Had Al Mohler gone to Southeastern seminary and not to Southern seminary, what would have become of Southern?

On April 21, 1992, Baptist Press ran an article announcing the trustee decision for the new president of Southern Baptists' seminary in Wake Forest:

Paige Patterson, an architect of the "conservative resurgence" in the Southern Baptist Convention, is the nominee for the next president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C.

Within the same article, another paragraph reads:

Two other candidates had been interviewed by the trustees' executive committee acting as the search committee, Ellsworth said. R. Albert Mohler Jr., editor of the Georgia Baptist newsjournal, The Christian Index, and Richard Melick, a professor at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, Memphis, Tenn., are both considered strong and active conservatives within the SBC.

It's fascinating to wonder how Southeastern seminary would have fared had Dr. Patterson been the "also ran" rather than either Drs. Mohler or  Melick. How would Southern have been different had Dr. Mohler been selected for Southeastern seminary?

Less than a year later (02/15/93), Baptist Press recorded the shortlist trustees were reportedly considering as the next president of Southern seminary:

The four finalists in a search committee's effort to recommend a new president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary are, according to Associated Baptist Press, Bob Agee, Timothy George, Richard Land and Albert R. Mohler Jr.

Three days later, Dr. Agee withdrew his name from consideration due to what he apparently considered was an invasion of privacy. While Baptist Press picked up the story from Associated Baptist Press (ABP), it was ABP that Agee accuses of unethical journalism. In his letter of withdrawal, Agee reportedly said:

The action by ABP has compromised the interview process and creates a very difficult atmosphere which can be potentially harmful to the current places of service of the candidates... The decision of ABP to run the story the week of the interviews and to report the story with the tone used, in my opinion, has compromised the process and has the potential to be harmful or hurtful to the OBU family as well as to the candidate chosen for the post.

Eight days after announcing Al Mohler as one of four candidates on the trustees' shortlist for president of Southern seminary, and only five days after the eruption over revealing the shortlist, Al Mohler is publicly named as president of Southern seminary:

 

One has to wonder:

What would have become of Southern seminary had Dr. Mohler been bypassed there in 1993 as he was at Southeastern in 1992?

Our God reigns.

 

 

Comments

[Scott Shaver]

Mohler was already working the Pressler/Patterson network at that time as a yellow journalist for the CR at the "Southern Baptist Advocate" if I'm not mistaken. Real sleazy stuff.

He ascended from mire of yellow journalism to the pinnacle of Southern Baptist seminaries virtually overnight and under veil.

Been a nightmare for Southern Baptists ever since.

His legacy will not be one of providing either stability or evangelical emphasis to the denomination.

[Scott Shaver]

Had Mohler gone to Southeastern, guess Danny Aiken would have shoveling out walking horse stables somewhere in Tennessee.

Different kind of shoveling that what he's involved with now :)

[Lydia]

Sensing Gods will sooner than expected?

Seriously?

Hey! We don't even have to complete the interview and vetting process-- God spoke to each one of us within a few days!!! Al is Gods pick!

If only God had done such for the AnaBaptists being hunted and drowned.

[Steven]

Okay, I will bite . . .

Scott, I think that it is a bit of stretch to say that Dr. Mohler arrived at Southern Seminary "overnight and under veil." If he had been on the short list for SEBTS less than a year before, then it would be logical to assume that he would be interested in returning to his alma mater. With regard to the quickness of his hiring after the interview process, it is my understanding that he blew the hiring committee away with the detail of his plan to return SBTS to its confessional roots. As I heard him recount it, they asked a question expecting a two to three minute response, and several hours later they got to the end of his answer.

Furthermore, whether you agree with Dr. Mohler (or the CR) it is even more of a stretch to say that his has not provided stability. He has been there for 23 years! Its hard to be much more stable than that. Moreover, after the initial few years of driving out the moderates, the enrollment numbers have increased at both at the M.Div. program and especially the doctoral programs.

Likewise, I think your statement that he has diminished the "evangelical emphasis" within the denomination is incorrect. What evidence do you have for such a statement?

[Lydia]

Steven, the propaganda behind Mohlers "brilliance" was ridiculous. Had there been social media at the time, I doubt it would have worked. We have proof now it was a scam. His brilliance was promoting himself to the SBC masses as a culture warrior while working to remake the SBC a Reformed denomination. Even his education is run of the mill. Nothing spectacular. He was also able to score a lot of media which tends to make followers proud instead of dubious.

Brilliance in Christendom must come with wisdom. There was nothing spiritually wise about his tactics. Might I remind you of Driscoll and Mahaney? Mohler sought and succeeded into making you part of a shepherding cult. Congrats!

And let's not forget that SBC "roots" are pro slaver and pro caste system thinking. The caste system thinking is back in full force. No thanks. I will take freedom of conscious and no King but Jesus style of Baptist of my SBC childhood before Mohler became the guru for you guys. He has done nothing but create thousands of little entitled perfumed princes' who can't think their way out of a parking lot.

[JND]

Love me some Fundamentalists.

[Scott Shaver]

LOL: JND

U speak truth :)

What the difference between a "Hobbs-Rogers Traditionalist" and a denomination-surrendering "Fundamentalist"?

Answer: There is no difference.

[Scott Shaver]

Steven:

You're wasting your time. I don't countenance young historical revisionists, especially when it comes to the SBC and church history both European and American.

[Scott Shaver]

"Perfumed princes who can't think their way out a of parking lot"

That pretty much sums up the situation.