SWBTS pres. thanks God's 'abundant grace and kindness' as full accreditation is restored

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Saturday, June 13, 2026

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has had its accreditation restored following several years of concerns about its financial health as part of what the institution’s leader is calling evidence of “God’s abundant grace and kindness.”

In a statement Thursday, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, announced that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges had determined that the institution was “now in full compliance with all accreditation expectations” following an April site visit to the seminary.

SWBTS President David Dockery informed the campus community of the development in a letter. 

“Southwestern Seminary is no longer on probation for good cause but is in full adherence with SACSCOC accreditation standards,” he wrote. “We are genuinely grateful to God to receive this good and encouraging report that all sanctions have been removed, which is an answer to the prayers of many.”

The restoration of accreditation for SWBTS comes two months after Dockery informed the institution of SACSCOC’s intention to remove sanctions imposed in June 2023 in response to “deep financial vulnerabilities, including large deficits that threatened the seminary’s long-term stability.”

Dockery said in his letter Thursday that SBTS had taken steps to address financial shortcomings, which were first uncovered in a 2022 audit. 

“It was acknowledged that Southwestern had followed through on the recommendations received from SACSCOC leadership over the past three years, which included increasing net tuition, increasing auxiliary revenue, increasing operating revenue overall, decreasing personnel expenses and overall operating expense; addressing depreciation, finding additional revenue streams, and selling property,” Dockery stated. “The Lord has used a team effort from across the Southwestern community to get us to this positive position.” 

Dockery added, “The Southwestern community must and will continue to be thoroughly committed to faithful institutional stewardship and a renewed sense of overall institutional responsibility in the days ahead. The Lord has led us to a genuine place of dependence on him, accompanied by a dedication to prayer and trust, which we long to see continued in the coming months and years.”

“There is no way to explain all the changes at Southwestern over the past 45 months apart from a clear recognition of God’s abundant grace and kindness to the Southwestern community, for which we are genuinely joyful,” he proclaimed. “We are deeply grateful for the changes in institutional culture, in the Board’s careful oversight of the institution, and for the markers of progress that have been made over the past 45 months.”

Acknowledging that “the SACSCOC sanctions were challenging for us,” Dockery credited them with motivating the institution to pursue “faithful institutional stewardship, a pattern we believe not only to be in place across the campus at Southwestern Seminary at this time, but a pattern that must continue to guide the seminary forward toward institutional health and flourishing in the future.” He concluded by offering “heartfelt thanks to God for his blessings and favor to Southwestern.”

While SACSCOC never officially removed accreditation for SWBTS, the threat loomed large after the accrediting body placed the institution on “Probation for Good Cause” last year, the second-worst sanction that can be given and only less serious than a loss of accreditation. The probation came two years after SACSCOC first issued a warning to the seminary.