“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” -Psalm 100:5 | Centennial Theme Verse
Birthdays are worth celebrating. I think part of the excitement of a youthful birthday is that it carries not only a celebration of one more year, but the anticipation of what the future has in store for that young person. If you’ve ever celebrated a birthday with an older friend or grandparent as they entered their eighties or nineties, you may have noticed that their birthdays take on a different tone. The celebration looks backward, remembering all that person has done with their life. And we offer thanksgiving that the person of honor is still with us on this earth.
Institutions have birthdays too. March 19, 2025 marks the 100th birthday of Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (currently Palmer Theological Seminary) and Eastern University! A century of equipping individuals to share the Gospel, serve their communities, and be Christ’s hands and feet in the world is worth celebrating. Dr. Kimberlee Johnson, Dean of Palmer Seminary, emphasizes that the reach and breadth of Eastern’s impact cannot be overstated.
The celebration kicks off on Saturday, March 15th at 11 am with a worship service at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia. All staff, alumni, students, churches, and friends of the Palmer and Eastern communities are invited to attend. As official speakers for the service, we will be joined by Rev. Dr. Danielle Brown, Senior Pastor, Shiloh Baptist Church; Plainfield, NJ, Rev. Adalia Gutierrez Lee, Area Director for Iberoamerica and the Caribbean International Ministries, American Baptist Churches USA, Rev. Dr. J. Wendell Mapson, Jr. Pastor, Monumental Baptist Church; Philadelphia, PA, and Rev. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Assistant Director for Partnerships and Fellowships, Yale University’s Center for Public Theology and Public Policy. Moreover, Shane Clairborne will be in attendance to offer an alumni tribute; all alumni in ministry will be honored.
“This celebration is less about recognizing specific people, and more about celebrating our community as a whole. There is not enough time to observe everyone who deserves it and we would no doubt overlook some unseen heroes.”
As you may have seen by now, our centennial slogan is “Lasting Legacy, Flourishing Future.” For Dr. Johnson, this means reflecting on what God has done for, in, and through Eastern, and anticipating where God will bring us next. “EBTS was established in a specific context, asking how they could offer a theological and liberal arts education in that current season. We will continue to do the same.”
We look forward to kicking off our year-long celebration of Eastern’s centennial on March 15, 2025!
Sign up to volunteer or join our community of Centennial Sponsors.