Akin to retire after decades leading Southeastern Baptist

The longest-serving president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Judson College plans to step down at the end of the 2025-2026 school year, the seminary announced Tuesday. Danny Akin’s official retirement date is July 31, 2026. A presidential search committee will soon begin to pray and work to identify the seminary’s next president, Southeastern said in a statement.

Akin and his wife Charlotte were at perfect peace with the decision after praying through it with family and friends, according to a statement from the seminary. They have enjoyed many years of joy and thanksgiving at Southeastern.

“We have seen God grow our student body, strengthen our faculty, expand our giving base, and deepen our vision and commitment to theological fidelity and Great Commission passion,” they said, according to the university.

Who is Danny Akin? The retirement concludes a remarkable career teaching and leading at seminaries and colleges—beginning in 1988 at Dallas’ Criswell College. Two decades at Southeastern Seminary were preceded by working closely with R. Albert Mohler Jr. at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he taught theology and preaching. Akin has written some 30 books. In some of his best-known titles, such as Engaging Exposition, he explored preaching techniques. In addition to academics, he has logged numerous mission trips from Australia in 1988 to Ukraine most recently in 2019. 

After 47 years of marriage, Danny and Charlotte have four children and 15 grandchildren, according to his personal website.