Yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of Albert Mohler’s election as president of Southern Seminary. (See this article by JT). It also marked day one of Russell Moore’s tenure as president of the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission (ERLC).
Moore’s election puts him on an increasingly long list of entity heads that served closely with Dr. Mohler directly before attaining their current position*:
- SEBTS – Danny Akin, Mohler’s Dean of Theology
- MBTS – Jason Allen, Mohler’s VP for Institutional Advancement
- NAMB – Kevin Ezell, Mohler’s pastor
- LifeWay – Thom Rainer, Mohler’s Dean of Missions, Evangelism, & Church Growth
- ERLC – Russell Moore, Mohler’s Dean of Theology
This is really quite astonishing if you think back to 1993.
Bill Clinton took office for his first term, the Cowboys actually won the Super Bowl, Joe Carter hit his epic homerun in Game 6 of the World Series, Beanie babies were released, Snow’s song Informer topped the charts, dudes were wearing carpenter pants, ladies were wearing neon, and Southern Seminary was in shambles.
To turn the SBC’s flagship school around a 33 year old newspaper editor named Albert Mohler was hired. Twenty years later Southern Seminary is churning out conservative gospel-centered young leaders to serve the SBC.
These young men and women that are passionate for the truth, for the church, for the world, for the glory of God.” Which just so happens to be the institutions motto. Which also reflects the central convictions of her president, Albert Mohler.
In his book, The Conviction to Lead, Dr. Mohler says:
The plans and visions of the leader will be outdated soon after his burial. The style of the leader is a personal signature. Your tastes will not be the tastes of the future. Yet none of this really matters. What matters is that the convictions survive.
I, for one, am grateful that the deeply held biblical convictions of Albert Mohler will survive into generations to come. I also pray that the Lord continues to work in the life of Dr. Mohler and Southern Seminary, for the truth, for the church, for the world, and for the glory of God.
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*I am indebted to Ben Simpson for this list.
Amen
ReplyDeleteIn the SBC, one man can make a difference. To illustrate this truth, I drew a picture:
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/HarwoodAdam/status/316999332899467265/photo/1/large?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=fb&utm_campaign=HarwoodAdam&utm_content=316999332899467265
Amen, amen, amen! I am glad to have studied at SBTS and to have learned from Dr. Mohler.
ReplyDeleteAnon,
ReplyDeleteOccasionally I will let anonymous comments slide. But if you want to make such an incendiary comment please at least leave your name. I imagine there is much to the situation of which you speak that you are not aware.