David Dockery, SWBTS president, presents the James Leo Garrett Jr. Award for Contribution to Christian Thought to Wyman Richardson, pastor of Central Baptist Church in North Little Rock. (SWBTS photo)
To culminate the three days of meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) held Nov. 13-15 in San Antonio, Texas, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary recognized Wyman Lewis Richardson and Heath A. Thomas with the James Leo Garrett Jr. Award for Contribution to Christian Thought and the Curtis Vaughan Award for Contribution to the Study of Christian Scripture, respectively, during the Southwestern Alumni and Friends Reception.
“Southwestern alumni and friends gathered in San Antonio to enjoy a wonderful time of fellowship, hear updates related to the campus, and to recognize two special friends for their contributions to biblical and Baptist studies,” Dockery noted.
Nominated by the faculty of Southwestern Seminary and TBC, the Garrett Award honors the individual who has excelled in contributions for the church in Christian thought in the areas of research, scholarship, teaching, and service. Named in honor of the late distinguished professor of theology at Southwestern Seminary, the 2023 recipient is Richardson.
Richardson said he was “extremely surprised and deeply touched to learn that I would be presented the James Leo Garrett Jr. Award.”
“Dr. Garrett represents the absolute best of the Southwestern tradition,” Richardson observed. “He helped shape that tradition through a life and ministry of humble service, stalwart scholarship, and faithful churchmanship.”
A 1998 Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages graduate of Southwestern, Richardson has pastored Central Baptist Church in North Little Rock, Arkansas, since 2011. The author of several books, Richardson served as the editor of the eight-volume The Collected Writings of James Leo Garrett Jr., 1950-2015. Additionally, Richardson has contributed to the Southwestern Journal of Theology, the 9Marks Journal, and Leadership. In addition to his pastorate in Arkansas, Richardson has led churches in Georgia and Oklahoma.
“If The Collected Writings of James Leo Garrett Jr. have in any way contributed to the continuation of the Garrett legacy, then I consider myself richly blessed,” Richardson added. “This award has humbled and challenged me. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Dockery and to any others who were part of this decision.”
Richardson holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina, and a Doctor of Ministry from Beeson Divinity School, the divinity school of Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. He and his wife, Roni, have one daughter.
This article written by Ashley Allen has been edited for space. The article was originally published in its entirety at swbts.edu/news