Weekly Email: August 4, 2025

We're doing a survey and a large giveaway this week to kick off the new academic year. Details are at the end of this email. For new students just starting out, I wrote a short article for you, Five Habits for the New Seminary Student.

This week's email is a longer reflection on the past year, so feel free to bookmark it here to read later if you'd like. In short, I just want to say that connecting with you each week brings me much joy. Over the past year, writing these weekly emails has been one of my biggest highlights. I know it's easy to feel disconnected as an online student, and I hope this bridges that gap ever so slightly. Whether you're a returning student or just joining us, never hesitate to reach out virtually. I also hope to see you sometime here on campus, whether through our Experiential Modulars or even just a campus visit if you're passing by Louisville on a trip.

We're finally here to the first week of the new academic year. Exactly one year ago this week, I sat down to write my first weekly email to you. Honestly, I was uncertain if it would resonate or if it was even something you'd find helpful. At the end of the day, I'm always hesitant to put myself out there, but I thought this was worth a shot so I committed to trying to do a weekly with you all. Fifty-two emails later, it's become one of the most meaningful aspects of my role. This week, I want to do something a little bit different and share some reflections on what I've learned, express my deep appreciation for you, and offer some thoughts going forward.

Why These Emails Started

My role over the online program here at Southern involves oversight, setting vision and direction, and thinking of innovative ways to improve our program here at Southern. I first started in this role in March 2020, and just as I was getting my bearings, the pandemic hit with the unknown just taking root, and we had to pause many initiatives to focus on immediate needs as us and the world shut down for COVID. As things stabilized, we were able to promote Jonathan Ahlgren to Director of Online Learning (he has since earned a well-deserved promotion to Associate Vice President of Online Learning). Jonathan has been much of the architect and leadership behind the course level improvements, changes, and excellence that our program has. He leads our online learning team well. If you've been with us for a while now, I'm sure that you've appreciated the many improvements that have happened under his leadership.

While Jonathan focused on course-level excellence, one thing that was glaring in my face was that our students studying from a distance often felt disconnected from Southern. Last year, we launched our Experiential Modulars. This has been able to blend the best of both online and residential theological education. In order to make this more accessible to you, we cover lodging and meals while you're here. The community it's built has been so encouraging. I've heard from multiple students over the past year that these Experiential Modulars were the highlight of their education with Southern so far. But I realize that the reality of travel still makes it not fully accessible to everyone due to time, travel costs, and being away from family. In addition to these opportunities, we needed a consistent way of connecting with you.

We had a basic newsletter but it was inconsistent and felt impersonal. I had grand plans of trying to manage others writing monthly emails, but the logistics seemed out of reach. Finally, I decided I should probably start sending out something weekly myself. My goal was to create a personal connection with you, a glimpse into life at Southern, to know that a team of people is praying and rooting for you in your degree, and to provide updates and advice on how to be a better student.

What This Year Has Taught Me

Over the past year, I’ve had so many opportunities to connect with you all. The number of students I’ve heard back from has been overwhelming in the most positive way. Now, I regularly have conversations with many of you each week, which I deeply cherish. Recently, one student shared, "Thank you, Brian, for these weekly words of encouragement. As an online student, it’s easy to feel as though no one knows or cares that I’m still working on this degree." This captures exactly what I want to communicate: we do care, and we’re here for you.

I’ve heard about your struggles, frustrations, and the stress of the semester. I’ve also heard the excitement of how you’re applying what you’re learning in your current ministry contexts. Your stories have helped shape our program more than you realize. Let me share just a few examples:

• The pastor who’s been at his church for five years, wrestling with how to mentor someone into leadership, fielding difficult theological questions about pain and suffering, and guiding youth who are questioning why Christianity matters. Each class he’s taken has provided answers, and conversations with professors have further equipped him.

• The career engineer who, after 20 years, is planning a shift into nonprofit ministry but feels theologically unequipped. He’s simultaneously preparing for retirement and working towards his degree, readying himself for future ministry.

• The former corporate marketer who took a leap of faith, joined a church staff, and now shepherds over 100 families as their children’s pastor. He preaches or teaches twice a week, and every Southern course gives him "new language and better frameworks" for discipling kids and training volunteers.

• The student spending her weekdays teaching biology at a Christian school and her evenings mastering Greek paradigms. She’s integrating seminary insights into classroom devotionals, helping teenagers move from "boasting in self" to marveling at God’s creation, and sharpening her counseling skills for struggling students.

• The student midway through the Army’s chaplain candidate program, whose field exercises double as ministry labs. He’s applying lessons from systematic theology and evangelism classes by counseling fellow soldiers after long training days, honing his ability to "articulate the gospel clearly" in high-pressure, pluralistic environments.

• The mom who dedicates mornings to Greek paradigms and afternoons to homeschooling her three children. Her Greek grammar exercises offer fresh frameworks for discipling her kids and supporting other young moms in her neighborhood Bible study.

• The bivocational pastor in the Midwest, investing his evenings in a dozen high-schoolers at his local church. Greek, missiology, ethics, and pastoral ministry classes have reshaped his lesson outlines and counseling conversations, giving him newfound confidence. He says, "I’m finally sure I’m handling the text accurately before I hand it to a teenager."

• The father of four, working full-time during the week and filling the pulpit or leading Bible studies as needed at his small church. He chose Southern on the advice of mentors who encouraged him to learn from "the strongest faculty possible." Each course refines his sermon preparation and provides "new ways to help my kids love the Bible."

• After careers as an attorney, Army officer, and college teacher, one pastor felt God’s call to ministry later in life. Initially thinking seminary would be an easy academic credential, he discovered it was far more challenging and humbling than expected. The rigorous studies at Southern Seminary are refining him deeply, helping him serve his local church and community through genuine humility and strengthened character.

• Serving as the lead pastor of a church in revitalization, another student is leveraging every course to strengthen the biblical foundation of his congregation. He shared that what he's learning at Southern directly impacts his weekly preaching and pastoral care, helping him faithfully lead his church towards spiritual health and renewal.

Your stories matter, its what your living on a daily basis. I want you to know you’re seen and heard. You’re never just a number on an enrollment report. You’re real people, living real lives, doing real ministry for the kingdom of God, and that’s a beautiful thing.

Ultimately, this newsletter has evolved into something like a weekly blog. One advantage is that it keeps me constantly thinking about you, the students here at Southern. What are your needs? How can we meet them? What encouragement do you need? You’re always on our minds, and we strive continually to stay as student-focused as possible.

Looking Ahead

I have the privilege of being a part of the best theological education that higher education has to offer. Our faculty is simply impressive, not only with the amount of ministry experience, academic expertise, and theological knowledge and wisdom but they are also some of the most humble people you will meet. It's beautiful. The online team that works tirelessly behind the scenes helps bring the quality and consistency that you expect from Southern. There is a lot that goes into developing a good online course.

I know that in many ways online education isn't the ideal, and that's because God created us to be embodied creatures. I feel this tension and I know that you do as well. Watching a lecture is not the same listening and experiencing it in person. Discussion boards and email exchanges lack the depth and spontaneity of conversations after class. LiveSyncs lack the body language and physical feedback loops, warmth, and micro-interactions that accompany being together in a shared space. But the challenge of distance education also brings opportunities for you to be rooted where you are. To be equipped and be alongside you in ministry rather than pausing your life for 3-5 years then going out. You're able to stay rooted where you are, connected to your local church and community, and have access to the best theological education out there.

I know it's not an easy path. We have no hesitation to expect the rigor and quality that is found on campus to expect that from you as online students. Ministry is hard. Theological education is hard. And you're up for the task.

I look forward to the next year ahead. I hope to meet many of you at our upcoming Experiential Modulars. It's the best way to blend online and residential education. It's been such a joy to think through these emails each week and connect with you. Hopefully you feel seen and heard.

Thank You

So as I conclude this email I want to say thank you. Thank you for your feedback, thank you for serving your local church and communities that you're a part of, and thank you for letting Southern come alongside you and equip you for your ministry.