[SLIDESHOW=47684]FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) — Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s trustees affirmed the creation of 20 new scholarships for African American students during their April 10-11 meeting in Fort Worth, Texas.
Trustees also accepted an invitation to move the seminary’s Havard campus in Houston to a more strategic location and approved an overall budget of $35,947,605 for the 2018-2019 fiscal year.
At the recommendation of Southwestern President Paige Patterson, trustees affirmed the creation of the 20 scholarships to be named after Southwestern graduates S.M. Lockridge and Eugene Florence, early African American students at Southwestern who later served as pastors. Ten scholarships were created last year and an additional 10 scholarships will be created this year.
Also at the president’s recommendation, trustees voted to accept the invitation to move the J. Dalton Havard School for Theological Studies in Houston from its present location to nearby Sagemont Church, beginning Aug. 1.
The relocation will yield a more accessible Houston campus, Patterson said. “We are very grateful for Sagemont making available their facilities to us,” he said. “It will be a very commodious area that students can get to easily.” In light of the move, trustees approved the sale of Havard’s current facilities.
Other business
Trustees approved a reduction in the bachelor’s in humanities and biblical studies degree from 129 hours to 125. This includes the elimination of English IV: Speech, Health Science, Math for Financial Management, PE and Christian Life. Meanwhile, the courses Reasoning and Virtues of Godly Character will be changed from 2 hours to 3 hours. Finally, students will be required to take two additional 3-hour electives.
Trustees reelected Kevin Ueckert, lead pastor of the First Baptist Church in Georgetown, Texas, as chairman. Connie Hancock, pastor of Springboro Baptist Church in Ohio, was elected as vice chairman and Philip Levant, pastor of Iglesia Bautista La Vid in Hurst, Texas, as secretary.
Four faculty promotions were approved, effective Aug. 1: Matthew McKellar, associate professor of preaching, to professor of preaching; Terri Stovall, associate professor of women’s ministries, to professor of women’s ministries; Mike Wilkinson, assistant professor of theology, to associate professor of theology; and John Yeo, assistant professor of Old Testament, to associate professor of Old Testament. Michael Crisp, assistant professor of collegiate ministry, was approved to occupy the Edgar “Preacher” Hallock Chair of Baptist Student Work.
