JACKSON, Tenn. — Jan. 15, 2001 — T. Vaughn Walker, professor of Black Church Studies and WMU Chair of Christian Missions at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., describes Martin Luther King, Jr. as a "contemporary Moses."
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| T. Vaughn Walker will speak as Union celebrates the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. during its annual Martin Luther King Day chapel service on Monday, Jan. 15 at 9:45 a.m. |
Walker, who was the first African-American promoted to full professor at Southern Seminary, told those attending the service that if he were still alive, King would wish for more people to do something with what they've been given.
"Those who have been blessed to be delivered now need to get serious about taking care of our Father's business," said Walker. "So many of us in life tend not to give our best. When I was looking for a wife, I looked for a 10 - not a 2. And it's the same way with what we do for God - whatever you've been entrusted with - you need to maximize it."
Growing up as a child in rural Virginia, Walker relayed the story of how every morning, his mother would take his lunch money and tie it up in a knotted handkerchief. Sometimes, he would get to school and not be able to untie it.
"You can't do anything with something that's knotted up," explained Walker. "And many of us today are tied up in knots. We need to be loosened so we can do the Lord's will."
Walker, who serves as pastor of First Gethsemane Baptist Church in Louisville, has taught at the seminary since 1986. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Hampton University in Hampton, Va., a master of divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctorate from Oregon State University. Last year, Walker was awarded the fourth annual Black Southern Baptist Convention Heritage Award.