Trailblazers in Theological Study

When Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary welcomed its inaugural class in 1994, the landscape of theological education was decidedly different from today’s. With the backing of Baylor University, supported by a collective of churches and pastors, and led by a committed faculty under the leadership of Dean Robert Sloan, the Seminary began its first day of class on August 28, 1994. Fifty-one students, alongside faculty, convened for classes initially housed on the second floor of the B.H. Carroll Education Building at First Baptist Church Waco. Marking this historic occasion, the group commenced with a Convocation service, heralding the beginning of a new era in theological education at Baylor University.

Among this trailblazing group, thirty students would go on to be celebrated as Truett Seminary’s first-ever graduating class. This distinguished group not only included the Seminary’s first African American and female graduates but also many more who would dedicate their lives to extending the Kingdom. 

Highlighted here are five notable members from the first class, each furthering the Seminary’s mission to “serve in and alongside Christ’s Church by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  Their lives exemplify the commitment, diversity, and impact that defines Truett Seminary’s legacy in shaping pastors and ministry leaders.

Brian C. Brewer, ’97
Student Turned Professor 
Professor of Christian Theology at Truett Seminary, Waco, Texas

Matt Cook, ’97
Director of the Center for Healthy Churches, Dallas, Texas

Joseph C. Parker Jr., ’97
First African American Graduate of Truett Seminary 
Senior Pastor of David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, Austin, Texas

Betty Weaver, ’97
First Female Graduate of Truett Seminary 
Retired Pastor of First Baptist Church Monte Vista and First Baptist Church Center, Monte Vista, Colorado 

Steve Wells, ’97
Senior Pastor of South Main Baptist Church, Houston, Texas