Prayer sought as campus space and property utilization task team begins work

President David S. Dockery is requesting prayer for a task team as it begins its work evaluating Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary campus property and space utilization as an extension of the institution’s Advance Southwestern 2030 institutional plan adopted by the board of trustees in April.

“The Institutional Task Team on Space and Property Utilization is a reflection of our commitment to institutional stewardship and discovering the best way to utilize Southwestern’s campus, property, and assets in order to advance the Southwestern mission in light of our wonderful heritage,” Dockery said. “Given the rising cost of maintaining a nearly 200-acre campus and considering trends in higher education with the introduction of new modalities, we must explore every opportunity to fulfill our ‘student-focused’ approach by investing as many resources as possible in preparing the next generation of pastors, missionaries, and church leaders.”

The work of the task team needs prayerful support, he said.

“In the last year or so, a prayer movement on campus is one of the most hopeful markers of God’s provision for and blessing of Southwestern,” he said. “We are asking the seminary community, as well as our alumni and friends, to join together in prayer for the task team, seeking the Lord’s wisdom and guidance regarding these important matters.”

The task team, comprised of trustees and seminary personnel, was announced by Dockery during the October meeting of the board of trustees. The purpose of the team is to recommend to the president and board chairman actions or decisions the institution may need to take regarding space utilization to help ensure the long-term stability and sustainability of the institution. The team held its first meeting on Dec. 11.

The team is co-chaired by trustee Mike Bussey, executive pastor of WALK Church in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Travis Trawick, vice president for institutional effectiveness and strategy.

Dockery added that the creation and work of the task team “demonstrates the institution’s commitment to wise stewardship of seminary resources, collaborative work between trustees and the administration, and a forward-looking approach.”

In addition to Bussey and Trawick, members of the task team include trustees John Rayburn, Philip Levant, Angela Duncan, and Louis Lu, and seminary administrators and faculty Madison Grace, Adam Dodd, Chandler Snyder, and Joe Crider. Ex officio members of the team are trustees Jonathan Richard, board chairman, and Bob Brown, board vice chairman, as well as Dockery and Chancellor O.S. Hawkins. Seminary personnel consulting with the team are Dale Ford, Colby Adams, and Alex Melber.

The task team is expected to report to the administration before the October 2024 board of trustees meeting.