Spring 2007 | Volume 65, No. 3

San Antonio Campus News

Mondays, how we love great Mondays

by Rudolph D. González

“Blue Mondays, how I hate blue Mondays,” is a lyric to a song popularized
by Fats Domino in 1956. But for us here at the William R. Marshall Center in San Antonio, Mondays are anything but blue. Walking past classrooms and student-gathering places on this Monday-only campus, you can sense the excitement and expectation as students, faculty and staff concentrate their efforts to do their best and complete the tasks that are before them. From the Dean’s office, where students can stop by for a cup of coffee and a doughnut, to the classrooms, where faculty teach and train these extraordinary men and women, there is no doubt the work of the Kingdom is being advanced. 

San Antonio is one of the most beautiful cities in the country not only because of its rich history, but for the diverse make-up of its residents. This richness is reflected in the cross-section of students enrolled at this extension campus. There are students from all walks of life and in all stages of ministry preparation. Coming together on Mondays takes on more significance since it is the only day of the week when students and faculty meet face-to-face. Monday is also the day when more than theological instruction takes place. On Mondays students share their weekend victories and challenges, and ask for prayer for things such as that new baby, a daughter’s wedding preparations or for consolation in the loss of a loved one. The day is so chock-full of the stuff of life, there is no time for a blue Monday or a blue any day on the San Antonio campus!

During the spring semester, we continue to assess the program in San Antonio and to prioritize changes that will expand the program and better serve our students. In the future, we will need to enlarge our library and make our presence on the campus of Parkhills Baptist Church more easily identifiable. We also need to offer a more varied schedule during the week, as well as offer classes in satellite centers across the city. After all, if our Monday-only schedule is such a blessing, why not extend it to other days of the week? Some churches have expressed an interest in holding seminary classes on their premises. Putting this in place will take an investment of time, but some things cannot wait.

A Southwestern Seminary education is not just about book learning – it never has been. We want to expose our students to real-life opportunities for ministry. In this effort we are excited about our participation with the San Antonio Baptist Association as it gears up for Crossover efforts on June 9-10, the weekend prior to the Southern Baptist Convention’s Annual Meeting.

In connection with that effort, we will offer an Applied Ministries summer-term course that will equip the students in many facets of inner-city evangelism. Our plan is to invite Dr. Victor Benavides, the North American Mission Board strategist for inner-city evangelism, to train the students in ICE evangelism, one-hour witnessing, the Evangecube and prayer-walking strategies. Dr. Benavides is an enthusiastic instructor who will challenge and motivate us all to the urgency of personal evangelism. We are praying that the Lord will give us a good number of students from the entire Southwestern Seminary system to enroll for this unique experience. It is an opportunity to earn three hours of credit, but more importantly to receive a heavenly credit as they share the gospel and lead people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord.

The spring semester is off to a good start in San Antonio, and we trust that God will continue to bless this campus as we work to equip those whom He has called to His service.

Mondays, how we love great Mondays!

For more information about Southwestern’s Marshall Center in San Antonio, visit www.swbts.edu/extensioncenters/marshall.cfm, email rgonzalez@swbts.edu, or call 210.212.6080.

Dr. Rudolph D. González is dean of the William R. Marshall Center for Theological Studies