Baylor’s Truett Seminary Celebrates 25 Years

In March 1991, then Baylor University president Herbert H. Reynolds described the establishment of George W. Truett Theological Seminary as “a declaration of faith which seeks to bring the truth and power of the gospel to bear upon a diverse and broken world.” Now, 25 years later, Baylor’s Truett Seminary is celebrating its quarter-century anniversary with a variety of programs and events that highlight both its history and future dedicated to preparing preachers, missionaries and ministers to serve this same “diverse and broken world.”

Since its founding, Truett Seminary has witnessed remarkable growth, both in enrollment and in the scope of programs offered. In 2012, the seminary reached an impressive milestone with the recognition of its 1,000th graduate, and this past fall, Truett enrolled a near-record number of entering students, the largest freshman class in over a decade. Truett has also added to its original catalog of program offerings through the creation of four dual-degree programs, eight concentrations for a Master of Divinity and three additional degrees – a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry, a Master of Theological Studies and a Doctor of Ministry.

With a growing number of students and programs, the seminary facilities have seen their own development as well. In Truett’s early years, classes were held in the B.H. Carroll Educational Building at First Baptist Church of Waco, but in 2002, Truett’s Baugh-Reynolds Campus opened its doors on the Northwest corner of Baylor campus, providing seminary students with a 550-seat chapel, classrooms, meeting rooms and faculty and administrative offices. Just two years ago, Truett expanded beyond campus for the first time by opening an Austin branch for students living south of Waco. This type of expansion is being considered throughout Texas as well as in other states.

Looking back on the transformative past 25 years, it is with great promise that Truett Seminary looks forward to the future. With plans for increased collaboration with the great Christian minds of this time, continued excellence in preaching education and furthered international engagement by students, the vision for Truett’s future is a continued march down the path to which it has been called.

“Even as we are thankful for our past, the generosity of our supporters, the commitment and competence of our faculty, staff, alumni and current students, and the venerable university of which we are a part, we are both eager and hopeful about our future,” said Dr. Todd D. Still, dean of Truett Seminary. “There is still much good work to do, and we are resolved in our commitment to be a keystone institution for Baptists and a premier destination seminary that is evangelical in ethos and ecumenical in outlook.”