The Baptist Commons

Christian by tradition, Baptist in heritage, and ecumenical in outlook, we are Baptists committed to justice, reconciliation, and compassion.

The Baptist Commons forms students, engages alumni, and cultivates relationships with supporters to deepen the distinct Baptist heritage of our ecumenical learning community, recognizing the School of Divinity’s role as a vital institution in fostering excellence in leadership among diverse communities of Baptists committed to justice, reconciliation, and compassion.

The School of Divinity is committed to honoring and nurturing its Baptist heritage. Without the support of 19th-century Baptists in North Carolina, the nationally prestigious Wake Forest University we call home would never have been born. (Note that in 1986, the University officially broke ties with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina in order to freely choose its trustees without interference from the Convention.) WFU still honors its Baptist heritage in word and deed. For example, the school motto is “ProHumanitate” (For Humanity). The University fulfills opportunities for service arising out of that heritage.

Baptists also played a significant role in the beginnings of the School of Divinity. In 1989 the trustees of the University approved the idea of forming a School of Divinity, and Baptist churches were major financial contributors to the new school, founded in 1999. The very first gift came from the First Baptist Church in New Bern, NC, where Samuel Wait, founder and first president of WFU, once served. (We would be remiss if we did not mention the history of slavery for the Waits and Wake Forest University. WFU has begun the Slavery, Race, and Memory Project to confront its past.)

Even though Baptist heritage informs the School of Divinity, from the beginning the school has been intentionally ecumenical in terms of faculty, student body, and curriculum. It is the first university-based divinity school to begin with no formal denominational affiliation. The faculty and administration embody the traditional Baptist values of respect for individual conscience and freedom of religion. Rather than imposing a particular theological perspective on students, the faculty of the School of Divinity provides future ministers with the tools and resources that help them to think seriously about God, the church, the world, and their own vocation. In true Baptist fashion, students are challenged to internalize their education so that they can serve as effective agents of justice, reconciliation, and compassion in an ever-changing world. The School of Divinity is intentionally ecumenical and open to a variety of viewpoints, valuing Wake Forest College’s Baptist heritage that was shaped by “soul freedom.”

The Baptist Commons will aid in the continuation and creative imagining of how we can best support the holistic educational formation of faith leaders who embrace Baptist identities and connections. Over half of alumni identify as Baptist and the more recent classes of students average a third who enter as Baptists, though within the name “baptist” they may represent as many as 19 different fellowships, associations, or national organizations. Amidst the school’s broad, ecumenical future, its Baptist heritage holds value for students, alumni, and the institution itself. Wake Divinity graduates have thrived within Baptist life, where alumni have served in significant positions of leadership in local churches and in larger denominational bodies. Wake Divinity graduates have been among the strongest voices for progressive change and inclusion within their Baptist denominational bodies, and the school has been noted for its influence in shaping such a perspective. This success is not only a point of pride for students and graduates but also a mark of the success of the School in assisting students with meaningful opportunities post-seminary. It is an important link to the University’s Baptist roots and religious origins. The maintenance of this sense of a Baptist heritage at an ecumenical seminary is important to continuing in shaping a hopeful future.

Wake Divinity is home to the James and Marilyn Dunn Chair of Baptist Studies. Established in honor of the Dunns, influential Baptist leaders for more than half a century, the chair positions the School of Divinity as a leader in the ongoing conversation about the future of ministry in Baptist churches. James Dunn, who joined the School of Divinity faculty in 1999, was internationally known for his leadership of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and his expertise on church and state issues. Marilyn Dunn, a soprano, was a well-known Baptist musician. “In the classroom, the pulpit and the public square, James has spoken out for Baptist ideals of separation of church and state, as well as Baptist theology and history,” former Dean Gail O’Day said. “Over the past decade, James has helped to prepare dozens of new ministers for the challenges they will face as religious leaders, not only within congregations and non-profit agencies but in the political and social issues of their communities.”

The Baptist Commons is designed to provide reflective and educational spaces for students, alumni, and others who have stories to share about what it means to be Baptists committed to the common good. However, even with the investment into the Baptist Commons, our work will not only be for, from, or about Baptists. We will undergird the vision and goals of the diverse School of Divinity. The progressive Baptist heritage of the school is important, but the ecumenical character of the school is indispensable.

Learn more about Program Manager Natalie Aho and read her welcome letter from August 2020.

The School of Divinity is not a Baptist school, but it is a great place to be Baptist.