By Michael Gryboski, Editor Monday, April 13, 2026

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, is optimistic that an accreditation group will lift the sanctions imposed in 2023 amid financial concerns. 

SWBTS President David S. Dockery sent a letter to the seminary community last week explaining that a visiting team from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) stated their intention during a meeting with seminary officials earlier in the week to recommend that sanctions be removed. 

In 2023, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) imposed a sanction on the seminary for what it labeled “significant non-compliance” with accreditation standards. The sanction followed a 2022 audit that found "deep financial vulnerabilities, including large deficits that threatened the seminary's long-term
stability."

“I am pleased to share that the SACSCOC visiting team on campus this week fully agreed with this assessment and will recommend to the SACSCOC Committee on Compliance and Reports, as well as to the SACSCOC Board of Trustees at their meeting in June, that Southwestern’s sanction be removed with no additional recommendations,” Dockery wrote.

“While additional steps remain in the process, I wanted you to be encouraged today by this good and affirming news from the SACSCOC visiting team.”

Dockery said, "The findings of this visiting committee represent a preliminary assessment of the institution at this time."

The sanctions can only be lifted with the “final action" of the SACSCOC board.

“Should the SACSCOC Committee on Compliance and Reports and the SACSCOC Board of Trustees affirm the positive observations of this week’s visiting team, the sanctions will be completely removed,” he said.

“We look forward to moving forward together with ongoing and enhanced commitments to faithful and long-term institutional stewardship. Now, we pray that we can all finish the semester well.”

In September 2022, Adam Greenway resigned as president of SWBTS, having served in the role since February 2019. The terms of his resignation were finalized in February 2023.

The Southwestern Seminary Board of Trustees Task Force issued a “summary of findings” in June 2023 alleging that Greenway oversaw “improper expenses” that did not reflect “proper stewardship of seminary resources.”

Greenway filed a lawsuit in response, accusing SWBTS leadership of defamation. The two sides settled in September 2024, with no monetary compensation paid.

Around the time the task force released its report, the SACSCOC Board of Trustees issued a warning regarding the seminary’s financial stability and overall governance.

The warning, a less severe sanction than probation, meant the seminary was monitored by the accreditation organization from June 2023 to June 2024.

In June 2024, SACSCOC maintained the warning status. The seminary noted at the time that, although there was no longer concern about the fiduciary responsibility of the board of trustees, the accreditation entity continued to express concern about financial resources and institutional financial responsibility.

At an October 2024 trustees meeting, Dockery noted improvement in the seminary’s situation, saying it went “from instability to stability, from a time of crisis and challenge to a time of hopefulness.” Dockery said that total tuition, operating revenue and gifts had increased since 2022. Operating expenses were also reduced, and short-term debt was eliminated.

SWBTS had $1.7 million in cash reserves and $4.2 million in short-term debt in 2022, Dockery told trustees, compared with more than $12 million in cash on hand and no short-term debt in 2024.

Last June, SACSCOC announced that SWBTS had been placed on probation and must show a “pattern of financial stability,” with a decision on accreditation expected this June.

Bob Brown, chairman of the SWBTS Board of Trustees, said in a statement last year that he was “extremely optimistic about Southwestern’s future” despite the probation decision.

“With our enrollment continuing to rise and our financial position measurably stronger, there are sound reasons to be positive about the future of SWBTS,” Brown said.

“However, my optimism is primarily driven by the work of the Holy Spirit on Seminary Hill, with hope and unity sweeping the campus in tangibly observable ways every day.”

News Source : https://www.christianpost.com/news/swbts-sanctions-could-be-removed-by-accrediting-body.html