Akin is committee's nominee as Southeastern's sixth president

by   Jerry Higgins                                                                                                                                      Vol. XVII, No. 1, January 2004

The Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary's presidential search committee will recommend to the board of trustees the election of Daniel L. Akin as the seminary's sixth president. The board will meet in special session on Jan. 15 at 2 p.m. at the school's Wake Forest, NC, campus to vote on Akin.

"Dr. Akin is a man with great vision, keen insight and spiritual understanding," said Timothy D. Lewis, chairman of the search committee as well as the head of Southeastern's board of trustees. "His enthusiasm is contagious and genuine. We do not feel any other man in Southern Baptist life could better follow [former President] Dr. [Paige] Patterson than Dr. Daniel Akin."

Akin, 46, is currently the vice president for academic administration/dean of the school of theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. He has connections to Southeastern, as he was professor of theology, dean of students and vice president for student services at Southeastern from 1992-96.

Akin holds a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Arlington and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Criswell College in Dallas.

Akin has pastored churches in Florida, Alabama, and Virginia and has ministered in Australia, Thailand, and to the Papago Indians. He was New Testament editor of The Holy Bible Baptist Study Edition by Thomas Nelson, and author of the volume on the Epistles of John for the New American Commentary series.

In 1996, Christianity Today named Akin as one of 50 emerging Christian leaders under the age of 40. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the Southern Baptist Historical Society, the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, and the Evangelical Theological Society.

Bart Neal, Southeastern's interim president, said Akin would be an excellent choice as president. "Dr. Akin's gifts and experience make him uniquely qualified to serve as our president. Not only is he an inspirational and visionary leader, he is an outstanding theologian, educator and preacher.

Akin and his wife, Charlotte, have been married for 25 years. They have four children: twins Daniel and Jonathan, 22; Paul, 20; and Timothy, 18. [BP]