MOBILE, Ala. – From seminary presidents and leaders in Southern Baptist life to prominent pastors, leading authors and global missions innovators, the University of Mobile’s Spring 2025 Chapel speaker lineup promises to inspire and challenge students in their faith journey.
The weekly Chapel program is part of the Christian university’s emphasis on faith development and spiritual growth. Along with an active campus ministries program designed to supplement students’ involvement in their local church, the university’s academic program integrates faith and learning across all areas of study.
“At the University of Mobile, our Chapel program reflects our mission to multiply Kingdom leaders for the glory of God and the good of the world,” said UM President Charles Smith.
“This semester’s lineup of speakers brings a wealth of wisdom and experience that will inspire our students to embrace their calling with purpose, in whatever field of study they are pursuing. Each speaker embodies the heart of servant leadership, equipping and challenging our campus community to grow in faith and boldly impact the world for Christ,” Smith said.
Spring 2025 Chapel Speakers are:
January 15 – Mat Alexander, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Gadsden, Alabama. Alexander has served as pastor of FBC Gadsden since 2012.He is an alumnus of the University of Mobile, having graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Humanities. He holds a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where he currently is pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Expository Preaching.
January 22 – Paul Davis, President of ABWE (Association of Baptists for World Evangelism). Davis leads a global missions organization that partners with about 400 churches and thousands of supporting groups to fulfill the Great Commission. Its core mission is to help missionaries go and empower the local church to send missionaries to more than 84 countries, serving in teams committed to evangelism, discipleship, church planting and national leadership development among the lost and unreached.
January 29 – Dr. Andrew Walker, Associate Dean of the School of Theology and Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Public Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. A prolific author whose work has been published in outlets including National Review, The Gospel Coalition and Newsweek, Walker writes about the intersection of Christian ethics, public theology and the common good. He serves as managing editor of WORLD Opinions and is director of the Carl. F.H. Henry Institute for Evangelical Engagement.
February 5 – Dr. Ted Traylor, Head Pastor at Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. Traylor is passionate about mentoring and training young ministers. He is a leader in Southern Baptist life, having served as president of the Florida Baptist Convention, president of the Southern Baptist Convention Pastors’ Conference, and first vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention.
February 12 – Dr. Jamie Dew, President of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Professor of Christian Philosophy. Dew holds two PhDs: a Doctor of Philosophy in Theological Studies from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy from the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. He has published extensively and served as a senior pastor and in a variety of church ministry positions.
February 19 – Mark Bethea, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Montgomery, Alabama. Bethea holds a Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He was named head pastor at First Baptist Montgomery in 2020, after serving the church as associate pastor for outreach and evangelism. He served as a student intern at FBC for two summers, during which time he was called to the ministry.
February 26 – Dr. Danny Akin, President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Akin has served as SBTS president since 2004. He is known as an advocate for international missions and expository preaching and is the author of several books on theology as well as “Raising Kids with a Heart for Mission” and co-author of “40 Questions About the Great Commission.”
March 12 – Craig Carlisle, President of the Alabama Baptist State Convention. Carlisle is serving his second term as Alabama’s state convention leader and is the first director of missions/associational mission strategist to serve in this role. He has served the Etowah Baptist Association since 2017. Carlisle was instrumental in the launch of a new emphasis in bi-vocational ministry: Calling Out the Called Alabama.
March 19 – Jeff Medders, Director of Theology and Content for Send Network. Medders is an author, preacher and podcaster, and general editor for New Churches. He is pursuing doctorate in biblical spirituality at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he is studying Charles Spurgeon and the Song of Songs.
March 26 – Dr. Patrick Schreiner, Associate Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Schreiner is director of the residency PhD program and holds the Gene and Jo Downing Endowed Chair of Biblical Studies. He is the author of numerous books including a textbook on the Gospels titled “The Four Gospels: Jesus, the Hope of the World.” He writes for academic journals as well as popular publications such as Christianity Today and The Gospel Coalition.
April 2 – H.B. Charles Jr., Pastor-Teacher of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church of Jacksonville and Orange Park, Florida. Charles started pastoring at age 17 as a senior in high school, succeeding his father at Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church of Los Angeles. He has served at Shiloh since 2008. Charles is the author/contributing author of several books and is host of The On Preaching Podcast dedicating to helping pastors preach faithfully, clearly and better.
Learn more about the University of Mobile at umobile.edu/um-info. Plan a campus visit or register for a UM Day at umobile.edu/um-info or call Enrollment Services at 251.442.2222.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered university with a vision of “Higher Education for a Higher Purpose,” founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions in an environment where they are known. Located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama, on a campus of over 880 acres, the university offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. The University of Mobile was founded in 1961 and is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu/um-info, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
Kathy Dean uses her passion for storytelling and “playing with words” to share the stories of people, place and purpose that make the University of Mobile unique. As associate vice president for university communications, she manages media relations, edits the TorchLight alumni magazine, and oversees university communications. A former award-winning journalist, she is a two-time recipient of the Baptist Communicators Association grand prize for feature writing. Kathy and her husband, Chuck, live with three extremely loud miniature schnauzers.