KANSAS CITY, Mo. (MBTS) – Midwestern Seminary is pleased to announce the establishment of the First Baptist Jacksonville Endowed Chair of Biblical Counseling.
The endowed chair represents a long-standing partnership between First Baptist Jacksonville and Midwestern Seminary to prepare men and women who will counsel God’s Word faithfully within the local church. Funding from the endowment will support a professor of biblical counseling who shares the doctrinal commitments and ministry convictions of First Baptist Jacksonville and Midwestern Seminary.
Midwestern Seminary President Jason Allen expressed his gratitude for the congregations longstanding leadership among Southern Baptist churches and its investment in theological education.
“Throughout the history of the Southern Baptist Convention, you can draw a direct line from the local church to the six Southern Baptist seminaries,” Allen said. “That line has been bold, bright, and direct because of the confessional accountability that churches have exercised over the seminaries and the financial support those churches have channeled to the seminaries.”
Allen added that certain congregations have distinguished themselves through their commitment to this work.
“First Baptist Jacksonville is one such church,” he said. “They have been a leading church in times past, they are a leading church in times present, and no doubt will be a leading church into the future.”
Investing in Faithful Teachers of the Word
Heath Lambert, senior pastor of First Baptist Jacksonville, described the endowed chair as an investment in those entrusted with teaching and applying Scripture in the life of the church.
“To sit in the chair of a teacher in the church of Jesus Christ is to occupy a seat of enormous responsibility,” Lambert said. “Sometimes a teacher rises from that chair to stand in a pulpit and preach the Word of God to the entire congregation. Sometimes a teacher remains seated in that chair to counsel the Word of God to an individual struggling with pain.”
Whether teaching publicly or counseling personally, Lambert said the responsibility remains sacred.
“It is the seriousness of the work of the person sitting in that chair that motivates First Baptist Jacksonville to generously fund theological education,” he said.
Lambert explained that First Baptist Jacksonville’s partnership with Midwestern Seminary grew from a shared conviction that churches need leaders equipped both to preach Scripture and to counsel it faithfully.
“More than any seminary in our convention, Midwestern Seminary is equipping future leaders not just to faithfully lead and not just to faithfully preach, but also to faithfully counsel the Word of God,” Lambert said. “They know that a church will be spiritually unhealthy if it hears biblical preaching but receives unbiblical counsel.”
Speaking to the congregation, Lambert said, “The position will ensure that your love for the Word and your commitment to the local church is stamped on every graduate from Midwestern Seminary for as long as the institution exists.”
Equipping Counselors for the Local Church
Allen said the endowed chair will strengthen Midwestern Seminary’s ongoing work of preparing biblical counselors to serve congregations.
“This endowed chair will enable Midwestern Seminary in perpetuity until our Lord returns to train faithful, committed biblical counselors for local churches,” Allen said. “That is a work that we are committed to doing. That is a need the local church has, and that is why I am thankful for your partnership and your support in this great effort.”
Dale Johnson, professor of biblical counseling and director of counseling programs at Midwestern Seminary, noted the growing need for churches to respond to suffering and brokenness with confidence in Scripture.
He thanked First Baptist Jacksonville for partaking in this need by supporting students who will also carry this conviction into ministry.
“The need for biblical counseling in churches today is immense,” Johnson stated. “You all see the brokenness that’s around us, and you’re doing such a tremendous job engaging that brokenness with the sufficiency of the Word. That’s our mission here.”
“I’m so grateful for your vision, your insight, and your generosity to support the work at Midwestern so that we can equip and engage young people to go serve the Lord and serve His body,” he continued. “We here at Midwestern want to join you in being for the Church as we prepare men and women to serve the body of Christ for days to come.”
Marshall Adkins, assistant professor of biblical counseling and assistant director of the Center for Biblical Counseling, likewise expressed gratitude for the church’s commitment to future ministry leaders.
“I am so grateful to God for your commitment to equip, train, and raise up the next generation of men and women who will make disciples of Jesus Christ, serve and strengthen local churches, and counsel God’s sufficient Word,” Adkins said. “Thank you so much for your prayers and for your generosity. We are so grateful to partner with you in this work.”
Reflecting on the enduring impact of the congregation’s generosity, Lambert said, “I am thrilled about how your generosity today will impact churches all over the world for generations ahead.”
The first occupant of the First Baptist Jacksonville Endowed Chair of Biblical Counseling will be named at a later date.
