“History of Missions at Southeastern” Exhibit

2025 is a big year for Southern Baptists and the Southeastern family. This years marks Southeastern’s 75th years of establishment. It is also a milestone year for the SBC as it celebrates its 100th year of the Cooperative Program. Through the Cooperative Program, Southern Baptists have worked together for the last 100 years to fund SBC entities such as the International Mission Board, the North American Mission Board and SBC seminaries.

As a way to participate in these milestones, the CGCS began reflecting upon our own role in that history and decided to initiate a year-long research project to better tell the story of Southeastern’s involvement in Southern Baptist missions.

Therefore, it is fitting that to celebrate these milestones, “The History of Missions at Southeastern” exhibit was created and recently installed in the Lewis A. Drummond Center. The exhibit is a timeline that traces the thread of missions throughout Southeastern’s 75 years of existence. It shows how Southeastern has evolved over the years as a training school for missionaries and reveals that the Great Commission has always been part of the seminary’s DNA.

Southeastern’s Office of Marketing and Communications and the Archives and Special Collections Department collaborated to complete this project. Digitalization Assistant Maggie Mann headed up the research for the exhibit. Ryan Thomas, Senior Graphic Designer, then took the research information and turned it into visual displays.

Maggie spent a great deal of time digging into Southeastern’s past and curating the information. When asked about the research process, Maggie said, “Something that stood out to me as I researched was how Southeastern has been sending missionaries since its first graduating class. The way we have done missions has evolved over the years, but the Great Commission has been the seminary’s heart cry from the very beginning.”

According to Maggie’s research, Louis McCall from Southeastern’s first graduating class of 1955 was commissioned to serve with the [Foreign] International Mission Board (IMB).  Sending out students to serve overseas with the IMB isn’t a trendy fad for Southeastern. It has been a foundational part of the school’s DNA since its earliest days. Over the years, it has evolved more and more into a school whose mission is “to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission.”

As we look back and remember, we celebrate the work God has been doing through Southern Baptists for many years. There have been so many faithful people who have gone before us. The same God that called Louis McCall to the nations 70 years ago is the same God that has called the countless Southeastern alumni and students who are serving with NAMB or the IMB today.

Looking back encourages us to continue moving forward in faithfulness to the Great Commission as a school.  The Missions Timeline exhibit reminds us that we are part of a long chain of mobilizers and missionaries. We see in Southeastern’s history that those who are sent out and those who are sending both play an integral role in the Great Commission. The question is, what role are is God calling us to step into?

The Center for Great Commission Studies invites you to continue thinking about this question as you explore the “The History of Missions at Southeastern” exhibit. The exhibit is located in the same building as the CGCS, the Lewis A. Drummond Center, and it is available for viewing during normal operating hours. You will find the exhibit panels displayed at the back of the rotunda between the windows.

We invite you to come visit and take a moment to trace the thread of missions throughout the last 75 years of Southeastern!