The Baptist Record - Journal of the Mississippi Baptist Convention since 1877 June 12, 2026

MAGNOLIA MINDS: ‘A lot of value in participating’ in SBC Annual Meeting

Members of Gulf Coast Baptist Association churches eat together during the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Orlando on June 9. (Photo credit: Brian Rushing)

MAGNOLIA MINDS: ‘A lot of value in participating’ in SBC Annual Meeting

June 12, 2026

By Brian Rushing I was a Student Minister in Bay St. Louis when I was first introduced to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Annual Meeting…

WRAP-UP: Southern Baptists approve historic budget, new president, constitutional change

A total of 11,692 messengers attended the 2026 SBC Annual Meeting in Orlando June 9-10. (Photo credit: Roy Burroughs)

WRAP-UP: Southern Baptists approve historic budget, new president, constitutional change

June 12, 2026

America 250, immigration, assisted suicide among issues addressed in SBC resolutions

Hunter Baker, chairman of the 2026 SBC Resolutions Committee, addresses messengers during the committee's report at the SBC Annual Meeting in Orlando on June 10. (Photo credit: Sonya Singh)

America 250, immigration, assisted suicide among issues addressed in SBC resolutions

June 11, 2026

Mississippi Baptist Fellowship a highlight of SBC Annual Meeting

Hundreds of Mississippi Baptists gather together for the fifth annual Mississippi Baptist Fellowship prior to the SBC Annual Meeting in Orlando on June 8. (Photo credit: Seth Price)

Mississippi Baptist Fellowship a highlight of SBC Annual Meeting

June 10, 2026

Truth and Unity Amendment receives initial two-thirds approval

A messenger prepares to fill out her ballot at the 2026 SBC Annual Meeting on June 10. (Photo credit: Luc Stringer)

Truth and Unity Amendment receives initial two-thirds approval

June 10, 2026

Southwestern Seminary's
full accreditation restored
FORT WORTH — Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary “is now in full compliance with all accreditation expectations” of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) following action by the SACSCOC board on June 11, President David S. Dockery announced in a letter today to the seminary community. The action comes after an April site visit to the seminary resulted in a recommendation to remove the sanctions, which were initially put in place in June 2023 with a “warning” status. “Southwestern Seminary is no longer on probation for good cause but is in full adherence with SACSCOC accreditation standards,” Dockery said. “We are genuinely grateful to God to receive this good and encouraging report that all sanctions have been removed, which is an answer to the prayers of many.” Dockery cited six “markers of institutional stability and health,” affirmed by SACSCOC to demonstrate the seminary’s progress: institutional culture embracing of its mission, identity, heritage, and core values; improvements in enrollment, credit hours taught, and increases in tuition revenue; decreased expenses and increased unrestricted revenue resulting a $10 million turnaround; improvement of $40 million in net assets; cash reserves and cash equivalents reaching 50 percent of the annual budget; and dramatic improvements in the institution’s Composite Financial Index, Composite Score Ratio, and bank covenant ratios, objective measures compiled by outside organizations.