Southwestern graduates prepared to serve churches, classrooms, and communities

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Texas Baptist College celebrated 307 graduates from across the United States and 23 countries during its May 1 commencement ceremony.

Among the graduates who were prepared on Seminary Hill for various ministry roles at home and abroad is the first female graduate in the Hispanic Doctor of Ministry program.

Wanda Lluveras, originally from Puerto Rico, received her Doctor of Ministry (DMin) degree after years of involvement in evangelism and church ministry.

Her search for theological education led her to Southwestern, where she completed her Master of Theological Studies in Spanish before continuing into doctoral work. She said she wanted an education that would help her grow spiritually and better understand God’s Word.

“I have been always involved in evangelism,” Lluveras said. “When I saw that Doctor of Ministry, the concentration was in evangelism and missions, I said, ‘This is what I want. This is what I need if I’m going to continue in evangelism, I need to be more prepared.’”

Lluveras plans to continue evangelism work in her church and community, including training others for personal evangelism. She said she hopes to offer evangelism workshops and continue writing, including two books she has begun developing.

“My desire is to continue working in the area of evangelism, both within my community and beyond,” she said.

David Charlton, a Tennessee native, received his Master of Divinity. Charlton earned his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from Tennessee Tech University before sensing a call to ministry. He and his wife served with a Baptist Collegiate Ministry before deciding seminary was the next step.

“We met the professors here, and some of the professors called us, took the time to actually call my cell phone and talk to me for like 30 minutes at a time,” Charlton said.

Charlton moved to campus in fall of 2023 after taking some online classes. During his time at Southwestern, he said church history was an especially impactful class as it helped him better understand the foundations of his theology and connection to the broader Christian tradition.

“If there’s one class that I think every single church member should take, it would be Church History I,” Charlton said. “That class was so helpful for me in understanding that I can claim these [early church fathers]; I understand the foundation for my trinitarian and theology.”

Over the course of his final semester, Charlton has served as director of college and young adults at Stevens Street Baptist Church in Cookeville, Tenn., the same church that helped disciple him during college.

Reflecting on his time at Southwestern, Charlton said the seminary has shaped the way he will serve the church for the rest of his life.

“The most important thing is to make disciples,” Charlton said. “Make disciples, period. That’s the only command on the Great Commission. That’s the call that we have from Jesus. And Southwestern taught me to be a better disciple-maker.”

Journey Roddie, from Brady, Texas, received her Master of Arts in Christian Education. Her path toward ministry began in college ministry and then student ministry at First Baptist Church Midland, where she began taking Southwestern classes online before moving to Fort Worth in August 2023.

Roddie said one of her first in-person classes, Strategies of Disciple Making with Chris Shirley, helped confirm her concentration.

“I already had a love and a passion for discipleship,” she said. “Coming in and getting to have that be one of the first classes that I got to take was just so insightful.”

While at Southwestern, Roddie has served with Student Life and at Eagle’s View Church in North Fort Worth. After graduation, she plans to move to Las Cruces, N.M., to serve with Christian Challenge at New Mexico State University.

Roddie said the opportunity came through Micah Englehart, an alumnus and former Student Life staff member who served as one of her mentors while she worked as a Student Life intern. After spending a week visiting the ministry, Roddie said she couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

“I just kind of fell in love with it,” she said. “And was like, ‘Okay, God, do you want me to move to New Mexico?’ And it just kind of seemed very clear that I was meant to do that.”

While excited to begin the next chapter of her journey, Roddie is pleased with her time spent on The Hill.

“I wish that every single believer could come to seminary, truly,” Roddie said. “I learned so much and I wish all the time that everyone could be here and experience something like this.”

Dalton Hodges, from Jonesboro, Ark., received his Master of Theological Studies. After completing his undergraduate studies at Arkansas State University, Hodges said he and his family were drawn to Southwestern.

“We came for a campus tour and really connected with the faculty,” Hodges said. “And we really loved Fort Worth as a city.”

During his time at Southwestern, Hodges said Joshua Williams, professor of Old Testament, was especially influential through his Old Testament courses. Hodges said Williams challenged him to grow as a researcher and writer while also shaping the way he communicates Scripture.

“The way he distills advanced and complicated topics into understandable thoughts and ideas has greatly influenced my teaching and preaching style,” Hodges said.

Following graduation, Hodges plans to continue serving in his local church by leading missions activities while also serving “the least of these” through nonprofit work in Jonesboro.

Reflecting on his time at Southwestern, Hodges said seminary was a formative season for both him and his family.

“My family and I experienced the full spectrum of seminary at its best in that we developed lifelong friendships and expanded our knowledge base of theology and doctrine,” Hodges said. “Most importantly, this season of study deepened our faith and reliance on God.”

Madelyn McDade, a Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling graduate from DeRidder, La., began taking classes online following the recommendation of a friend in 2021 before moving to Fort Worth in January 2023.

During her undergraduate years at the University of Louisiana Monroe, McDade was involved in Baptist Collegiate Ministry and later served in both student ministry and college ministry. Those experiences helped her recognize the need for biblical counseling.

“I had lots of girls that I would talk with, and they didn’t know how to handle their problems, and I didn’t know how to handle their problems,” McDade said. “So, I felt like biblical counseling would be a good fit.”

Following graduation, McDade plans to return to her hometown to work as an administrative assistant at her home church, while also incorporating biblical counseling into the church’s ministry.

“As far as I can tell, there is not a dedicated Christian counselor in my hometown,” McDade said. “So, I’m excited about the prospect of bringing that to that community.”

McDade said her counseling professors helped shape her understanding of practical care and theological faithfulness. She pointed especially to Jonathan Okinaga’s classes that addressed addiction counseling, trauma, grief, abuse, and other difficult counseling situations.

“If we’re going to speak into people’s lives, we better speak into them wisely and with the truth,” McDade said.

Jordan Elkins of Charleston, W.V., received his Master of Music in Worship Leadership. Before coming to Southwestern, Elkins studied church ministries with an emphasis in music at Champion Christian College in Hot Springs, Ark., and served for six years as worship pastor at Gospel Life Baptist Church.

Elkins said he came to Southwestern because he believed a master’s degree was the next step in his ministry preparation. Fort Worth also offered ministry opportunities and a church community for him and his wife.

At Southwestern, Elkins said he particularly enjoyed theology and philosophy of worship classes with Joe Crider and Chuck Lewis. He also served as a teaching assistant for both professors, giving him further opportunity to learn from them.

“They care for the students, not just in the classroom, but in the hallway,” Elkins said, emphasizing the personal nature of professors on the Hill.

Elkins plans to explore ministry opportunities in Fort Worth while remaining open to wherever the Lord may lead next.

Cristina Aguilera, from Colombia, graduated with her Doctor of Education in organizational leadership.

Her path to Southwestern began far from theological education. Aguilera studied petroleum engineering and worked in the oil and gas industry for years before sensing the Lord redirecting her toward seminary.

While working in Texas, Aguilera said she wanted to learn more about Scripture and the idea of seminary come to mind.

Aguilera first enrolled at Southwestern in 2016, pursuing a master’s degree in biblical counseling. Her doctoral work grew out of her passion for Spanish-speaking churches and their need for counseling resources.

“I understood that there is a need in the Hispanic community for more contextualized material, especially in counseling,” Aguilera said. “… I realized that we do not have that many resources in Spanish.”

After graduation, Aguilera hopes to continue serving through education, possibly by helping supervise doctoral students and by teaching hermeneutics. She said one of her desires is to help others experience the joy of studying Scripture for themselves.

Oluseun Aremu, a fellow doctoral student whose graduation represents the completion of a decade-long Southwestern journey, received his Doctor of Philosophy in church music and worship. Originally from Ogbomoso, Nigeria, Aremu came to Southwestern in 2016 to pursue his master’s degree.

Aremu said he had long sensed a call to ministry, feeling a “call to the altar” after his undergraduate studies. His journey eventually brought him to Seminary Hill, following in the footsteps of his uncle, a Southwestern alumnus.

Following graduation, Aremu hopes to continue ministering in the United States while also returning regularly to serve his home country of Nigeria. His desire is to train worship leaders in churches and mission fields that may not have strong music ministry resources.

“I will be going to Nigeria twice a year or thrice a year for a kind of a music mission,” Aremu said of his desire to assist other Nigerian missionaries.

Looking back on his time at Southwestern, Aremu said he is grateful for the friendships and community he found among students from around the world.

“I thank God for the community of believers that I have met here, that God has helped us to interact together,” Aremu said. “They have blessed my life.”

Ailsa Brandt, a Texas Baptist College graduate, feels Southwestern has been a place where her love for classical education, music, theology, and teaching has come together. Originally from North Carolina, after briefly studying music at another university and completing culinary school she continued her academics through TBC.

Brandt received her Bachelor of Humanities degree and credited TBC’s education style as a major reason she chose to attend.

“I think what I have loved most about this school is that it’s focused on classical education,” Brandt said.

That emphasis also connects directly to her current work. Brandt teaches humanities at a classical Christian school in Fort Worth. She also works as an administrator at the Fort Worth Conservatory of Music, teaches voice lessons, and makes wedding cakes.

At TBC, Brandt said she especially appreciated the Great Books courses and professors who encouraged careful thought and personal discussion. She said her classes helped deepen her love for learning and her desire to teach well.

Though she is considering future studies in classical education or philosophy, for the moment Brandt wants to continue serving through teaching and through music.

Clay Pittman, from Hillsboro, Texas, graduated from Texas Baptist College with a Bachelor of Arts in Worship Studies. During his time in the worship studies program, Pittman said courses such as Biblical Foundations of Worship and Philosophy of Worship helped shape his understanding of worship, its purpose in the church, and the role of a worship leader in ministry.

“I can’t describe how valuable my time in the School of Music was for not only my musical development, but also my theological maturity,” Pittman said.

Following graduation, Pittman plans to continue his studies at Southwestern by pursuing a Master of Divinity in Biblical Counseling.

Pittman said the community he experienced at Southwestern has also been one of the most meaningful parts of his time on campus. As a resident assistant in the dorms, he said he has seen the potential for “beautiful, God-honoring community and growth.”

“As a result of my time on the campus of Southwestern, I have gained friendships that will last me the entirety of my ministry, and hopefully my life,” Pittman said. “I am confident that the connections I’ve made here will, along with the love of Christ, be the people that I lean on when the trials of life arise.”