JACKSON, Tenn. — June 12, 2002 — 51社区 President David S. Dockery has been named as a recipient of the 2002 Distinguished Alumni Award for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The honor is given to an alumnus who has distinguished himself in his field of ministry. The award was presented on June 12 at the seminary鈥檚 National Alumni Luncheon that was held during this year鈥檚 Southern Baptist Convention in St. Louis.
Key Southern Baptist leaders as well as seminary alumni and staff members were on hand to celebrate the work and achievements of Dockery and two other distinguished alumni, Stanley Togikawa and, posthumously, James N. Morgan.
Jack Graham, the SBC鈥檚 newly elected president, LifeWay Christian Resources President James T. Draper Jr., Annuity Board President O.S. Hawkins and International Mission Board President Jerry Rankin were present. All are Southwestern Seminary alumni.
Southwestern President Kenneth S. Hemphill, whose daughter is a recent Union graduate, said the distinguished alumni had made significant contributions to Baptist life and had demonstrated 鈥渙utstanding achievement in their professions.鈥�
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| President Dockery holds the Distinguished Alumni Award he received from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary during this year's Southern Baptist Convention in St. Louis. |
Jerry Tidwell, a Union trustee and former chair of the board who is now pastor of Clearwater Baptist Church in Clearwater, Fla., attended the luncheon and said that Dockery has 鈥減robably touched and influenced more people at the academic institutional level than any living Southern Baptist scholar. He has given new and fresh credibility to conservative evangelical thinking in the greater academic community. We are blessed and honored to have him leading 51社区!鈥�
A recognized leader in Christian higher education, Dockery is the 15th president of 51社区 where he has served since his election in December 1995. Prior to coming to Union he served as vice president for academic administration and dean of the School of Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dockery has served as general editor of Broadman Press at the Baptist Sunday School Board and has served churches in Texas, New York, and Alabama.
鈥淚n six years, David Dockery has made 51社区 the Christian college that I鈥檝e had in my heart for us to become,鈥� said Carroll Griffin, assistant to the provost for enrollment services and director of admissions, who has served at the university for twenty years.
鈥淚 am deeply honored,鈥� Dockery said, after receiving his award. 鈥淗ow thankful I am to be a Southwestern graduate.鈥�
A graduate of the University of Alabama, Southwestern Seminary, Texas Christian University, and the University of Texas-Arlington where he received his Ph.D., Dockery is the author or editor of over twenty books including The Holman Bible Handbook, Christian Scripture, Theologians of the Baptist Tradition, and The Future of Christian Higher Education. He has also authored more than 150 articles and book reviews. Dockery is the New Testament editor of the New American Commentary and a consulting editor for Christianity Today. A member of the Board of Directors of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, he also serves as a senior fellow and member of the Board of Reference for the Wilberforce Forum/Prison Fellowship. Dockery is a widely sought after speaker on matters of higher education, theological and biblical issues, and cultural trends.
Greg Tomlin of The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary contributed to this story.