Year in Review: Southeastern Celebrates Significant Milestones and God’s Kindness

Mary Asta Mountain | December 31, 2025

For Southeastern Seminary and Judson College, the year 2025 brought with it significant milestones and a season of reflection and gratitude for all that God has done over the past many years.

On October 14, President Danny Akin announced his intentions to retire as president on July 31, 2026. He is the longest tenured president at Southeastern, and he will have served 22 years in this role by the date of his retirement.

As Southeastern approaches this season of transition, markers of God’s kindness and provision abound.

This year began with the first celebrations of Southeastern’s 75th anniversary, which would continue throughout the year. These included the release of a video podcast hosted by Southeastern professors Scott Pace, Stephen Eccher, and Steve McKinion. This series, titled “Milestones,” reflected on several significant anniversaries in Christian history and how these historical events laid the foundation for Southeastern’s own convictions and mission.

Southeastern’s 75th anniversary provided an opportunity to celebrate how God led this institution to recover its biblical fidelity, renew a commitment to the local church, and reignite missional fervor. This story of Southeastern’s history is nothing short of a miracle, and all glory belongs to God.

Today, Southeastern remains committed to its clarified mission statement as established by Akin in 2006: Southeastern Seminary exists to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission.

A Year for Missions

In February, Southeastern celebrated its annual Global Missions Week, hosted by the Center for Great Commission Studies (CGCS). The week welcomed missionaries to campus from the International Mission Board (IMB) and the North American Mission Board. Over the course of the week, students, staff, and faculty participated in a variety of mission-themed events, including a multi-day missions fair, a campus-wide missions prayer-walk, a night of international worship, and
more.

Yet Global Missions week was only the beginning. In 2025, Southeastern sent more than 150 men and women on 15 school-sponsored mission trips all over the world, to places like Brazil, Japan, Madagascar, London, Las Vegas, and Southeast Asia.

During the fall semester, Southeastern also hosted two significant reunions. The first was the 60th anniversary of the IMB’s Journeyman program. For decades, Journeymen alumni have composed a core piece of the Southeastern community as they prepare for long-term missions through theological education. The second reunion brought together the members of Southeastern’s first 2+2 cohort to celebrate their 30th anniversary. Following its launch, the 2+2 program eventually became an established sending pathway for the IMB in partnership with the seminaries of the Southern Baptist Convention.

A Year for Growth

This year, Southeastern also experienced a number of growth-related milestones and changes.

At their spring annual meeting, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved changes to the Master of Divinity core, with an emphasis on prioritizing Scripture, integration of evangelization and discipleship, and extra electives. These changes increased the core from 82 to 84 hours. At this time, because of God’s provision and the generosity of Southeastern donors, residential students have the opportunity to receive full tuition scholarships for the MDiv, preparing them for a lifetime of faithful ministry.

The year 2025 also witnessed exciting growth across all degrees and especially in Judson College. This fall, the combined student body of Southeastern and Judson surpassed 5,400 students, with a 9.5% overall increase in enrollment.

As for global theological education, this summer Southeastern celebrated the historic graduation of its first Persian Leadership Development (PLD) master’s students, 16 men and women graduating from the only accredited Master of Theological Studies program offered entirely in Farsi.

This year also brought with it Southeastern’s first counseling conference, Redeem and Restore, which welcomed over 250 attendees to campus and equipped students, counselors, and church members to minister to those in need by applying biblical truth and wisdom while engaging with the best of clinical insights.

A Year for the Faculty

In 2025, the Lord blessed Southeastern with six new faculty who are eager to join Southeastern’s mission of equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission. These professors are:

These men and women join Southeastern’s stellar faculty and take up the mantle of dear friends like Jim Shaddix, Keith Harper, and Adrianne Miles — all of whom went home to be with Jesus in the past year-and-a-half. Each of them finished their race well and left an enduring Great Commission legacy at Southeastern.

This year, Southeastern’s faculty also published a variety of books in their different disciplines. These titles included:

Looking Forward

As Southeastern approaches the new year, many new things are on the horizon. However, God has proved himself faithful over the years, and Southeastern is committed to his Great Commission to make disciples, bringing all people to himself from every tribe, nation, and tongue. As we move into this new year with joy and thanksgiving, we ask that you would keep Southeastern in your prayers. Please pray for:

  • Wisdom for our presidential search committee as they prayerfully consider candidates for Southeastern seventh president.
  • Boldness for our alumni as they serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission wherever God calls them.
  • Encouragement and strength for our faculty as they continue to equip their students for faithful ministry.
  • Continued fervor for the Great Commission as Southeastern seeks to honor the Lord Jesus Christ in all that we do.

To join us in this mission or to learn more about Southeastern and Judson, visit sebts.edu.

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