In the face of a possible $1 million decrease in funding at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, the seminary’s trustees approved a $1 million budget increase during their spring meeting March 6 at the Fort Worth, Texas, school.
Southwestern President Kenneth S. Hemphill called the 3.4 percent budget increase “a normal increase.”
“We are budgeting conservatively,” he said of the $29.6 million budget.
Last year, the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) voted to redirect approximately $4 voted from the six Southern Baptist Convention seminaries to three seminaries in Texas. Southwestern stands to lose about $1 million, or about 3.4 percent of the seminary’s total budget.
While not anticipating a major loss in funds from the potential BGCT budget reduction, Hemphill said, “It’s too early for us to try to project that.”
The president reported that all but two of the 86 elected faculty members have signed The Baptist Faith and Message 2000.
“I appreciate the integrity of the men who felt they could not sign and appreciate their contribution to the school. We will work with them in a biblical and gracious way to make any necessary transition a good one,” Hemphill said. (BP)
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