Prospective students get a taste of Southwestern

“My prayer personally is that you would know God’s will for you if this is the place that God wants you to be,” announced Kyle Walker, dean of students at Southwestern Seminary, to the group of prospective students who had gathered to participate in Experience Southwestern, Sept. 22-23. “And we are going to do everything we can to serve you in the process.”

Fifty prospective students visited Southwestern Seminary on Thursday, spending the day learning about campus life, experiencing chapel and classes, and connecting with current students and faculty. Several visitors stayed for a Friday morning session as well, where they discussed financial aid, employment and housing options.

“Our goal with Experience Southwestern is to give prospective students the ability, in one day, to experience a portion of all that Southwestern has to offer,” explains Walker, who also serves as assistant professor of homiletics. “We want prospective students to experience the hospitality of our campus, to connect with students and faculty, to worship with us in chapel, to see what’s offered in the classroom, and to understand the heart of who we are at Southwestern.”

The day kicked off with a warm Southern-style breakfast, followed by guided tours around the campus. Visitors then got a taste of chapel, where President Paige Patterson preached on the subject of biblical baptism and gave a demonstration in the baptismal pool in MacGorman Chapel. Prospective students also had the opportunity to interact with professors over lunch and then experience simulated classrooms with faculty giving lectures on various subjects.

“One of the most important parts of the day was lunch with our faculty,” says Bryan Bogue, assistant director of Admissions, who helped organize the conference. “Many of our professors took time out of their busy schedules to sit down and share a meal with our prospective students, and this allowed students to get to know our faculty on a personal level.”

A fun element of the day was a Q&A session called “the Lion’s Den” with Patterson. Prospective students were invited to ask whatever questions they wished to the president, and many took the opportunity to ask Patterson’s opinions on a wide range of subjects. Topics included Patterson’s thoughts on the doctrine of election, the role of biblical counseling, and effective ways to do evangelism at home and overseas. Personal questions were also answered, with Patterson sharing about his conversion experience, his favorite books, and his craziest hunting experience.

One visitor posed a question that was probably on the minds of many prospective students. “What is the best or greatest thing about Southwestern that distinguishes it from other [seminaries]?” he asked.

“If I had to distinguish one thing about Southwestern,” Patterson answered, “it is our missionary involvement. We believe that all 7 billion people on the face of the earth have to hear the Gospel, and we take it as our personal responsibility to get the Gospel to every one of them that we possibly can. That is the life and breath of the institution.”

Prospective students who signed a letter of intent to enroll at the end of the day were guaranteed a $1,000 first semester scholarship, and 44 students took advantage of that offer. After the Lion’s Den, conference attendees were invited to join in the Fall Festival, where they mingled with current students and enjoyed free Chik-fil-A sandwiches, Steel City Pops and fun yard games.