Students excelling in their fields were commended during Tuesday’s awards chapel service at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

As part of Southeastern’s final chapel service of the spring 2010 semester, recognitions were given to 30 students in a variety of scholastic fields. Southeastern president Daniel Akin addressed the award recipients and others on the qualities of a godly leader, teaching from the first chapter of the book of James.

“God is not just concerned with the end, but how you get to the end,” Akin said. “For a faithful servant of Jesus, pure pragmatism is never an option.”

Akin said Godly leaders must exhibit those qualities described in James 1, including having joy in the midst of trials and wisdom to ask the Lord for what they need. Conversely, the godly leader will also see what he does have and keep it in proper perspective.

“The man who has nothing and has Jesus actually has everything. The man who has everything but doesn’t have Jesus has nothing,” Akin said.

Award recipients for the spring 2010 semester include Crystal Sullivan, Certificate in Women’s Studies; Jeanette Stamp, Meredith Schrader and Mary Ann Daughtry, Diploma in Women’s Studies; Melissa Clift, Gerald C. Cowen Outstanding College Student; Laura Caroline Brent, Certificate of Missions Studies; Randall David Seale, R. T. Daniel Old Testament Award; and Andrew Bowden, John & G. Henton Davies Old Testament Award.

More awards were given to Joshua Honeycutt, Frances Jackson Durham Hebrew Prize; Seung Ho Park, Paulino de los Reyes and Joseph Block Greek Prize; Andrew Joel Beckham Jr., Nannie Bruce Nelson New Testament Award; Randy D. Starkey, Arthur F. & Olga M. Robinson Advanced Language Prize; and Kanon Raulerson, J. Lake Williams Award.

The following also received awards: William R. Langley, Elizabeth White Williams Award for Graduate Studies in Christian Ethics; Preston Hubble, Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Culler Middler Theology Award; Cory Hays, Ben S. Johnson Church Music Award; Macky Kyle, Keyboard Performance Award; Tommy Waltz, The Associate Excellence Award; Seung Ho Park, David E. Lanier Outstanding International Student Award; Caleb* (Name restricted for security reasons), Williams-White Award for the Practice of Christian Social Concern; Bryan Barley, S. L. Stealey Church History Award; and Robert David Baker, Ellis W. Hollon, Jr. Award in Philosophy of Religion.

Finally, awards were also given to Christopher M. Fowler, Bessie M. Sarchet Award in Preaching; Jason Mitchell, Andrew Joel Beckham Jr., and Bryan Barley, Joe B. Brown Preaching Award; Renard Meredith Sharrett, John H. Clifford Evangelism Award; Rhett* (Name restricted for security reasons), Keith E. Eitel Outstanding International Church Planter Award, Joshua David Franklin, Warren-Poe Award for Rural Church Ministry; Nathan Akin, Gary A. Galeotti Outstanding Spiritual Leadership Award; Caleb* (Name restricted for security reasons), The Broadman & Holman Seminarian Award; and Jong Hyun Kwon, Edward A. McDowell Jr. Greek Award.