Revised and expanded ‘Profiles of Faithfulness’ highlights 38 ‘legacy servants’ of Southwestern Seminary

Seminary Hill Press, the publishing arm of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, is releasing during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Nashville a revised and expanded edition of Profiles of Faithfulness. The book tells the stories of men and women who played key roles in establishing and stewarding the seminary’s vision from its founding in 1908 to the present day. Originally published in 2019 with 16 profiles, this new volume profiles an additional 22 “legacy servants.”

Attendees to the Southwestern Seminary Alumni and Friends Luncheon to be held during the SBC annual meeting will receive free copies. The luncheon will also honor three new distinguished alumni: D. Hance Dilbeck, Thomas J. Nettles, and the late Roy J. Fish.

“This book is an introduction to that faithful corps of faculty—as well as other legacy servants—in Southwestern Seminary’s history whose ministries have contributed greatly to the building and advancement of the institution B.H. Carroll founded—one which has indeed enjoyed the ‘favor of men and smiles of God,’” writes President Adam W. Greenway in the book’s foreword.

Quoting from an address by the seminary’s founder, Greenway added: “It is my prayer that today’s generation of Southwestern Seminary faculty and staff will fulfill Carroll’s charge of ‘hard, faithful, honest work’ as we seek to prepare current and future generations of ministers of the Gospel for more faithful service that glorifies God and fulfills the Great Commission. May the examples provided in and through the lives of those who have gone before us inspire us toward greater commitment to serve the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention and to advance the cause of Christ and His Kingdom until Jesus returns.”

The book profiles a total of 38 individuals from Southwestern Seminary’s history, from early giants like B.H. Carroll and L.R. Scarborough to more recent greats like Cal Guy, William J. Reynolds, and James Leo Garrett Jr. While the 16 chapters of the original volume were written by Southwestern Seminary’s news writing staff, the 22 new chapters were written largely by current faculty members, many of whom are also alumni, who each wrote about the forebears in their respective fields. 

Alex Sibley, the book’s editor, writes in the book’s introduction that in the selection individuals profiled “we looked for those who held positions of leadership at the seminary, did ‘pioneer’ work in developing new programs, served at the seminary across long tenures, and/or made significant contributions to their respective fields. Furthermore, we limited our selections to those who have already passed away, deferring to a future edition the many still-living individuals significant to Southwestern’s history.”

Sibley says his prayer is that readers “will appreciate our selections and take joy in reading the stories of these faithful men and women, stories that point ultimately to a faithful God who saves, calls, equips, and uses individuals to further His Kingdom.”

Profiles of Faithfulness is available for $10.99 at SeminaryHillPress.com. 

Below is the Table of Contents. The chapters in bold text are new to this edition:

1. B.H. Carroll, by Alex Sibley

2. L.R. Scarborough, by Alex Sibley

3. J.B. Gambrell, by Julie Owens

4. George W. Truett, by Katie Coleman

5. J. Frank Norris, by O. S. Hawkins

6. A.H. Newman, by Alex Sibley

7. Jeff D. Ray, by David L. Allen

8. W.T. Conner, by Julie Owens

9. W.W. Barnes, by W. Madison Grace II

10. I.E. Reynolds, by Julie Owens

11. J.M. Price, by Katie Coleman

12. B.A. Copass, by Joshua Williams

13. H.E. Dana, by Mark E. Taylor

14. L.R. Elliott, by Jill Botticelli

15. B.B. McKinney, by Joseph R. Crider

16. T.B. Maston, by Katie Coleman

17. Floy Barnard, by Julie Owens

18. E.D. Head, by Alex Sibley

19. Ray Summers, by Jim Wicker

20. J. Howard Williams, by Katie Coleman

21. Jesse J. Northcutt, by D. Jeffrey Bingham

22. Robert A. Baker, by Gregory A. Wills

23. Ann Bradford, by Karen Kennemur

24. Sara Thompson, by Katie Coleman

25. Cal Guy, by John D. Massey

26. Robert E. Naylor, by Katie Coleman

27. James Leo Garrett Jr., by Malcolm B. Yarnell III

28. James C. McKinney, by R. Allen Lott

29. Curtis Vaughan, by David S. Dockery 

30. Huber L. Drumwright, by Tom J. Nettles

31. John P. Newport, by Ted J. Cabal

32. William R. Estep, by Tom J. Nettles

33. Joe Davis Heacock, by Michael S. Wilder

34. John Earl Seelig, by Julie Owens

35. H. Leon McBeth, by Robert W. Caldwell III

36. Roy J. Fish, by Alex Sibley

37. William J. Reynolds, by Chuck T. Lewis

38. William B. Tolar, by Julie Owens and Alex Sibley