What We Believe

Carroll Seminary operated as an independent seminary, unaffiliated or attached to any one denomination or church organization for its first twenty years. In October 2024, the Seminary merged operations with East Texas Baptist University. The theological beliefs and perspectives of B. H. Carroll Theological Seminary are based solely on the Bible and align with the doctrinal position of the University.

​Statement on Diversity

In the beginning God created one humanity, comprised of male and female, in His own image for holy fellowship with Him; consequently, humanity exists as a wholly other order of creation, different from the animals and all other elements and forms of life (Gen. 1:24-30; Gen. 2:15-22; Ps. 8:3-8; Acts 17:26; Heb. 2:7). God commanded humanity to be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth, and to subdue it (Gen. 1:28; 9:1, 7). The original intent of God’s command was perverted by humanity’s fall into sin and its continued rebellion and degradation through its rejection of the only Creator God (Gen. 3:1-24; 6:5; Rom. 1:18-32).

Each human being created by the living God, through the biological and spiritual processes He has established in His wise counsel, is to be valued and respected as a unique creation of God regardless of gender, ethnicity, level of wealth, religious creed, nationality, or physical or mental disability; there is no partiality with God (Gen. 1:26-28; Ex. 23:3; Lev. 19:15; Deut. 1:7, 10:17, 16:19; Job 31:13-15, 34:19; Lam. 3:35-36; James 3:9).

Though the earth is home to numerous nationalities, God chose Israel as a treasured possession for Himself and, through it, delivered to the whole of humanity the one remedy for all human sinfulness—the incarnate God, His Son, Jesus Christ (Gen. 12:3, Deut. 7:6-8, 14:2; Ps. 135:4; Luke 24:47; John 3:16-17, 4:22; Rom. 1:16;  Gal. 3:29; 1 Tim. 1:15; Heb. 2:16-18). The intent of the Church is, according to the instruction of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, to seek out the lost from among every tribe, tongue, people, and nation, sharing with them the gospel of reconciliation with God through the substitutionary, atoning sacrifice of His Son on the cross (John 3:16-17; Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Rom. 5:5-9; 2 Cor. 5:11-21; 1 John 2:2). The restorative power of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ alone breaks down the dividing wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile, as well as between all other ethnicities, nationalities, and genders (Acts 10:9-15; Eph. 2:11-14; Gal. 3:26-28). The Church is the means by which Christ unites the many sinners of those ethnicities, nationalities, and genders into one redeemed, restored, gifted, and functioning body, of which He is the Head; in doing so the Church displays the glory of God to humanity and to those in the heavenly realms, both now and in the future (Eph. 3:9-12; 4:7-16; Rev. 5:9-10, 7:9-10, 14:6-7).

Our mission is to equip men and women called to serve Christ in the diverse and global ministries of His Church. This equipping effort is conducted across denominational lines, though the Seminary itself adheres to traditional Baptist understandings of key theological, soteriological, and ecclesiological doctrines. B. H. Carroll Theological Seminary recognizes the doctrinal, ethnic, national, and gender diversity within the body of Christ as a beautiful gift of God and seeks to establish cooperative efforts in theological education with like-minded disciples in other cultures and lands. The faculty and staff of B. H. Carroll Theological Seminary does not share a single, uniform opinion on the role of women in the offices of the Church. Those differences of understanding the scriptural qualifications for pastor are purposefully excluded as barriers to fellowship with churches of differing persuasions.

The Seminary abides solely by the biblical witness with respect to its understandings of human sexuality and marriage as reflections of biblical cosmology and biblical morality, as well as the historical witness of the church faithfully teaching both (Gen. 1:26-28, 2:18-25; Matt. 19:4-6; Eph. 5:21-33; Heb. 13:4). Marriage is a God-ordained institution solely between one man and one woman, through which God depicts His love for His Church (Eph. 5:21-33; Col. 3:18-19). We are attentive to Scripture with respect to its views on human sexuality and apply those views consistently in employment decisions, admissions criteria, and behavioral standards (1 Cor. 6:9-11, 18-20; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 4:15, 20-24, Col. 3:5).

Recognizing that Christ instructs and expects His disciples faithfully to imitate Him and love one another, those with whom we disagree, and those who actively reject the biblical witness on the created order and human sexuality, we leave open all paths of respectful, charitable, and informed dialogue in order to continue declaring the saving, reforming, and transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ (Matt. 5:13-16).

Approved by the Board of Governors February 6, 2023