Southern Evangelical Seminary is a Christian college in Matthews, North Carolina near Charlotte. The seminary was established in 1992 by Dr. Norman Geisler, a Christian apologist and theologian, and Ross Rhoads, former pastor of Calvary Church and currently the chaplain of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). The college, Southern Evangelical Bible College (SEBC) was established in 2004.
Southern Evangelical is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools.[1] SES has also been a member organization of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability since 1999.[2]
In 2006 evangelist-apologist Alex McFarland became Southern Evangelical Seminary's third president. A graduate of Liberty University, McFarland earned a B.S. and M.A. in Christian Thought/Apologetics and was awarded an honorary D.Div. from Southern Evangelical in May 2006. Alex has been in full-time Christian ministry since 1989, has traveled as an apologetics-based evangelist since 1996 (speaking in all 50 states and at well over 1,000 venues), and has written a number of published works.
Southern Evangelical offers students fully accredited undergraduate and graduate programs through residence or distance education that integrate classical theology, philosophy, and apologetics for a comprehensive and coherent Christian worldview.
The mission of Southern Evangelical Seminary (SES) is to "train men and women, based on the inerrant and infallible written Word of God, for the evangelization of the world and defense of the historic Christian Faith." SES is conservative Protestant doctrinally and holds firmly to the inerrancy of the Bible. SES is known for its classical theology, integration of theology and philosophy, and a classical apologetics approach. They have a strong philosophy department that holds to conservative Christianity while espousing a realist Thomistic philosophy.
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Degree Programs offered at SES offer training under Christian apologists and Bible teachers who are committed to classical theology, classical philosophy, and classical apologetics. SES offers the following degree programs:
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) with a major in Religious Studies
Master of Arts in Religion (M.A.R.)
Master of Arts in (M.A.) with majors in Apologetics, Philosophy, Church Ministry, Christian Education, and Biblical Studies. Concentrations can be added in Apologetics, Philosophy, Islamic Studies, Jewish Studies, and Youth Ministry
Master of Divinity (M.Div.) with majors in Apologetics and Biblical Studies
Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) with a major in Apologetics
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Philosophy of Religion
Distance Education is also available from Southern Evangelical. For those unable to move to the Charlotte area, lectures can be provided online or through DVD video. Although external students get the same lectures, notes, textbooks, assignments, and degree as resident students - and they take the courses on their own timetable.
SES (& SEBC) faculty includes Barry Leventhal, Thomas Howe, Jason Reed, Richard Howe, Dave Scott, Doug Beaumont, J.T. Bridges, Ted Wright, Doug Potter, Lanny Wilson, and Christina Woodside.
SES Adjunct faculty includes Gary Habermas, Dave Beck, William Dembski, Wayne Detzler, Elliot Johnson, Michael Licona, Gary Phillips, Kenneth Baker, Michael Brown, David Russ, Frank Turek, and more.
The faculty (past and current) and students have written numerous academic articles and well over 100 published books.
The school has been endorsed by Josh McDowell, Ravi Zacharias, Hank Hanegraaff, John Ankerberg, and Kay Arthur (Endorsements).
Southern Evangelical Seminary was founded in 1992 by Ross Rhoads, former evangelist and then Pastor of Calvary Church in Charlotte and Norman Geisler, theologian and Christian apologist/theologian. Rhoads’ burden for evangelism and Geisler's concern to defend the Faith combined in the two-fold vision of the seminary to evangelize the world and to defend the historic Christian Faith. It was officially incorporated in the State of North Carolina on January 6, 1992.
Ross Rhoads was appointed as the first President of the Seminary. Norman Geisler would assume the presidency and remain in that position until 2006.
By May 4, 1992 SES had obtained permission from the State of North Carolina to offer a Seminary program with degrees, as provided for under North Carolina General Statutes Section (G.S.) 116-15 (d). Preparation began to develop a faculty, catalog, and library. The first classes began in September 1992. The Seminary grew rapidly, attracting students from all over the United States and several other countries. From the beginning it attracted national attention by its unique program in evangelism and classical apologetics.
The first graduate received his degree in 1995.
In late summer of 1997 the Seminary moved to 4298 McKee Road, Charlotte, NC to property graciously provided by McKee Road Baptist Church.
On February 27, 1998 Southern Evangelical Seminary was granted Candidate Status by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS), a national accrediting association recognized by the United States government.
In March 1999 Southern Evangelical Seminary was accepted as a member organization of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) certifying that it has met all standards of financial integrity and Christian ethics.
On March 2, 2001 Southern Evangelical Seminary was granted accreditation by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) and started the Doctor of Ministry Program.
In the late summer of 2003 Southern Evangelical Seminary completed the building of its own 23,000-square-foot (2,100 m2) facility on a ten and one-half acre lot located at 3000 Tilley Morris Road, Matthews, NC.
In the Fall of 2004 Southern Evangelical Bible College was established to offer students the opportunity to complete an undergraduate degree.
On April 7, 2006 it was announced that popular evangelist-apologist Alex McFarland, a long time friend of the seminary, would become its new president. A graduate of Liberty University, Alex McFarland earned a B.S. and M.A. in Christian Thought / Apologetics, and was awarded an honorary D.Div. from SES in May 2006. Alex had been in full-time Christian ministry since 1989, and has been traveling as an apologetics-based evangelist since 1996 (speaking in all 50 states and at well over 400 venues in only ten years). Alex's blend of apologetics and evangelism was found to be a perfect fit for SES which includes both of these in its two-fold mission statement: To evangelize the world and defend the historic Christian faith.
In Spring of 2007 the Veritas Graduate School of Apologetics at SES was approved to offer the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree.
In the Spring of 2008, a 25,000-square-foot (2,300 m2) facility was added, which doubled the library, tripled the bookstore, and provided more classroom space for students in the growing residency program. The new building also houses a radio station and a state of the art studio for recording.
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