Music department joins together to showcase talent in ‘Jubilate’

The sixth annual musical presentation of Jubilate will take place in Southeastern Seminary’s Binkley Chapel Thursday night, May 8, at 8:00 PM.

Southeastern Seminary’s six music ensembles, including the Chapel Choir, Male Chorale, the Seminary Orchestra, Faithful Men, Doxology Vocal Ensemble and the Doxology Instrumental Ensemble, will be providing the music. Frequently associated with Psalm 100 the word “Jubilate” means “to rejoice or raise a shout of joy.” Jubilate will include a wide variety of musical styles ranging from classical to contemporary Christian music.

Southeastern Seminary and Northeast Piedmont Chorale to present Mendelssohn’s Elijah on May 2

The Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Male Chorale, the Seminary Choir, and the Northeast Piedmont Chorale, under the direction of Dr. John Davis, will present Mendelssohn’s Elijah this Friday, May 2, at 8:00 pm in Binkley Chapel. Dr. Doug Crawley will perform the role of Elijah. A pre-concert lecture on Felix Mendelssohn and the composition of Elijah will be presented by Joshua Waggener in Eitel Auditorium at 7:00 pm preceding the concert.

Trustees approve fund-raising campaign goals

by Jason Hall

The trustees of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary today unanimously approved plans for the second phase of the school’s decade-long fund-raising campaign, with a stated goal of $17 million.

Projects to be funded through the campaign include renovations to the school’s library, scholarships for undergraduate students, endowed faculty chairs, and the school’s Lewis A. Drummond Center for Great Commission Studies, among others.

In other action, trustees approved a $21.3 million budget and elected three new members of Southeastern’s faculty.

School administrators, who have been working on plans in the so-called “silent phase” of the capital campaign for years, were pleased to have such enthusiastic approval from the board.

“Fundamentally, this campaign is not about money,” said Daniel Akin, Southeastern president. “It is about fulfilling the Great Commission by equipping students to serve the church and spread the fame of the Lord Jesus Christ by every Christ-honoring means possible. We never tire of dreaming about the advance of the gospel. We need and pray for godly men and women to catch this vision and support us generously in this endeavor.”

Cowen to begin new Bible institute and seminary in Central America

from staff reports

Dr. Gerald Cowen, senior professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and former dean of Southeastern’s undergraduate college, will begin a new Bible institute and master’s level school at Vida Nueva Baptist Church in San Salvador, El Salvador.

It is hoped that the school will open in the fall, and the plans are for a fully accredited program of study to be implemented in the near future. Cowen will serve as the school’s first president.

Southeastern professor makes e-book available as preaching resource

by Lauren Crane

Individuals and groups alike can easily obtain a resource to help them prepare biblically faithful messages, thanks to Southeastern professor Wayne McDill.

McDill, who began working at Southeastern in 1989, released a 20-chapter workbook as a resource for people who need assistance in developing solid sermons and messages. Preparing Bible Messages contains 20 lessons on teaching and preaching Biblically-faithful messages. The book is available, in its entirety, online for free download through McDill’s website, www.waynemcdill.net.

Southeastern plans trip to help rebuild tornado-ravaged Union

by Lauren Crane

Southeastern students, faculty and staff will have the chance to help rebuild the campus of Union University during spring break, as Union tries to move on post-tornado.

The Southern Baptist university, located in Jackson, Tenn., sustained heavy damage to the campus after an F-4 tornado ripped through on February 5. Estimates of damage to campus exceed $40 million dollars. In an effort to help the school continue the rebuilding process, Southeastern will be sponsoring a trip to help with landscaping and grounds repair.

The trip will take place April 24-26, which is the end of Southeastern’s spring break. Meals, transportation and lodging will be provided for Southeasterners who wish to go and help with landscaping work. Students can also receive one hour of class credit for participating.

To find out more information about the trip, please contact Benjamin Quinn (919-761-2283) in the Student Development office. If you’d like to register, please contact Elizabeth Graham (919-761-2200).

Southeastern reaches more people through increased use of technology

In a continuing effort to connect people with the message of the Gospel, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., has begun video podcasting of its chapel addresses.

The seminary, which has had a regularly occurring audio podcast of its chapel services for more than a year, recently expanded to include regular features of its twice-weekly messages in video format. About one video podcast will be released each week, and the new use of the technology will enable people worldwide to benefit from chapel as much as the students studying in Wake Forest.

Preaching professor wins book award

A Southeastern preaching professor’s debut book has won a Book of the Year award from Christianity Today’s resource web site, PreachingToday.com.

Spirit-Led Preaching, written by Greg Heisler, assistant professor of preaching, won the coveted prize as the book that best nourishes the evangelical preacher’s soul. Heisler noted that while any first-time author hopes his work is well-received, the Book of the Year honor was unexpected.

“I am humbled by the award, and I continuously remind myself of how the Lord saw fit to bring it into print, and now how the Lord is the one to receive the glory.”

Chapel highlights for Spring ‘08 include Page, Hunt

Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, will lead the list of prominent speakers to address the Southeastern family during chapel at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary this spring.

Chapel services at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary begin on January 29, with seminary president Daniel Akin speaking. The schedule continues with other notable leaders, including Page, pastors of First Baptist Church of Taylors, S.C., who is currently serving in his second term as SBC president.

Construction continues on Patterson Hall

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary’s newest building on campus is on track to be dedicated in October.

The building, which will house faculty offices, the Ph.D., D.Min. and Ed.D. programs, the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture and several new classrooms, has been under construction since October of 2006. The building has now been fully “dried in,” as well as having all interior stud work completed.

Patterson Hall, named after former Southeastern President and First Lady Paige and Dorothy Patterson, is still in line with its target dedication date of October of 2008, keeping it to a two-year project. The project began with the groundbreaking ceremony, which was held in October of 2006, shortly after trustees approved plans for the 33,000 square foot building.

Patterson Hall will be the anchor building for the development of the west side of campus and the flagship academic building for the largest seminary on the east coast. The building will house several doctoral seminar suites, state-of-the-art classrooms, 22 faculty offices and the Center for Faith and Culture.

As the west end of Southeastern’s campus is built over the next 20 years, a new campus center will be constructed as well as two more buildings whose use is yet to be determined.