Southeastern Trustees Approve Two Degree Programs

by   Dwayne Hastings                                                                                                                                      Vol. VIII, No. 4, April 1995

Voicing assurance that a proposed degree in biblically based counseling will not just have "a veneer of Christianity with a secular perspective, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson urges the school's board of trustees to approve in principle the program's development. Meeting March 13-14 on Southeastern’s Wake Forest, N.C., campus, trustees expressed apprehension at creating a program that would produce graduates whose counseling techniques would simply mirror those of secular counseling, instead calling for a degree plan to equip graduates to provide biblical guidance in lieu of a blend of psychotherapy and religiosity to people in need.

The body gave its approval of the new track in the master of divinity degree program acknowledging the need in society for counseling rooted in Scripture.

"Either we have to believe the Bible is the Word Of God and that God supernaturally changes people or we'll just be sprinkling religious foo-foo dust on hurting people," said Adrian Rogers, a trustee and pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in suburban Memphis, Tenn.

Trustees also approved implementation of the doctor of philosophy degree for the full 1995 semester. Southeastern’s vice president for academic affairs Russ Bush told the board the degree program will be unique. "The Ph.D. program will combine the traditional American model with the mentorship roles unique tot he European academic community,” Bush said. "We anticipate it to be a premier program that will produce a very high quality graduate."

The board also heard from Andy and Joyce Bealer, seminary students who recently had returned from southwest Kenya where 2,500 persons accepted Christ during a two-week evangelistic effort by Southeastern students. The Bealers said they went to Kenya expecting God to move but not expecting the massive power of God they witnessed. The husband-and-wife team, who are enrolled in the school's master of divinity in church planting degree program, will be relocating to the East African nation this summer to continue their studies as part of the joint Foreign Mission Board-Southeastern program.

Patterson advised trustees of his desire that every student have the opportunity to participate in a mission trip to a Third World nation before their graduation. “The lack of such opportunities has been one of the sad factors in seminary life," he said. "We believe such an on-the-job training offering would make our graduates better prepared for the ministry God has for them."

Patterson also announced the addition of David Beck to the faculty as assistant professor of New Testament. Beck, who holds a Ph.D. from Duke University, was appointed to one of five professorial slots the president indicated would need to be filled by the fall semester to meet the growth in enrollment.

In closing, the board recognized Bob Crowley, pastor of Montrose Baptist Church, Rockville, Md., and Ralph Holt, Jr., pastor of Lake Forest Baptist. Wilmington, N.C., for their completion of 10 years of service on the school's board of trustees.