The Westminster Seminary California Board of Trustees displayed its deep appreciation for Dr. and Mrs. S.M. Baugh by naming one of the residential buildings in their honor. Dr. Baugh served WSC as Professor of New Testament faithfully for 38 years before retiring recently. In January, the Board appointed him Professor Emeritus of New Testament. Generations of students came to love Dr. Baugh for his humility, humor, and passionate concern for Christ, His Gospel, and His Church. Dr. and Mrs. Baugh frequently hosted new students at their “Lazy B Ranch.” WSC is thankful for Dr. and Mrs. Baugh for modeling Christian love and charity to its community for so many years.
When Westminster Village was built in 2018, the WSC Board of Trustees decided to honor past WSC presidents and emeritus professors by naming a residential building after each of them and their wives – Robert and Alice Strimple, Edmund and Jean Clowney, Robert and Nellie den Dulk, Robert and Mary Ellen Godfrey, Hywel and Nansi Jones, Derke and Doris Bergsma, and Dennis and Jane Johnson. The Trustees chose to name the seventh building after Steve and Kathy Baugh but wanted to wait until his coming retirement and professor emeritus status. Temporarily, they decided to name that building after J. Gresham Machen in honor of his foundational role in establishing Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.
WSC planned to unveil the new “Steve & Kathy Baugh” plaque at its Board meetings in late May, but the secret got out early. This led some to assume incorrectly on social media that the seminary was “canceling” Machen. This could not be further from the truth. WSC continues to honor Dr. Machen with an endowed chair in his name. The seminary proudly continues in Machen’s Old School tradition of confessional, Reformed theological education, even while acknowledging that all our heroes throughout church history have feet of clay. This naming of a building was never about canceling anyone; it was always about honoring the faithful service of one of the seminary’s beloved professors and his wife.
