Tigerville - During the 70th annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) in Denver, CO, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) recognized five evangelical scholars for their contributions at the annual Southeastern Theological Fellowship dinner. NGU’s Provost and Dean of the University Faculty Dr. Nathan A. Finn was one of the five scholars honored.
The honorees, representing five different colleges, universities, and seminaries, received awards for their excellence in research, writing and displaying the characteristics of a Great Commission scholar in both the classroom and Christian scholarship.
Other scholars recognized were: Matthew Emerson, Dickinson chair of religion and associate professor of religion at Oklahoma Baptist University, Shawnee, OK; Matthew Pinson, president of Welch College, Nashville, TN, Peter Gentry, Donald L. Williams professor of Old Testament interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY; and Kevin Vanhoozer, research professor of systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, IL.
“I’m so honored to receive this award from my beloved alma mater, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Back in 2013, while a faculty member at Southeastern, I helped to launch the Southeastern Theological Fellowship and was part of selecting the first slate of honorees,” said Finn. “It is such a blessing to come back full circle this year and receive one of the awards. I’m grateful to God for Southeastern and the way the seminary shaped me as both a minister and a scholar.”
Before joining NGU, Finn served at Union University since 2015. Prior to that time, he taught church history on the faculty of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary for eight years. He has published numerous books and scholarly essays on topics such as Baptist history, theology, and spirituality. Recent books include The Baptist Story: From English Sect to Global Movement (B&H Academic, 2015) and History: A Student’s Guide (Crossway, 2016). An ordained minister, Finn preaches and regularly teaches in local churches and has served in pastoral or other staff roles in several Southern Baptist congregations in Georgia and North Carolina.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in history and Christianity from Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, GA, master’s degree in divinity and his doctorate in theological studies from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS), Wake Forest, NC.
“As a friend of Dr. Finn’s, I am proud of the recognition his scholarly work has gained him, but as the president of NGU, I am grateful that God has brought us an academic leader who can model what it means to be a teacher-scholar-administrator,” said NGU President Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr. “We look forward to seeing how his God-given gifts help to shape the vibrant academic community at NGU as we seek to engage the larger culture with the fruit of the Christian Intellectual Tradition.”
The Southeastern Theological Fellowship seeks to build camaraderie and foster fellowship between scholars of multiple denominations and encourage excellence in scholarship for the glory of Jesus Christ.
