Last year I visited Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, one of the largest theological schools in North America. They were celebrating the school's hundredth anniversary.

Southwestern has a large and impressive campus in Fort Worth, Texas. The main building, shown here, includes the auditorium-style chapel and many administrative offices, including that of President Paige Patterson. President Patterson made me feel extraordinarily welcome.

Like some other seminaries, Southwestern has a conference center that can be rented by church groups and others. The conference center includes hotel-style rooms and large meeting spaces. And it includes this private garden.

I like the symbolism of the black stone globe, which floats on water pressure pumped into the base of its concave fountain. Southwestern emphasizes world missions, and this globe is a daily reminder of the school's priorities.

The New Year 2009 issue of In Trust included an article about Southwestern Baptist Seminary's international outlook (along with international programs at several other theological schools). Boards and staff affiliated with one of In Trust's member schools can read the full text of the article here (to read the full text, you must first create a username and password, if you don't already have one, and log in).