Patterson makes new appointments at SWBTS

He better get busy, ten out of 40 profs on the school of theology will be gone (9 have announced including Bullock and Stookey - one is pending), at least three in the school of educational ministries have announced their retirements as well - including Dr. Smith who is helping start the new seminary.

 

Don't know these gentlemen, I hope them the best in their work. I did like it that someone of "color" was hired, a step in the right direction, especially considering the school is in Texas.

Still wouldn't send my son or attend Southwestern, but that has nothing to do with these men.

 

Why would you not go or send your son to SWBTS?

 

Don't care for the president, don't care for the BF&M 2000, don't care for the way they have treated people I know that are alumni and former profs and are now not "welcome" at SWBTS. To name a few. This thread is about the new guys stepping in and I would think that many of them didn't have much to do with those events, I have a different point of view and would take my learning experience elsewhere. They will serve their "market" and people will be saved, or so I hope and in the end isn't that really what it is about? We don't have to hold hands to serve God effectively, but it would be nice not if we didn't throw stones.

 

One of them graduateed with a a doctorate from Regent University in Virginia Beach. Isn't that Pat Robertson's school?

 

I think so, but I don't know what type of academic institution it is? Anyone with any insight?

 

We haven't seen an exodus like that since Moses. And they wrote a book about that.

Let my people go!

 

I did look up Regent University in Virginia Beach and it is the university Pat Robertson founded. A few years ago it was reported that Southern Seminary brought in several non-SBC people to work there. Also while I was pastoring a few years ago the SBC brought in a number of non-Baptists for advice on their boards.

 

I wonder if you "Patterson Haters" were as critical of him back at the beginning of his tenure at SEBTS?

Considering the work he accomplished in Wake Forest, I can only see great things coming out of SWBTS in the years to come.

 

Some would argue the point that what was accomplished was at Southeastern was good. Don't know much about the school's history before Patterson or what effect his tenure at Southeastern within the academic Christian community has been. My guess is that most would either love or to use your word "hate" what he as done their. Not much grey with Patterson!

 

I would agree that that SEBTS needed a lot of changing. Any conservative man would have been supported there. But just compare Southern to how it was with Broadus and A.T. Robertson and now with Moehler. There is a huge academinc difrence. SWBTS has been the premier SBC seminary for a long time. It has never had a number of the problems that plagued most of the others. I would not give much ctedit to Patterson. It seriuosly doubt that it will come close academically as it once was. Some I am sure are not aware that most of the theology school has left. Some are still leaving to go to DBU.

When Patterson hires a man who got his doctorate from Pat Robertson's school don't you have to wonder a little or maybe a whole lot? I would not consider Pat Robertson anything other than a charismatic. Would you?

 

I for one am not a Patterson hater, I have met Dr. Patterson on a few occsions and find him to be an engaging person. I have heard him speak a few times, he is quite good in the pulpit (although I was distracted by the number of references he makes to himself in his sermons).

I think that he is the wrong person for SWBTS however, from all indications he has not fully engaged as president. He has not as far as I know communicated a vision for SWBTS - other than declaring that enrollment was going to rise dramatically.

Craig Blaising continues to set policy - as he did after the trustees clipped Dr. Hempphils wings. It may be that Dr. Patterson does not yet have the authority from the trustees to do as he wants - that may change in the next trustee meeting ( I hope it does, Blaising may be a fantastic theologian but he is horrible as an administrator.)

It is too bad for the seminary that such a large percentage of the faculty is leaving - it is the students who will suffer.

 

No one of value is leaving SWBTS. Only mods and mod sympathizers.

The Mods slipped through for so long in Texas because of the strong sense of denominationalism there.

 

Daniel David,

I was wondering if this was the case. All the signs point to this being true.

gb93433,
To suggest that Patterson would hire a "Pat Robertson" type charismatic is laughable.

Again I say, considering the work he did at SEBTS (including the staff he assembled), I have all the confidence in the world that he will do great things at SWBTS.

Right now I would pick a few other seminaries over SWBTS. However, I do not see this being the case in a few years! This is due solely on the work that Patterson will accomplish.

Some of you might not come out and admit to be "Patterson haters", but your posts reek of it!
If you do not want to admit to being "Patterson haters", at least admit to the fact that some of you want to see him fail. How sad!

 

Patterson will succed of fail on his own merits, the question is what is your defination of success? Surely increased enrollment isn't the qualifier of success, is it? As I have stated before he will serve his "market" and hopefully the Kingdom will benefit. I don't like what Patterson has done and make no bones about it, but that has more to do with denominational affairs then school operations

 

To think that anyone wants to see one of our SBC seminaries fail is utterly riduculous, as is the statement that SWBTS is filled with Mods or Mod sympathisers. The men and women that are at SWBTS, and that are leaving are men and women who believe in the fundamentals of the faith, are great theologians, historians and educators. As I have stated before, these are all professors that signed the BFM 2000 - and would not have done so if it would have violated thier consiences to do so.

I will be very interested to see who Dr. Patterson picks to take the places of these professors and what SWBTS will look like in five years. I am also interested to see if the trustees give Dr. Patterson the full power of the presidency, or if is to be a figure head while people like Dr. Blaising do the work.

Daniel David is ignorant of the workings and people of SWBTS, his comments should be ignored

 

Patterson is a cessationalist (that is just a fancy word for believing that the sign gifts don't exist today). I don't see him hiring too many charismaniacs.

Also, he is dispensational. Blaising is a progressive dispy. The future for SWBTS looks good.

Btw, the SBC2000 isn't like the most conservative statement out there. You guys make a big deal if they agreed to it. So what? They can just play the same mindless word games that the mods always have.

 

DD

I dont understand your reference to charismaniacs, I am not aware of any on the SWBTS faculty that are charismatics.

As far as dispensationalism is concerned, even though I tend to hold to a dispensational theology myself - dispensationalism is a relativly new concept - and not one traditionally held by Baptists - at least of the SBC stripe.

My bringing up the BFM 2000 is to show that ALL current professors of SWBTS are teaching in accordance with it, I know these professors to be men and women of inegrity - they would not have signed the statement if they could not support it. True, many struggled with the statement, but in the end they signed.

At least you are not calling SWBTS professors apostates any longer - I will take that as a small victory!

 

You are right in a way. Those of great value in the kingdom of God and academia are already gone. I would suggest that you consider Dr.Jack MacGorman, Dr. Curtis Vaughan, Dr.Leon McBeth, Dr. Harry Hunt and Dr. Lorin Cranford before you make such a statement though. Also along with the many former students who would not consider teaching there. Perhaps you do know the former registrar left in part because academics were sunbstandard. I know him personally. They didn't like it when he pointed it out to them.