The 2025 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting and Pastors’ Conference marked two milestones in Chris Gardner’s life.
For one thing, it was the first time that the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary graduate attended the denomination’s annual gathering in Dallas. On top of that, Gardner had the opportunity to sit onstage with seminary presidents from across the country as he was recognized for being the 50,000th graduate of the 117-year-old Fort Worth seminary.
“I didn’t realize I was going to be sitting with the presidents of the seminaries. I felt kind of like a fish out of water,” Gardner said. “So, for this to be my first (meeting), and then to be on stage was an extraordinary experience.”
The school is one of six theological schools operated by the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s biggest Protestant denomination. Members of the denomination gather each year for the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting and Pastors’ Conference.
Seminary President David S. Dockery was one of six seminary presidents who took the stage June 11 to share reports on the status of their respective schools.
During Dockery’s report, he recognized the graduate record makes the Fort Worth seminary “one of the few theological institutions in the world to reach this amazing milestone,” he said.
Gardner, who graduated in December 2024 with a master’s in divinity, contributed to the seminary’s increase in enrollment.
“I think it’s just a testament to the legacy of the school (and) where it’s going now,” Gardner said.
While seminaries across the country have experienced drops in enrollment in the past two decades, numbers are coming back up, according to data collected by accrediting agency Association of Theological Schools.
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary had 2,278 students enrolled for the fall 2024 semester, an increase from the 2,237 students enrolled for the fall 2023 semester. Dockery also noted during the Southern Baptist Convention that the seminary’s graduating class in May was the largest since 2002.
The gains come as the Fort Worth seminary has been recovering from a financial crisis that left the school with a warning status by its regional academic accreditor. Now, the seminary is in a “good place,” Dockery said.
“By God’s grace, Southwestern Seminary is in a very different place than it was 33 months ago,” Dockery said.
While Gardner already received one degree from the Fort Worth seminary — it won’t be his last, as the 28-year-old is now a doctor of philosophy student.
“They don’t know how much of a positive impact they’ve made on my life,” Gardner said. “God has used them tremendously to help shape me into the Christian pastor that I am today.”
Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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