Southern Seminary’s mission statement grounds the institution’s vision of diversity:
Under the lordship of Jesus Christ, the mission of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is to be totally committed to the Bible as the Word of God, to the Great Commission as our mandate, and to be a servant of the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention by training, educating, and preparing ministers of the gospel for more faithful service.
First, the seminary’s commitment to the Bible as the Word of God includes a commitment to men and women as created in the unique image of God (Gen. 1:26–27), equal in personhood and dignity, but distinct-yet-complementary in roles and ministries (Gen. 2:18; 1 Tim. 2:12–14). Second, the school’s commitment to the Great Commission mandate to make disciples of all peoples (Matt. 28:19–20) and the church as the one new people of God (Eph. 4:15) drives its global scope to enroll and train students in North America and around the world to take the gospel to all people and cultures. Third, Southern Seminary’s context as a servant of the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention, the school’s primary constituency, guides its selection and deployment of faculty. All of Southern Seminary’s academic degrees are open to both men and women.