One Thing Thou Lackest!
By Joe E. Trull, Editor
Truett Seminary at Baylor University is a great theological school-in many ways a flagship institution among Baptists. Truett`s leadership is dynamic, its professors are well trained and skilled (several are renowned in theological circles), and its students are top-notch and totally committed to doing God`s will.
Since its beginning, Truett has grown from 50 students in 1994 to 520 enrolled today, a total of 485 graduates, and a goal of 1000 on-campus students enrolled within ten years. Endowment has reached $36 million. In a Truett Update about a year ago, Dean Paul Powell outlined six challenging goals, noting numerous achievements of the school, and shared his vision to make Truett seminary "Texas Baptists` gift to the world."
I applaud his vision and commend his leadership, without which Truett Seminary would not be where it is today. Truett offers excellent training in biblical studies, theology, church history, homiletics, and various practical studies.
My love and admiration of Truett Seminary is evidenced in the fact that CET held its First Annual Conference at Truett on February 13-14, 2006. The response of both students and faculty was exceptional and gracious in every way.
Yet, with a heavy heart I must say, "One Thing Thou Lackest!"
Truett Seminary does not have a Professor of Christian Ethics on its faculty or a course in Christian ethics in its curriculum. This need has become a magnificent obsession for me, one I have discussed more than once with the administration.
In 1999, I served on the Seminary Study Committee appointed by the Baptist General Convention of Texas. We visited and interviewed all SBC seminaries, as well as our two new seminaries in Texas. How well I remember our session with the former President of Baylor, the Chair of Baylor Trustees, and the Interim Dean of Truett-they presented a list of ten priorities for the seminary if Texas Baptists increased their funding. Would you believe the NUMBER ONE PRIORITY presented to our study committee was a full-time Professor of Christian Ethics! How pleased I was. And, Texas Baptists did increase their funding of Truett, but now eight years later I am still waiting for that priority.
Yes, I have heard the explanations-a lack of funds and a full curriculum. And yes, I realize other seminary disciplines do discuss ethical concerns. But as James McClendon noted in his first volume of systematic theology, Ethics (in which he claims ethics comes first), "Ethics is often left until last, and then it is left out altogether."[i]
I also am aware that many other disciplines at Truett have second and third teachers. I have no qualms about that fact. But, before Truett endows a second Chair of Missions (a recent goal) or add other second and third teachers, doesn`t Truett need to focus on getting their first ethics professor and adding at least an Introduction to Christian Ethics course to the curriculum?
The six SBC seminaries have from one to three ethics professors each, and Logsdon Seminary at Hardin Simmons has the T. B. Maston Chair of Christian Ethics ably occupied by Bill Tillman. Isn`t it logical for Truett to do likewise?
As a Texas Baptist pastor from 1962 to 1984 in small rural churches, exploding suburban churches, and a large downtown First Baptist Church, I understand why ministers need training in Christian ethics. Ministers need to improve their decision making skills, develop moral leadership, protect themselves from common errors in ethical deliberation, and understand the priority of ethics in the Christian life.[ii]
During 15 years of teaching Christian ethics at the SBC seminary in New Orleans (at which every student was required to take the Introduction course and one additional course in ethics), I knew firsthand the need for church leaders to be equipped in moral decision making, biblical ethics, ministerial ethics, and the difficult task of addressing contemporary moral issues in the complex areas of church and state, war and peace, biomedical ethics, human sexuality, marriage and family, and the role of women in church and home-to name just a few.
So, that`s my plea, that`s my case, and that`s my magnificent obsession! If you agree, drop a line or share a word with Dean Paul Powell or Assistant Dean David Garland.[iii]
And, above all, make it happen through your personal and financial support.
[i] See "Why Ethics Comes First," in James McClendon, Jr., Ethics (Nashville: Abingdon, 1986), 41-45.
[ii] See Joe E. Trull, Walking in the Way: An Introduction to Christian Ethics (Nashville: B&H, 1997), 8-12.
[iii] Write to Truett Seminary at P. O. Box 97126, Waco, TX 76798, or call (254) 710-3755.
