by Jonathan Lumley/MBTS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (MBTS) – Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College celebrated the graduation of 320 students during the 79th commencement ceremony on May 1, marking another occasion of God’s faithfulness to the institution.
Graduates received degrees across undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs and were commissioned to serve Christ wherever He may call them. In addition to those present in the room, many graduates serving across the country and around the world joined the ceremony via livestream.
Opening Welcome
Opening the ceremony, President Jason Allen welcomed graduates, families, and guests, highlighting the significance of the moment and the shared joy of the occasion.
Recognizing the presence of guests, Allen briefly offered context for the institution’s identity and commitments. “We are a Southern Baptist institution, which means we are morally and legally committed to serving the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention, some 45,000 congregations,” he said.
Allen also noted the Seminary’s broader evangelical reach, adding, “We are delighted to welcome as students here, and no doubt as graduates today, many hundreds of students from evangelical denominations and churches beyond the SBC, and we’re grateful for that privilege as well.”
He went on to describe Midwestern Seminary as a confessional institution, stating, “We are a confessional institution, which means that every instructor here is contractually and covenantally committed to teach in accordance with and not contrary to the great truths of Scripture, the Baptist Faith and Message, the Danvers Statement, the Nashville Statement, and the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy.” He added, “We own that confessional heritage with vigor and with confidence.”
Allen also emphasized the institution’s commitment to the gospel. “We believe that every person ever born must come to place their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and repent of their sins to be saved,” he said. “That’s a message we champion. It’s a message we cherish.”
Tracing the storyline of Scripture, Allen briefly summarized creation, the fall, and redemption in Christ, concluding with the hope of His return and the promise that all things will be made new. He then offered an invitation to believe the gospel, saying, “No better day perhaps than this day to believe that message, repent of your sins, and give your life to Christ.”
Allen then turned to Psalm 93 for the Scripture reading and prayer, saying, “We realize anew in this moment what has been entrusted to us—this very precious stewardship. Before our very eyes is being fulfilled when Christ said He would build His church.”
Commencement Address
Following a time of worship with the North Oak Collective, Allen delivered his address on Ephesians 4:11–16.
“Those of us who are in ministry, we did not elect to go into the ministry,” Allen said. “We are part of a conscripted force called by God, drafted into service.” He continued by noting that this calling is affirmed through pastors, churches, and institutions that seek to serve and strengthen those preparing for ministry.
Leaning into Ephesians 4, Allen highlighted Christ’s gift to His church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, given “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the Body of Christ.”
He underscored the scope of that calling, pointing to the global and local mission of the church—from church planting in cities around the world to strengthening congregations in small communities and faithfully serving in local churches and the marketplace.
“May this be what has not just brought you to Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College and propelled you through your studies, but what you leave here today more determined than ever to do, to pursue, and to undertake,” he said.
He then described the outcomes of faithful ministry from the passage: unity of the faith, knowledge of the Son of God, maturity, and doctrinal stability.
Allen closed by acknowledging the cost and clarity of this calling, even for those whose families may not have initially understood it, and affirmed that Christ is worth the pursuit.
Turning to the broader audience, he said, “To immediate onlookers—kids, spouses, parents, in-laws—perhaps you are saying, ‘Now what?’ And I want to point our graduates, and you here to support our graduates, to Ephesians 4 and say, ‘That’s what.’ A life of serving Christ, which is the greatest life any of us can live.”
Diplomas and Awards
Following the commencement address, awards were presented to several students on the undergraduate and graduate levels on behalf of the faculty.
From Spurgeon College, Ellen Curp received the Ministry Award and Hannah Hudson received the Marketplace Award. From Midwestern Seminary, William Baker received the Biblical Studies Award, Jordan Crane received the Theological Studies Award, Emily Leeper received the Applied Theology Award, and Jayce Leeper received the Sword & Trowel Preaching Award.
Two other awards of special distinction were presented to the undergraduate and master’s graduates with the highest grade point average. Evan Williams received the Spurgeon College For the Kingdom Award and Jayce Leeper received the For the Church Award.
One additional award was given to a faculty member at Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College. Geoff Chang, associate professor of historical theology, was the recipient of this year’s Professor of the Year award.
After an unexpected vacancy in a faculty position in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the seminary found itself in need. Chang was hired in such a season and has been a major asset and blessing to the institution since, Allen said.
Regarding Chang’s service to the seminary and college, Allen stated, “Over the past six years, Dr. Chang has demonstrated excellence and faithfulness in so many ways—especially in the classroom or broadly through his writing ministry, his local church service, and through his stewardship of the Spurgeon Library.”
The ceremony concluded with a prayer of benediction led by Ronni Kurtz, assistant professor of systematic theology.
Click here to watch the graduation ceremony or to see photos from graduation.