Southwestern Seminary, TBC graduates accomplish firsts, reflect on time of equipping on Seminary Hill

The fall 2022 graduating class of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Texas Baptist College included more than 350 graduates representing 31 states and 27 countries outside the United States who earned certificates and associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees during the Dec. 2 commencement ceremony on the Fort Worth campus. 

Collectively, the graduating class marked several firsts for Southwestern Seminary and TBC. The class included 56 doctoral graduates from the Fort Worth institution, the largest group of such students in a single semester in the seminary’s history. The 38 students who earned Master of Theological Studies in Mandarin degrees, five of whom are legally blind, were the first graduates of the program and the 37 graduates who earned certificates in Hispanic church planting were the first for the program. The four students who were awarded Doctor of Education degrees are the first cohort to graduate from the new degree program and one TBC student, Glory Joy Robison from Thailand, earned an Associate of Arts in humanities, the first associate degree to be awarded by the school. 

Aaron Neil Langston, a Southwestern Seminary Master of Theology student in the Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions, was awarded his degree posthumously, which was received by his widow, Kendra Langston. At the time of his passing in June 2020, Langston was working toward a Doctor of Philosophy in World Christian Studies at Southwestern. He earned a Master of Divinity from Southwestern in 2018. Langston grew up in Zimbabwe, where his parents served as longtime missionaries with the International Mission Board. 

Each graduate has a unique story of how God has used their time on Seminary Hill to refine, live, and find their callings as they prepare to advance His Kingdom and make His name known to the ends of the earth.

Sungwan Kim, a native of South Korea, was one of 25 students who graduated from Southwestern Seminary’s Research Doctoral Studies program. Kim, who earned his Doctor of Philosophy in foundations of education from the Jack D. Terry School of Educational Ministries, was led by God to pursue advanced studies after he earned his Master of Arts in Christian Education at Southwestern in 2017, he said. He explained the “advice and encouragement” of his professor, Chris Shirley, dean of the Terry School, professor of educational ministries, and the Jack D. and Barbara Terry Chair of Religious Education, made him “advance” to study in the Ph.D. program. Kim has served as Shirley’s Teaching Assistant for the last three years.

While he is currently “praying for [the] next step” following graduation, Kim said he was greatly impacted by the doctoral seminars he took with Shirley – both academically and personally.

As Shirley taught “on the diverse facets of family ministry” in his Family Ministry in the Church seminar, including spiritual leadership of parents, marriage relationships, reconciliation of conflicts at home and in the church, and the historical and theological basics of family ministry, Kim said, “Because of this seminar, I repented of my attitude and behavior toward my family.” 

Kim also noted Shirley’s teaching on disciple-making through his Strategies for Disciple Making seminar “totally changed my heart, mind, and attitude” leading him to “now identify as a disciple maker who makes disciples who make other disciples.”

Brady Lock, a Sonora, Texas, native who currently serves as the pastor of Oak Grove Baptist Church in Burleson, Texas, earned his Doctor of Ministry in spiritual formation. Lock said after he graduated from Southwestern Seminary in 2008 with his Master of Divinity, “ministry became priority, and over time, my thinking became complacent.” He explained he had “always viewed advanced degrees as something you did if you loved academia but not practical for the local church minister.” However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, “the Lord began to press on my heart to stretch my knowledge and understanding for the sake of the church.”

Lock, who was one of 31 graduates from Southwestern’s Professional Doctoral Studies program, said during his time of study he has “gained a deeper appreciation for learning and growing in my knowledge.” 

“I have gained friendships and knowledge beyond what I could have expected,” Lock reflected. “My DMin project has led me to think through things for the church in ways I’m not sure I would have before. My calling has a new vitality and a deeper level of thankfulness.”

A native of Clarksville, Arkansas, Paul Rideout earned a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Old Testament from Southwestern Seminary’s School of Theology.

Rideout said through his courses he has learned that “proper understanding of how the Scriptures are laid out is important to ascertaining the meaning in the text” which has enabled him to “more faithful” preaching and teaching of the text and “help others read the Scriptures more faithfully.”

Over the last year, Rideout has served as a chaplain at a recreational vehicle community, which he said has helped “prepare me for the mission field He has called me to,” as God has “called me to do missions in the nomadic lifestyle community.”

The teaching of Joshua Williams, associate professor of Old Testament, helped Rideout “grow in understanding the Scriptures,” he said, adding that Williams’s teaching that “the way we know Jesus was the Messiah was because He fulfilled all that was told of Him from the Old Testament” was something that “opened up my eyes more to the value of the Old Testament Scriptures.”

Rideout, who describes his experience at Southwestern as “wonderful,” concluded his time of learning on Seminary Hill “has been a great time in studying the Word and growing in friendships of faith.”

Zachary South, a native of Jasper, Texas, earned his Master of Divinity in student and family ministry from the Terry School. South was the 2021-2022 recipient of the James R. Leitch Memorial Award, given to a student who is called to pastor following graduation.

South was called to ministry as a junior in high school and “knew that I wanted to be trained and equipped for ministry by going to seminary,” he said. South, whose parents, Bryan and Denise South, both earned Master of Arts in Religious Education degrees from Southwestern in 1985, said through “much prayer and discernment” he believed the “Lord opened the door” for him to study at the Fort Worth institution. 

“Throughout my time in seminary, I have learned and grown in my love for God, and appreciation for His Word,” South reflected, noting that his “desire to make Him known to others” via ministry has grown, too. 

“My desire for reaching students has grown to also reaching parents and families in the church and plugging them into discipleship to advance the Kingdom,” he added.

After graduation, South believes God is leading him to serve full-time as a student minister “to love students and their families for God’s glory and help them on the path of discipleship.”

Originally from Richland, Mississippi, Austin “Luke” Hannah earned a Master of Music in Church Music with a concentration in vocal performance and pedagogy from the School of Church Music and Worship. Hannah was the recipient of the Edwin McNeely Music Award during the 2021-2022 academic year. The academic award is given on the basis of character, personality, and ability, particularly in effective leadership of congregational singing and public worship.

Hannah said during his time of study at Southwestern he has learned “practically and theologically how to give God glory through all things.” Referring to the offerings given by the brothers Abel and Cain, Hannah said “by offering the first fruits,” Abel’s offering was met with favor by God “because he gave with his whole heart.” The offering Cain gave, Hannah noted, “was rejected because he gave, but not his best.”

“In that same manner, as I sing and lead, I need to always put forth my whole heart and attitude because God deserves my best,” Hannah said. “I feel that I have been equipped to not only teach and perform with excellence but also with the attitude of serving the Kingdom and not myself.”

Following graduation, Hannah, who sang in both Southwestern A Cappella and Southwestern Singers, will continue his education as a student in the Doctor of Musical Arts in vocal performance and pedagogy in the SCMW.

A native of Gurabo, Puerto Rico, Wanda Lluveras Gomez earned her Master of Theological Studies in the Hispanic Programs in the Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions. Lluveras had been praying the Lord would help her “find a place where I could study theology, because I had been serving in biblical teaching for many years as a leader in Christian education and I wanted to be more competent.” She explained when the Lord led her to Southwestern she felt He “answered my prayer when I saw the classes” that were offered because they “were the classes that I wanted to study.”

Lluveras said during her two years of study “has equipped me to better serve the work of the Kingdom and it has helped me grow as a Christian.” She added that she has “never felt more prepared to continue working for the Lord. I will continue teaching, and I plan to help equip others so they can become good teachers. If God allows it, I would like to continue my doctoral studies.”

Lluveras noted the encouragement of professors and the “impressions” they have left on students as they have inspired “them to continue with the calling the Lord has made.” Among those she mentioned Mark McClellan, director of Hispanic Programs and professor of missions, reminding the students that “the Word of God should be present every day in our lives,” and Terry Coy, Hispanic Programs liaison, who taught his class that whoever completed “a theology degree should never forget to be humble because whatever we accomplish is to serve God.”

“I am very thankful to SWBTS and all my professors for the formation that they have provided for me,” Lluveras concluded. “It is my prayer that the Lord will continue blessing and helping [Southwestern], and that our seminary will continue growing in the number of students and in the programs that are offered for the glory of God.”

Hadassah Lowe grew up in Zambia, Africa, where her parents were missionaries. Lowe, who graduated from TBC with a Bachelor of Arts in humanities, said when she visited the campus for the first time while her family was on stateside assignment, “I felt a peace that this is where God wanted me to be, and I haven’t looked back since.”

For Lowe, the humanities program was appealing “because I wanted to pursue a master’s in psychology or counseling and knew this program would be a good foundation for that,” noting that following graduation she hopes to pursue a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling with an emphasis in trauma to serve overseas with the International Mission Board.

During her time at TBC, Lowe said she has been “shaped” in ways she “never thought possible.”

“TBC has equipped me to think deeper,” Lowe recalled. “My professors have challenged me to really think about the subjects we are talking about and apply them to my life where applicable. I have been taught to be a better friend, servant of God, and a better person.”

Two days following graduation, Lowe will be getting married and working full-time before beginning graduate-level studies in fall 2023.

Grant Sellers, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, earned a Bachelor of Arts in humanities with a minor in philosophy. Sellers, who first learned about TBC from “a friend of a friend,” said when he first began his studies he “certainly did not understand what a liberal arts education was.” However, during his time of learning, he “came to realize the truly incredible and formative nature of an education which seeks to shape the whole person through thoughtful study of history, literature, philosophy, and theology.”

“If God really is the Creator and ruler of our world, then it would follow that all truth is God’s truth,” Sellers reflected. “I can confidently say that no other force has so impacted my Christian worldview apart from TBC.”

Sellers said his education at TBC also “substantially impacted” how he views vocation, adding that before college he believed only “truly faithful” Christians served in the church or mission field. 

“I believed ‘real Kingdom work’ could only be done in a local church or related arena,” Sellers recalled. “I now recognize this as a harmful ideology and rejoice that God can be glorified through faithful work, even if not directly tied to the local church.”

Sellers, who met his wife while he was a student, said their family, which includes their two daughters, “do not have any immediate plans, other than remaining faithful to our local church and attentive to whatever it is that God would desire for us to do.”