Maddie Smith did not expect to fall in love with school again.
She finished her undergraduate degree, closed that chapter, and moved on. When she arrived at Southern Seminary as a student wife, taking classes was not part of the plan. Then someone told her about the Seminary Wives Institute.
“After completing my undergrad, I never thought I would go back to school,” Smith said. “I was surprised at how much I enjoyed studying and learning new things.”
That surprise turned into something life-changing. She took one class, then another. This May, she walked across the stage and graduated with the Advanced Certificate in Ministry Studies from Boyce College with more than 55 credit hours completed. She leaves campus with a seminary education she never saw coming.
One teacher changed the way she thinks about her own home.
The Ministry of Hospitality, taught by SWI Director Mrs. Mary K. Mohler, challenged Smith to see hospitality not as a social nicety but as a biblical command. Hospitality offers a sacrificial expression of Christian love to be practiced without grumbling. The class asked Smith to think outside the box, to find new ways of welcoming new friends, church members, and family.
“Mrs. Mohler taught me to always keep good records, have a brownie mix on hand, and live a life that says welcome,” Smith said.
Another course, God’s Good Design, gave her a scriptural framework for complementarian marriage—the distinct and collaborative roles of husband and wife as God designed them. Smith found herself not just learning but sharing, passing along what she had studied to other women in her life.
Smith notes that not everyone understands SWI. People have commonly asked her: “Is this the group where you all bake cookies together?”
“SWI is not a club,” she said. “It’s a program where wives can learn practical and biblical skills to thrive in ministry and in the home.”
The program, directed by Mrs. Mohler, offers courses taught by seminary faculty, faculty wives, and guest speakers. Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr., Hershael York, and Bill Cook often spoke to the classes. Women can earn a Certificate or Advanced Certificate in Ministry Studies, and the curriculum carries approval from the International Mission Board for wives preparing for the mission field.
That last detail mattered to Smith. Her husband finished his Master of Divinity and the two of them are looking ahead to ministry and the possibility of entering the mission field. She says she will be ready.
“If we were to be placed on the mission field tomorrow, I would feel more than ready to serve alongside my husband because of SWI,” she said.
For wives still on the fence, Smith is direct.
“You will be a more equipped, confident, and enriched woman after taking even just one class,” she said. “The time and financial investment are modest, childcare is provided, and the women in the room are walking the same road you are. There is no reason to wait.”
Learn more about Seminary Wives Institute, now available fully online, at sbts.edu/swi