Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

I spent three days last week on the campus of SEBTS in Wake Forest, NC. The campus is beautiful, with stately southern brick buildings in the heart of the historic district. The greatest assets of the college and seminary however, are their students. 

I was there to teach a couple of classes for my friend, Dr. Alvin Reid, who is Professor of Evangelism and Student Ministry. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the students in and out of the classroom; I found them engaging and refreshing.

I spent some quality time with Dr. Bruce Ashford, who serves as the Dean of the college and we discussed how to partner our two ministries. Bruce is an incredible communicator, and his commitment to “principle-based” ministry is unmistakable.

One of the special treats was to attend Chapel and hear another friend, Dr. Hayes Wicker, from First Baptist Church Naples, FL. Following his challenging message, I chatted with him and he was excited about the fact that over 1400 members of his church are using the Word of Life Quiet Times. They just began a high-energy campaign to get every member, from children through adults, into the Word every day. More and more churches are realizing that our Quiet Times for all ages are a great way to engage families with the Word of God.

On my way to the airport, I had coffee with a long-time friend, Dr. J.D. Greear, who pastors The Summit Church in Durham, NC. This is an innovative church that combines cultural relevance with solid doctrinal teaching. I taught J.D. as a student at the Word of Life Bible Institute, and it is thrilling to see how God is using him. One of the advantages of being in the ministry for the long haul is the privilege of seeing how God works in people’s lives.