Enrollment passes 10,000 mark at Southern Baptist seminaries

by   James A. Smith Sr.                                                                                                                            Vol. XI, No. 2, February 1998

Combined enrollment for the 1997 fall semester at Southern Baptists' six seminaries surpassed 10,000 students, with only one of the schools reporting a decline, seminary officials report. Total enrollment stands at 10,090, an increase of 335 students and 3.4 percent over the 1996 fall enrollment of 9,755. Enrollment at SBC seminaries accounts for approximately 14 percent of all students pursuing theological education in the United States and Canada.

The largest percentage increase was enjoyed again by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC, with 1,495 students, 10.5 percent more than 1996. Its second consecutive year of record fall enrollments, Southeastern enrolled 142 more students than the previous year. "Any institution would be thrilled to death to have a 2 or 3 percent increase in enrollment anytime," said Southeastern President Paige Patterson. For the past three years, Southeastern has been the fastest-growing seminary in the country and this year is expected to rank in the top five, Patterson said. "I'm somewhat dumbstruck about it. I'm at a loss to explain it. God's been better to us than we deserve."

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY, increased its enrollment by 9.6 percent, with a total of 1,801 students. Southern Baptists' oldest seminary enrolled 158 more students than the 1996 fall semester. "We are greatly encouraged by the significant growth in Southern Seminary's enrollment," president R. Albert Mohler said. "We firmly believe that the quality of theological education and the clarity of conviction represented by Southern Seminary will be supported by our churches as ministers, missionaries and evangelists come for theological education and ministry training. We are very thankful to God for his blessings upon Southern Seminary, and we are evermore committed to serving the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention."

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City, MO, reported an 8 percent increase, with 696 students enrolled, 53 more than the previous year. "Our aim is not so much to grow as to be utterly faithful to the task of building a faculty of anointed, soul-winning inerrantists who will educate God's servants to biblically evangelize and congregationalize the Midwest/Great Plains region," said President Mark Coppenger. "Our most dramatic growth has come in the student wives program, led by my wife, Sharon, and Tammi Ledbetter, wife of dean of students Gary Ledbetter."

At New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, enrollment increased 5.31 percent, with 1,904 students enrolled, 96 more than the previous year. "We are rejoicing in our 80th academic year at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary as we continue to equip leaders to fulfill the Great Commission and the Great Commandments through the local church and its ministries," said Chuck Kelley, NOBTS president since March 1996. "And we are rejoicing as the number of new students continues to grow through our new degree programs, such as the M.Div. in psychology and counseling and the M.A. in marriage and family counseling, as well as the M.Div. in music. In addition, our 21-year-old College of Undergraduate Studies is in ever-increasing ways meeting the needs of those called to the ministry later in life, as evidenced by our exciting graduation service Jan. 8 at the Louisiana State Penitentiary."

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, Southern Baptists' largest seminary, saw its enrollment go up 3 percent, for a total of 3,166 students, 89 more than 1996. Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, Mill Valley, CA, was the only school to report a decrease in enrollment. With an enrollment of 1,028 this fall, 15 percent less than 1996, Golden Gate dipped by 192 students. Its first decrease in recent years, seminary officials attribute the decline in enrollment primarily to not offering two special classes in the seminary's music program and leadership transitions in the Ethnic Leadership Development program.

Mohler, on behalf of the Council of Seminary Presidents, commented on the critical importance of Cooperative Program support to the SBC seminaries. "The quality of Southern Baptist theological education represented by the six seminaries and the accessibility of our programs to students is entirely dependent upon the financial support of churches through the Cooperative Program," he said. "There is no way that the seminaries could serve the mission assigned us by the Southern Baptist Convention without that vital support which allows us to make seminary education possible and accessible for the future generations of Southern Baptist ministers and missionaries." [BP]