Serving churches through theological education

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Fall 2023 issue of Southwestern News.

It was an unexpected question. I don’t know that I had even considered it. I was near the end of my Master of Divinity degree and was waiting to speak to a professor who had encouraged me to pursue a doctoral degree.

While I waited, a well-meaning but impatient student quizzed me regarding which discipline I intended to pursue. “Systematic theology,” I said. He replied, “How does that benefit the church?” He went on to express his desire to complete seminary so he could “get started with ministry.”

The question implies that there have been unfortunate times when theological institutions and local churches have not valued one another enough. Indeed, it can be difficult to reconcile the theoretical with the practical.

I do not remember the student’s name. He likely does not remember asking me the question. But that question has occupied my mind for over a dozen years. It was not long after that conversation that I decided to add a minor concentration in preaching to my major in systematic theology. I wanted to study theology so that I could better serve the church.

Having pastored for over twenty years and taught for ten, I have benefited greatly from that combination.

It is this mindset that led to my excitement when I was given the opportunity to serve Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Texas Baptist College in the area of church relations. The responsibility to spend time with pastors and church leaders on behalf of Southwestern Seminary captures the best of both worlds.

My enthusiasm for this role has only grown as I have heard the same love for the local church permeate the campus of Southwestern. From the president to the provost, from the deans to the faculty, the desire to serve the local church is a common theme. This theme is present in each classroom no matter the degree program.

Our guiding statements and our core values keep the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention in our hearts and prayers. Even more exciting, our student body loves the local church. I hear them enthusiastically discussing ways they serve their churches on a regular basis. They regularly comment on how some concept discussed in class has better equipped them for their area of service.

I recently sat with a newly formed student organization, the Southwestern Society for Pastoral Ministry, where a faculty member voluntarily mentored a group of young men who are called to the pastorate. Before writing this article, I met with one of the leaders of this organization in order to discuss the day-to-day challenges that pastors and other church leaders face.

I have had the opportunity to visit with numerous pastors across the SBC over the past few weeks. The overwhelming sentiment has been, “Ministry is really hard today, but God is really faithful every day.”

As culture continues to wrestle with the chaos that results from human fallenness, Southwestern Seminary and TBC are committed to training students to engage the world with intellectual robustness while teaching them to serve the churches with warmhearted faithfulness.

In the recently published book, The Great Dechurching, the authors comment, “Dechurching is an epidemic and will affect both the institutions of our country and the very fabric of our society within our lifetime.” Christians should be prepared to address these challenges with theological astuteness and pastoral sensitivity.

Southwestern Seminary stands prepared to train students to engage the world. Students will go on to serve churches in various capacities, yet they will be equipped to answer the troubling questions of a fallen world. They, in turn, will be prepared to train the businessperson, the factory worker, the educator, and the entrepreneur to respond to the troubling conversations that occur in the marketplace.

Southern Baptists have enjoyed a long legacy of celebrating the relationship between the churches and Southwestern Seminary. I could not be more excited that President David S. Dockery (’81) is leading us to continue that legacy. I could not be more overjoyed than to experience that mindset as it permeates this campus. I could not be more humbled that I am a part of it.

Southwestern Seminary serving the church through theological education is a beautiful picture that practically demonstrates what it means to cooperate in the Great Commission as each of us love the Lord our God with our heart, mind, and soul.

 John Mann (’06, ’18) is associate professor of business and theology at Texas Baptist College and assistant to the president for constituent relations.