DALLAS, Tex¡ªMidwestern Seminary President Jason Allen delivered the seminary report to the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention during the annual meeting on June 11. Allen¡¯s address focused on the seminary¡¯s five strategic priorities in accomplishing its mission for the Church.
Allen began by expressing his gratefulness to serve the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention through the work of Midwestern Seminary.
He said, ¡°It is a remarkable fact of North American Christianity that, for 180 years, this convention has been on mission together, seeking to be confessionally faithful, seeking to reach the world for Christ, and through your six seminaries, training annually an incredible number of men and women to fulfill the Great Commission and serve the various ministry and pastoral roles that this convention needs.¡±
Allen noted God¡¯s recent blessings on Midwestern Seminary¡¯s mission, including a 2024¨C25 headcount of 5,416 and a Southern Baptist full-time equivalent total of 1,862, marking the institution¡¯s thirteenth consecutive year of enrollment growth.
In light of God¡¯s blessings, Allen emphasized the institution¡¯s first strategic priority of missional faithfulness, both in what it believes and why it exists.
¡°We understand that if we are wrong in our confessional commitments, it doesn¡¯t matter where else we are right,¡± he said.
He noted that all Midwestern Seminary faculty members, including adjunct professors, are committed to teach in accordance with the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, the Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, and the Nashville Statement on Biblical Sexuality.
He went on to say, ¡°You can look to your seminary in Kansas City with confidence as to what we believe and what we teach.¡±
Pointing to the institution¡¯s purpose, he continued, ¡°We are absolutely committed to serving Southern Baptist churches. Those three words have become synonymous with this institution: for the Church.¡±
He added, ¡°Brothers and sisters, you are our ministry.¡±
Emphasizing that the seminary¡¯s missional commitments are carried out in the work of training students for local church service, Allen shared the institution¡¯s second priority of faculty strength.
He listed the institution¡¯s five most recent faculty additions, Donald Whitney, John Meade, Peter Gurry, Matthew Boswell, and Ronni Kurtz, highlighting their contributions and leadership for the church in fields including biblical spirituality, biblical studies and the history of Scripture, hymnody, and systematic theology.
Third, Allen addressed the institution¡¯s priority of student success. ¡°Our ambition is to see students holistically trained, minds full of truth, hearts passionate for the Lord, and hands skilled in local church service,¡± he said.
Reflecting on the past year, Allen shared that students in the institution¡¯s residential program and Global Campus represent all 50 states and 63 countries, including many hard-to-reach places around the world.
Fourth, he shared the institution¡¯s priority of flourishing campus community. He highlighted God¡¯s blessing on the institution to complete deferred maintenance and capital projects over the past 10 years. Recent projects have included a restoration and beautification of the original stonework on the campus exterior and an increase of residence space by 66 beds to accommodate growing on-campus enrollment in Fall 2025 and beyond.
Finally, Allen highlighted the institution¡¯s priority of intergenerational stewardship. ¡°We understand that we are stewards,¡± he said. ¡°I am not an owner, and we are not owners in Kansas City. We are stewarding this institution for you as Southern Baptists.¡±
He listed several examples of the institution¡¯s focus on stewardship, including its lack of debt, growing endowment, and sustainable business model. Allen pointed to God¡¯s grace through these efforts to provide the institution with a nearly $100 million increase in net financial assets since 2013.
Allen concluded, ¡°This is God¡¯s kindness to us through Southern Baptists, so many of you in the room today. Thank you for the privilege of serving your youngest seminary, 91¶¶Òõ.¡±
By Michaela Classen
