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Summer 2009 | Volume 67, No. 4
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President's Letter
by Paige Patterson
Dear Southwesterner,
In the current issue of the Southwestern News, which you hold in your hand, the focus is on Southwestern Seminary’s most critically important assignment, namely, preaching. How very fortunate Southwestern Seminary is to have the great tradition of preaching professors like Klinard, Brown, and Northcutt. I am personally convinced that the institution still has the top three preaching professors available anywhere in the world today: Dr. David Allen, Dr. Steven Smith, and Dr. Calvin Pearson. Each is featured in this issue. Each, in addition to teaching preaching, is an accomplished practitioner of this art, and all encourage Southwestern students to become great teachers and preachers of the Bible message.
As usual, a coterie of additionally interesting articles focus on the preaching ministry of alumni and current students and on news items about the impact of the school around the world.
In a day when preaching is often depreciated and people wonder about the future, I am reminded of what William Cowper said of the pulpit,
The pulpit
Must stand acknowledged while the world
shall stand,
The most important and effectual guard,
Support, and ornament of Virtue’s cause.
There stands the messenger of truth: there
stands
The legate of the skies!— His theme divine,
His office sacred, his credentials clear.
By him the violated law speaks out
Its thunders; and by him, in strains as sweet
as angels use, the Gospel whispers peace.
Cowper, The Task, Bk. II
Cowper was exactly right about preaching in so far as its style is concerned. Though varied indeed, its task of being a herald of the salvific plan of God will not vanish from the earth until Jesus comes. Furthermore, until then it will remain one of the most important things that any preacher anointed of God can ever do.
My prayer to God is that many of our pastors will begin again to call out the called and to give these men their initial opportunities in the public sharing of the Word of God. To this major task, Southwestern remains committed. Thank you precious reader for all you do to make it possible.
Until He Comes,
Paige Patterson
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