Weekly Email: September 1, 2025

Written By Brian Renshaw

In this week’s email:

Student Encouragement: Reflections from Convocation

Last week was our opening convocation. Dr. Mohler preached from Luke 6:46–49, the parable of the two houses, one built on the rock and one on the sand. His charge was clear: foundations matter, and obedience to Christ is the only true foundation. Disciples are not marked by knowledge alone but by obedience. More than merely learning about God, seminary helps shape us into followers of Christ who live what we learn. Hearing truth without obeying it leads only to ruin.

This was my fourteenth fall convocation at Southern, as both student and staff. Closing the service with the seminary hymn, singing my favorite words, “we meet to part, but part to meet,” took me back to 2011 when I moved here unsure of the future but certain God had called me. Coming to Louisville was an act of faith, trusting Him to provide each step. Convocation is more than ceremony; it gathers the community to begin another year of training for gospel service. From the 17-year-old at Boyce to the 70-year-old finishing preparation, the vision of 1859 still lives in 2025.

A highlight each year is the election and signing of the Abstract of Principles. Every professor affirms this confession when they join the faculty, pledging to teach “without hesitation, mental reservation, or any private arrangement.” After years of service, the faculty elect their colleague, who then signs the original Abstract of Principles publicly before the student body and their peers. It is a powerful testimony of doctrinal commitment that sets the tone for the year. This year four professors signed, continuing that legacy.

Dr. Mohler then turned to God’s Word and preached from Luke 6:46-49, reminding us that foundations matter and obedience is the only true foundation. He explained that disciples are not marked by knowledge alone but by obedience, and he outlined three collapses that face Christians and Christian institutions.

Doctrinal Collapse

Seminaries, denominations, and ministries abandon orthodoxy and lose the gospel. As he said, “Theological liberalism kills education. And in more than one way, the deadliest way is it abandons the gospel, and the next thing you know, the institution is teaching some other gospel.” Doctrinal compromise always begins small, but it never ends small. Guarding sound doctrine is not about winning arguments but about staying faithful to Christ and protecting His church.

Moral Collapse

This comes through personal sin, public failures, and hypocrisy. Dr. Mohler pointed to pastors disqualified for misbehavior on social media, alongside the old and familiar stories of adultery and immorality. “For that to be on the front page of a newspaper is a scandal to the entire church and a warning to us all.” Moral collapse is never private; it damages the witness of Christ’s church. Holiness of life and accountability are essential for every one of us.

Spiritual Collapse

The most subtle collapse is spiritual. Many do not fall through scandal but through boredom, fatigue, or sloth. Dr. Mohler used the French word ennui, saying, “The house has fallen simply by fatigue, boredom, sloth, inattention, distraction. Other things enter into this: envy, anger, resentment, spiritual collapse, loss of heart, and discouragement.” This is perhaps the most dangerous for students. It is easy to let study become disconnected from worship, to treat ministry as a task list, or to start the day with deadlines instead of devotion. Guard your devotional life as fiercely as your study schedule. Begin each day with Christ before you open a textbook.

Conclusion

Convocation is a reminder that our foundation must be Christ alone. The storms will come, but what is built on Him will stand. So study faithfully, live faithfully, and let every part of your time here deepen your trust in Christ.

Program News: Preview Day at Southern Seminary

On October 10, we’ll be hosting our Fall Preview Day. If you’ve been studying online and have ever thought about moving to Louisville to finish your degree on campus, we’d love to meet you in person at this event. For just $25, we will cover your two nights of lodging as well as all your meals on Preview Day.

Preview Day gives you the chance to tour the campus, connect face-to-face with faculty, and take part in a Q&A with Dr. Mohler. Many students have found that seeing campus firsthand helped them decide whether the move to Louisville was the right next step.

And if you know someone considering seminary, this is also a perfect opportunity to invite them to experience Southern for themselves.

Learn more here: sbts.edu/admissions/preview-day

Behind the Scenes: The Online Team and Unicycles

Last Friday was the final day at Southern for John Baker, Lead Instructional Designer. For the past five years, John has faithfully partnered with faculty to design and develop online courses. His work has shaped many of the classes you have taken. Recently he completed his doctorate in Old Testament, and now he, his wife, and their two children are heading to Colombia as missionaries with Reaching & Teaching.

But did you know that John also rides unicycles? Even more surprising, our Associate Vice President of Online Learning, Jonathan Ahlgren, does too. To mark John’s last day, the two of them rode their unicycles one last time together. Here’s a short video of the moment.

Quick Reference of Upcoming Term Dates:

  • Current Week: Fall 1, Week 5 (September 1–8)

  • Fall 2 Term Begins: October 6, 2025

  • Winter Term Begins: December 1, 2025

Register for Courses →
Register for Fall Experiential Modulars →


Thanks for reading! I’ll check in next Monday. You can browse past emails in the archive or explore Course Snapshots to find textbooks, course descriptions, and details about what we offer online.

Brian Renshaw

Brian is the Associate Vice President for the Global Campus at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

brianrenshaw.com
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Weekly Email: August 25, 2025