Privacy Policy
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Transparency Report – 2024
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) is grateful for the investment made by Southern Baptists in the seminary and its students through generous contributions to the Cooperative Program. These gifts come with an obligation to act as good stewards of these resources and to report to Southern Baptists on the seminary’s condition.
SEBTS is primarily accountable to the Board of Trustees, who are elected by Southern Baptists to oversee the seminary’s governance. The Board of Trustees undergoes orientation and training to understand the seminary’s mission, financial condition, and their fiduciary responsibilities in light of the ministry assignments from the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). They have full access to any information they wish to see or inquire about beyond what is discussed at board meetings.
While the Board of Trustees has oversight and responsibility, SEBTS also believes that transparency and accountability are essential. A significant amount of information is available in existing resources such as the Annual Ministry Reports, the Annual Meeting Book of Reports, the SBC Annual, and our own Annual Reports.
To make this information more accessible, SEBTS seeks to consolidate it for easier understanding and navigation. Additional information is linked from this page to our GuideStar profile. We are pleased to share that GuideStar has awarded SEBTS a Platinum Transparency Seal, their highest rating. Thank you, Southern Baptists, for your investment in SEBTS as we strive to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission.
Dr. Danny Akin, President
Theological Transparency
SEBTS is a confessional Southern Baptist institution firmly and foundationally committed to the inerrancy, infallibility, authority, and sufficiency of God’s word and the priority of the Great Commission.
Motivated by biblical fidelity, SEBTS requires every faculty member to covenant to teach in accordance with and not contrary to The Abstract of Principles and The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, standing resolutely where Southern Baptists have stood historically and where they stand today in their common statement of faith.
In addition to these confessional statements, SEBTS affirms The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy and The Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood as accurate expressions of the institution’s convictions and commitments concerning Scripture and its instructions about gender roles. SEBTS also recognizes the Nashville Statement as a faithful account of the biblical teachings on gender and sexuality, though the statement is not an officially adopted confessional statement of the institution.
These confessed and affirmed statements have been publicly adopted not only to safeguard the institution’s biblical and theological teaching in perpetuity but also to clearly and unashamedly articulate its doctrinal and confessional identity.
As a Great Commission institution, the mission of SEBTS is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission. This means that SEBTS approaches theological education, spiritual formation, and ministry and missions preparation from a Great Commission perspective, partnering with local churches to train students as disciple makers.
Financial Transparency
Charitable Giving
Overall Summary
Institutional charitable support exceeded $8.5 million for the first time in the institution’s history, exceeding the previous fiscal year by roughly $1.5 million. Over the past five years, through the For the Mission campaign, Southeastern has seen a dramatic increase in the institution’s overall charitable outlook, allowing us to see continued generosity and charitable giving despite external factors. From FY2020 to FY2024, we realized over $30.5 million in institutional support. Of that $30.5 million, $3.35 million was dedicated to permanently restricted endowed funds, generating an additional $165,000 annually for student aid, academic endowments, building maintenance, or the unrestricted fund in perpetuity. God has richly blessed Southeastern through the generosity of thousands of Great Commission givers.
Endowment Report 2024
Investment Strategy
- Asset allocation is critical
- Downside protection is important
- Biblical worldview is non-negotiable
Embrace Stewardship
- Employ portfolio to reflect worldview
- Engage in investments honoring to God
- Believe that our resources belong to God
Fund Overview
The Endowment Fund is a long-term investment for SEBTS requiring annual spending and real growth. The Fund consists of global equity, fixed income, special opportunities, and real assets.
Purpose and Expectation
The long-term goal of the Endowment Fund is to exceed the sum of 5% annual spending, inflation (Consumer Price Index), and fees.
Risk Control
We expect the overall volatility to be less than the benchmark, and this is achieved by diversifying among many different asset managers and asset types. One of our core principles is downside protection, so care is taken to hire managers appropriately and to diversify widely.
Enrollment Transparency
Candid Platinum Transparency
SEBTS is proud to have a Platinum seal of transparency on our Guidestar nonprofit profile through Candid. Visit our profile to see more information, including audited financial statements. Information supplied on this page fills categories pre-prepared by Candid. Categories are not able to be removed or added.
