Letter: Opposition to SWBTS ads in Baptist Standard

RE: Opposition to SWBTS ads in Baptist Standard

It is difficult to read the excellent Baptist Standard articles and see ads for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. I used to work at the seminary under the Adam Greenway administration, a time when SWBTS truly was attempting to mend the fractured relationship between the seminary and Texas Baptists.

As director of partnerships, reaching out to Baptist General Convention of Texas pastors became one of my chief roles, and I saw great progress happening.

I then saw firsthand the change in philosophy when David Dockery and O.S. Hawkins took over SWBTS. I was in the room when Hawkins cancelled the SWBTS Alumni Dinner in Waco in 2022, choosing to take a hit of thousands of dollars with the caterer for missing the cancellation deadline, while doubling down on the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Alumni Dinner in Corpus Christi that year.

I asked Hawkins in that meeting if it was fair to say we no longer were interested in being the seminary for the 5,000-plus BGCT churches across Texas.

He responded that SWBTS would “run toward the ones who are running towards us, and that’s the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.”

He went on to back up his words with incendiary posts on social media attacking Texas Baptists.

Since then, he’s been named chancellor of SWBTS and continues to wield heavy influence over Dockery and the seminary.

I am now gratefully a Texas Baptist pastor, and I have been forced to break my ties with SWBTS. I know the current administration there has strong disagreements with the BGCT in areas like women in ministry, Christian counseling, the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message, among others.

Though not long ago I heavily promoted the seminary in Fort Worth, I no longer can in good conscience recommend SWBTS, due to lack of confidence in the current administration.

The seminary administration has made their feelings about Texas Baptists clear, and I hope Texas Baptists no longer will allow them to advertise in the Baptist Standard or in any other Texas Baptist communication as though SWBTS is a viable option for BGCT church members to receive their theological training.

Sam Bunnell, Pastor
First Baptist Church of Henrietta, Texas

Baptist Standard Publishing Co. is an independent partner of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, relating by special agreement. As such, our ad space is available to those serving Baptist churches, ministries and institutions. We are glad for BGCT-affiliated organizations to advertise in the Baptist Standard. To purchase ad space in the Baptist Standard, contact Heather Davis at heather.davis@baptiststandard.com or (214) 630-4571 ext. 1017.