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For the future, Hemphill believes that Southwestern needs to go on broadening its influence, even while remaining true to its traditional emphasis. "I would like to see our faculty playing a larger role in the evangelical academic guild," he says, "and see their publishing efforts begin to make a more significant impact beyond Southern Baptist boundaries."

And he wants the seminary to attract more students from outside the SBC fold: "We are a confessional Baptist school, but we want to be a little more aggressive in letting the larger evangelical constituency know that their students are welcome here for theological training."

Only time will tell whether the seminary, while allying itself more closely with the SBC, can in fact reach out to a denominationally broader world.

Larry Eskridge is associate director of the Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals at Wheaton College.

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Other stories in our May issue's Dallas cover package include:

The New Capital of EvangelicalismMove over, Wheaton and Colorado Springs—Dallas, Texas, has more megachurches, megaseminaries and mega-Christian activity than any other American city.

Big City, Big MinistryHow did a top-25 list of ministries become a cover story on Dallas?

See the official Web sites for the Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary and Dallas Theological Seminary.

For more on B.H. Carroll, see the Web sites of the Southern Baptist Convention and Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives.

Last year, Ken Hemphill wrote "How Excellent Are Thy NamesWhat God invites us to call him says volumes about his relationship to us" for Christianity Today.

Related Christianity Today articles include:

SBC Funding ImperiledTexas Baptists resolved reduce monies for SBC seminaries and programs. (Sept. 25, 2000)

Submission RejectedState convention counters SBC marriage statement. (Dec. 27, 1999)

Texas Baptists Counter Official Southern Baptist Stance on MarriageBaptist General Conference of Texas goes back to 1963 statement, rejecting 1998 vote. (Dec. 11, 1999)

Conservative Texans Form New Group(Sept. 11, 1999)

Seminary Faculty Must Sign Pledge(Dec. 7, 1998)

Split Nearing for Texas Convention(Feb. 9, 1989)

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May 21 2002, Vol. 46, No. 6