In his first report to the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting as president of Gateway Seminary, Adam Groza said the seminary has experienced a year of transition, celebration and growth.
Speaking to messengers during the afternoon session June 12, Groza noted the smooth leadership change as he succeeded Jeff Iorg at Gateway’s helm. Iorg completed his 20-year tenure in the role May 12 before stepping into the role of president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee.
“I’m so grateful and deeply humbled to serve as the eighth president of Gateway Seminary,” Groza said. “I’m also thankful for the dedication and spiritual maturity of the entire Gateway community — students, faculty, staff, trustees and alumni who were the real heroes of this leadership transition. They’ve served diligently, prayed fervently and heeded the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:33, seeking first the Kingdom of God and God’s will.”
This year, Gateway celebrates its 80th anniversary, and Groza recognized the vision of the seminary’s founders, “a small group of deacons and their wives” who in 1944 gathered in Oakland, California, to pray about whether or not God was leading them to start a seminary. They sensed He was, but Groza suggested they likely never imagined how God would bless their obedience.
Building on seminary’s success
“Today, Gateway trains over 2,000 students annually and has graduated more than 12,000 individuals who serve globally,” Groza said, noting an increase in student enrollment. The seminary’s largest class was taught in San Francisco, where about 50 new students gathered for a weekend in the bay to learn how to share and defend their faith in difficult places. The effort resulted in over 400 gospel conversations and 13 new believers, he said.
The seminary has received several significant donations, including a collection of historical Bibles and a fine art collection. Gateway also received a $2 million gift to establish a Go Grants endowment, ensuring that all Gateway students can participate in missions trips, enhancing their practical experience in ministry.
Groza expressed his gratitude to Southern Baptist churches for their support through the Cooperative Program and said the seminary remains committed to shaping leaders who expand God’s Kingdom globally.
“When you return home and report to your church on the annual meeting, please remind them that they have six great seminaries. One of their seminaries is out in California called Gateway,” Groza said. “And we say, thank you.”
To view more photos from the seminary reports, click here.
