A Southern Baptist Educational Anniversary

Many may not realize it, but today is a significant anniversary for Southern Baptists. On this date 152 years ago, James P. Boyce delivered his now famous address “Three Changes in Theological Education.” Boyce’s vision revamped theological education in general, and influenced the way that Southern Baptists in particular educated many of their ministers and missionaries. This address set the groundwork for the establishment of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary just two years later. What was so different about Boyce’s vision? First, he believed that men with less general education still should be able to receive significant theological education. Second, he believed that institutions that offer theological education to those who are less educated should still offer courses that would stretch and prepare those who were more gifted and had more education. Finally, Boyce believed that a theological school should be guided by a confession to ensure its theological integrity. Southern Baptists today will be happy to know that Boyce’s vision is intact within the institution he founded. If you would like to read more about this significant address, you can read about it in the Memoir of James Petigru Boyce.