Southwestern Seminary sees record attendance for Preview Day

A record number of prospective students learned about Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, its people, and graduate programs during Preview Day activities held April 12 on the seminary’s Fort Worth campus.

Chandler Snyder, vice president for enrollment and student services and dean of students, said the increased interest is both a blessing from the Lord and a sign of the stability of the seminary and its leadership. He noted that, while past Preview Day events have combined the seminary and Texas Baptist College, Friday’s event was offered as a “curated experience” for those seeking graduate degrees.

The day began with welcome and worship. Students from the School of Church Music and Worship led the crowd in song, and President David S. Dockery greeted prospective students and their guests, telling them his decision to come to Southwestern in 1979 was “one of the best decisions I’ve made. I love this place, and I hope you will come to love it.”

He outlined the seminary’s history, noting that Southwestern was the first seminary in the country to have a focus on evangelism, and was a pioneer in establishing a school of church music. Dockery also noted that the seminary has prepared more people to serve in a global context than any other seminary, adding that the faculty “are here to invest in you.”

Attendees of Southwestern Seminary’s Preview Day on April 12 heard about the Southwestern Seminary experience from alumni, including Chris Shirley (left), dean of the Jack D. Terry School of Educational Ministries and two-time alumnus; Katie Frugé, director of the Center for Cultural Engagement & Christian Life Commission for the Baptist General Convention of Texas and two-time alumnus; and Jeff Chapman, a two-time Southwestern graduate who currently is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy at the seminary. Chandler Snyder (right), vice president for enrollment and student services, moderated the lunchtime panel.

Attendees also were treated to a campus tour, academic preview sessions, and a lunch that featured a panel of alumni talking about their Southwestern experience. Snyder moderated the panel, which included Chris Shirley, dean of the Jack D. Terry School of Educational Ministries and the Jack D. and Barbara Terry Chair of Religious Education at Southwestern; Katie Frugé, director of the Center for Cultural Engagement & Christian Life Commission for the Baptist General Convention of Texas; and Jeff Chapman, a two-time Southwestern graduate who currently is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy at the seminary.

Snyder gave Chapman credit for the idea of having an alumni panel. He told attendees he wanted them to see the “different things God can do for you.”

Chapman, who earned his Master of Theological Studies and Master of Divinity degrees at the seminary, has continued his studies and is working toward a Ph.D. Frugé earned both her Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Philosophy in systematic theology from Southwestern. Shirley earned both his Master of Arts in Religious Education and Ph.D. in foundations of education at Southwestern Seminary.

Panelists were asked why they had chosen to attend Southwestern, what encouragement they would give the attendees to enroll, and what draws them to stay involved with the seminary. Chapman spoke of attending the seminary as a “divine calling” and pondered where else one could pray with the professor before class starts.

He drew laughter from the audience when he responded to the question of what the alumni wish they had known when they started their studies.

“If I had known what kind of commitment it would take, I might not have started,” he said, prompting Snyder to assure attendees, “We will walk you through it.”

Frugé noted that “there’s a lot of life that goes on in your seminary training.” She told of being put on bedrest during pregnancy and how the faculty helped her during that time.

“They extended their ministry,” she said.

Shirley said he had reached management level in a previous career when his “spiritual journey took off,” adding he knew who he was in Christ and what he was called to do. He said Southwestern’s reputation was “above the crowd” when he was choosing where to study. He echoed the other panelists’ statements about the seminary and its faculty, adding that he tells his own students, “Whenever you need me, call me.”

During the April 12 Preview Day on the campus of Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, attendees toured the campus in groups to learn about academic offerings in the seminary’s four graduate schools, student life, and meet with faculty and staff.

Madison Grace II, provost and vice president for academic administration, himself a two-time graduate of the seminary, told the luncheon attendees that Southwestern is about the care of the person and is “not just a machine we’re punching [them] through.” He said Southwestern’s faculty, staff, and leaders care about what God is doing in their lives and what He has called them to do, adding, “We are all co-laborers together.”

Prospective student Carlos Ballestas, a Columbia native who serves as a pastor at New Beginnings Baptist Church in Longview, said he’s interested in the seminary’s Master of Theological Studies program. He noted the diversity at the seminary and its reputation for being “a powerhouse of theology and ministry.”

Quinn Pruitt made the drive from Madill, Oklahoma, to gauge whether he would commute to the Fort Worth campus on Mondays or take all his classes online. Pruitt, a student pastor at First Baptist Church in Madill, said he wants to increase his knowledge and understanding of the Bible and is interested in the seminary’s Master of Divinity program.

More information, including application information, about Southwestern Seminary, can be found here.