Column signing signifies unified commitment to future ministerial equipping

“For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:11)

This verse was one of dozens of Scriptures that Southwestern trustees, faculty and ministry partners affixed to several foundational columns of Mathena Hall, Oct. 18. This formal signing represents each of the signers’ commitment to the future of equipping God-called men and women for ministry.

Mathena Hall is the future home of the Roy Fish School of Evangelism and Missions and the College at Southwestern. It is named for Harold and Patricia Mathena, who graciously bestowed a $12 million lead gift toward the building’s construction, which began in 2015 and is scheduled for completion next year. The Mathenas were the first to sign the building’s foundation.

Harold Mathena says the ultimate purpose of the building is to further the cause of Christ and to communicate the Gospel around the world. “It’s going to be a fantastic tool for God to use to train up and teach young men and women how to share the Gospel and inspire them to do it,” he says. “We’re looking forward to when it’s finished and when the students start going out from it.”

The column signing took place during the board of trustees’ fall meeting, and so each trustee was able to sign his/her name on a column of the building, along with Scripture verses, prayers, and encouraging messages for future generations. Faculty members were also invited to sign, and by the end of the 30-minute ceremony, such Scripture references as John 14:1-7, Hebrews 10:23, and Matthew 28:18-20 covered the foundational columns standing at what will be the main entrance to the building.

In addition, because students are intimately part of the Southwestern family and her legacy, current students were also welcomed to the construction site in order to write short messages on dated paper that will be placed in the building’s time capsule. Many students turned out in order to provide messages of encouragement to future students.

President of Southwestern Paige Patterson says the involvement of so many parties is “a reminder that we don’t do anything by ourselves—it takes a whole body of trustees and it takes a whole lot of people giving to it. We’re so thankful for the Mathena family for the contribution that they made here to give us half of the money with which to build this building. And so anything this building accomplishes in the Kingdom of God will be a unified effort of many.”

To learn more about Mathena Hall, visit swbts.edu/mathenahall. Watch the construction live at swbts.edu/mathenahalllive.