Hawkins, Dockery take Southwestern Seminary roles

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (SWBTS) – O.S. Hawkins has been tapped for the new role of chancellor at Southern Baptists’ Southwestern Seminary (SWBTS) in Ft. Worth, and David S. Dockery was chosen as SWBTS president by the school’s trustees in their spring meeting April 19.

The unanimous elections of Hawkins and Dockery come nearly seven months after their elections as interim president and senior advisor and ambassador-at-large, respectively, in a special-called trustee meeting on September 27, following the resignation of former president Adam W. Greenway.

Hawkins, who retired in March 2022 as president and CEO of Southern Baptists’ GuideStone entity after leading the Dallas-based organization for 25 years, is a two-time alumnus of Southwestern Seminary, holding Master of Divinity (1974) and Doctor of Philosophy (2020) degrees.

Additionally, the Fort Worth native holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth, and honorary doctorates from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.; Dallas Baptist University in Dallas; Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo.; and Criswell College in Dallas.

In addition, Hawkins received the distinguished alumni award from Southwestern in 2000.

Immediately prior to assuming the presidency at GuideStone, Hawkins was senior pastor of First Church, Dallas, from 1993-1997. He also served as pastor of First Church, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (1978-1993); First Church, Ada, Okla. (1974-1978); and First Church, Hobart, Okla. (1972-1974).

Hawkins, the author of more than 40 books, has been married to his wife Susie since 1970. The Hawkins have two married daughters and six grandchildren.

Dockery earned the Master of Divinity degree from SWBTS in 1981. He joined the seminary faculty in 2019 when he was named distinguished professor of theology and theologian-in-residence for the B.H. Carroll Center for Baptist Heritage and Mission. He also served as special consultant to the president.

Later, he was named editor of the Southwestern Journal of Theology, the seminary’s historic academic journal. From December 2020 to February 2022, he also served as interim provost.

Additionally, he serves as the inaugural director of the Dockery Center for Global Evangelical Theology, which was named in his honor by the board of trustees at their spring 2022 meeting.

Dockery has enjoyed a lengthy career in Christian higher educational leadership at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Ill.; Baptist-affiliated Union University in Jackson, Tenn.; and Southern Baptist’s Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky.

In 2019, Dockery was invited to assist with the founding of the International Alliance for Christian Education, headquartered in Ft. Worth. He has also served as president of the Evangelical Theological Society with offices in Chicago, Ill., and Scottsdale, Ariz.

He has been board chair of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C.; Christian College Consortium in Stoneview, Minn.; and Consortium for Global Education in Atlanta. Ga.

A native of Tuscaloosa, Ala., Dockery has had a distinguished career as a theologian and educator. In addition to his degrees from Southwestern Seminary and Texas Christian University, he holds degrees from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (B.S.); Grace Theological Seminary (M.Div.) in Winona Lake, Ind.; and the University of Texas at Arlington (Ph.D.).

Dockery was named a distinguished alumnus by Southwestern Seminary in 2002.

He is a former consulting editor for Christianity Today magazine and has authored, edited, or contributed to nearly 100 books. As an author, he is best known for his works in the areas of Baptist studies, biblical interpretation, and Christian higher education.

He served as the New Testament editor for the 40-volume New American Commentary Series; as general editor of the 15-volume Reclaiming the Christian Intellectual Tradition Series; and is co-editor of the multi-volume Theology for the People of God series.

He is general editor of the forthcoming New English Translation Study Bible.

Dockery has received numerous awards, including the Herschel H. Hobbs Distinguished Service Award from Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Okla.; M.E. Dodd Denominational Service Award from Union University; Holman Christian Standard Service Award from Southern Baptists’ Lifeway Christian Resources in Nashville; Land Distinguished Service Award from Southern Baptists’ Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission in Nashville; and the John R. Dellenback Global Leadership Award from the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. 

Dockery has spoken on more than 80 campuses. He has served churches in Brooklyn, N.Y.; Birmingham, Ala.; and Dallas as well as serving as interim pastor for several congregations in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Texas.

He has been married to Lanese for more than 47 years, and they have three married sons and eight grandchildren. Their travels have taken them to the various regions of the United States and Canada, as well as to Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Middle East.