Baptist Women

Perhaps you have heard about the new concentration of courses being offered by Southwestern Seminary in Texas. The concentration is for women only and focuses on homemaking in an effort to establish family and gender roles. Seminary leaders have stated that these courses are for women who are or will be minister's wives so that they will be prepared to cook, clean, and tend to their home.

I was fortunate enough to attend a seminary (Beeson Divinity School, Samford University) that not only affirmed a woman's calling to ministry but encouraged and nurtured that calling. I was especially blessed to have a wife, who is called to ministry on her own, to go through seminary with me. We both chose the Master of Divinity track rather than the Master of Theology track, although for different reasons. I of course wanted the preaching courses that were required for the M.Div. degree and Cyd wanted the counseling courses required for the M.Div. Beeson didn't allow women the opportunity to substitute the preaching courses for other courses, and I am so thankful they didn't. Truth be told my wife is the better preacher out of the two of us, but she knows that is not her calling in ministry. Still, I am thankful that she took preaching instead of cooking because she is my toughest critic when I preach. She has the knowledge and insight to offer me, so that my sermons and ultimately my ministry is strengthened. I would not be half the minister I am without her wisdom and insight that she has gained in her own ministry and through her own education. What a tragedy to think that we would have missed out on that if we had attended a different seminary.