Updated: On Friday afternoon (Sept. 23), less than 24 hours after the news spread on social media, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary(SWBTS) released a statement announcing the resignation of President Adam W. Greenway.
Greenway has accepted a role at the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) International Missions Board (IMB).
The seminary’s statement confirmed that O.S. Hawkins has been extended an invitation to serve as SWBTS’ active president.
“In receiving President Greenway’s resignation, we express our deepest appreciation for his more than three and one-half years of service to his alma mater,” Chairman Danny Roberts shared. “He came to Southwestern Seminary during a difficult time of transition and has worked tirelessly to lead the institution to serve well the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention. Among his other accomplishments, President Greenway has assembled an impressive faculty of scholar-ministers who are daily impacting the lives of their students. He also provided steady leadership during the COVID pandemic, which dramatically altered the delivery of theological education.”
Greenway said that “These days are incredibly challenging in the life of our denomination. They are also challenging times for academic institutions, particularly theological seminaries. In February 2019, Carla and I accepted the call to come back ‘home’ to Southwestern Seminary with an understanding of these challenges, but also with the strong desire to be part of the solution. What we failed to appreciate was the enormity of the reputational, legal, and financial realities that would welcome us to the Dome—only to be compounded by a global pandemic unlike anything we have ever experienced before. We have done our best to serve Southern Baptists by helping position our seminary for the future, but much, much work remains to be done. Nevertheless, in the Providence of God we sense a release from our duties here.”
Addressing his new role at the IMB, Greenway said that “we will continue to serve Southern Baptists as we have throughout the course of our lives and ministry. We believe our next assignment is not a departure from but a continuation along the journey God has always had us walk. We are thrilled that we are going to help prepare Southern Baptist missionaries for their work of addressing the world’s greatest problem—spiritual lostness—with God’s solution, which is the gospel of Christ. As we look forward to beginning a new chapter with Southern Baptists’ favorite entity, the International Mission Board, we ask for your prayers for us in this season of transition, and we pledge our continued prayers and support for our beloved ‘crown jewel.’”
Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) twitterverse is chirping about the possibility of a big forthcoming announcement pertaining to the resignation of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s (SWBTS) President Adam Greenway.
According to Baptist News Global’s Mark Wingfield, Greenway resigned as SWBTS’ president during a meeting with the seminary’s trustees on Thursday night (Sept. 22). Greenway, who succeeded the fired Paige Patterson, has served as SWBTS’ president for the last three-and-a-half years.
The Baptist news outlet said that although there hasn’t been an official statement by Greenway or the seminary regarding a resignation, they have “confirmed the news through four independent sources with direct knowledge of the situation.” Baptist News Global also reported that former Guidestone president O.S Hawkins will take over as interim president.
Former Baptist News Global writer David Bumgardner and SWBTS alum expressed his joy on Twitter following initial reports that Greenway was on his way out. “Yes, @AdamGreenway is an incompetent tool who ran my beloved alma mater into the ground. But he’s a moral monster and a bully who hides behind lawyers and dollars to prevent abuse victims from getting justice.”
SBC Voices, a blog dedicated to information, opinions, and discussing matters of concern regarding the SBC, posted that Baptist News Global had “jumped the gun” regarding the news of SWBTS’ president.
“I have received a reliable report from an authoritative source saying that Baptist News Global jumped the gun,” Dave Miller, former president of the 2017 SBC Pastors’ Conference and senior pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church in Sioux City, Iowa, announced. “There may be some issues at SWBTS but at this point Greenway is still at the helm. The situation is fluid and could change.”
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Miller said, “Count me among those who are pleased this is so. My guess is that this will be a story for days to come.”
The official news service of the Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press, posted on its Twitter page that “Baptist Press is aware of the speculation related to @swbts and continues to be in contact with the board chair. Our latest correspondence with trustee leadership does not match what other outlets have reported.”
ChurchLeaders has reached out to SWBTS for comment and will update as new details develop.
