The mission of Samford University's Beeson Divinity School is to prepare God-called persons to serve as ministers in the Church of Jesus Christ. We accomplish this by providing face-to-face, classical graduate theological education, worshiping the Triune God, and encouraging the practices of Christian spirituality in covenanted community.

Our faculty and staff equip servants of the Lord for kingdom work around the world, especially in and through local churches. We facilitate and resource the church’s endeavors to make and grow Christian disciples in response to Jesus’ command (Matthew 28). In the words of the apostle Paul, inspired by the Spirit, we encourage and prepare the Lord's people “for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4). We do this mainly by educating preachers and teachers of the canon of Holy Scripture, secondarily by training faithful, thoughtful Christian laity. In every case, we want students to be men and women of God.

Hodges Chapel, where the Beeson community meets for worship, stands at the center of Divinity Hall. It is redolent with symbols of the faith and decorated with beautiful Christian art. Its cross-shaped form reminds us of the centrality of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Its prominence and location at the heart of our building bears witness to the fact that Beeson is not merely a graduate school for the study of theology, but rather a living community of faith and learning whose highest purpose is to know God and enjoy Him forever.

Douglas A. Sweeney
Dean, Beeson Divinity School