the United States, also had the opportunity to speak at a game banquet hosted by the Cuban seminary during their visit. The event drew more than 50 people, as pastors from the area brought lost people with them to hear Patterson speak. Twenty-six men made professions of faith, all of whom will be discipled by these pastors. In addition to the professions of faith at the game banquet, Patterson and Sanchez witnessed more than 25 come to faith in Christ through their preaching at two local Baptist churches and through personal evangelism.