$16 million gift boosts new chapel at Southwestern

FORT WORTH, Texas — In what is one of the largest gifts from individuals in the 98-year history of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, longtime seminary benefactors Harold E. and Dottie Riley have committed $16 million as the lead gift to construct a 3,500-seat chapel on the seminary’s campus. Seminary President Paige Patterson announced the gift to the seminary trustees during their fall meeting Oct. 17.

Harold E. Riley is a Fort Worth native and the chairman of the board of Citizens Inc. Financial Group of Companies, which has its headquarters in Austin, Texas. The Rileys provided a lead gift for the seminary’s Ray I. Riley Alumni Center, named in honor of Harold’s father, a 1953 Southwestern graduate.

The gift to help fund the new chapel highlights the Rileys’ commitment to Southwestern Seminary students. “We believe the new chapel is a critical need of the seminary that should substantially enhance the seminary’s ability to train and equip the next generation of pastors, missionaries and church workers,” Harold Riley said.