>As you have realized by now, I have been unable to post to the blog for the last two weeks. No, I have not been hibernating. I have been finishing my work on the Self-Study. Let me explain.

Every ten years, an education institution has to apply for re-accreditation. Northern Baptist Seminary is accredited by The Commission on Accrediting of The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) and The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA).

Our last accreditation visit was in 1997; in November 2007 we will receive a visit from ATS and NCA for the purpose of re-accreditation. In preparation for this visit, the seminary has to do a self-study to ascertain whether it is fulfilling its mission as described in the seminary’s Mission Statement. To prepare for the Self-Study visit, Northern’s President asked me to serve as the Director of the Self-Study.

Our Self-Study process took three full years of hard work. During this period, the faculty and staff of the seminary did a thorough study of the life and ministry of the seminary for the past ten years. At the end of the process, we had dozens of reports and documents detailing the results of the study. When the faculty and staff finished their work, I began writing the final Self-Study Report.

I began gathering the information last summer. For the past several months I have been writing the Self-Study Report. For the past two weeks I have been putting the final touches on the Report. I am glad to say that I finished editing the Self-Study Report yesterday. The result is a book of more than 200 pages, 102 appendixes, and about 100 footnotes.

Now, I can begin writing for pleasure. This is what is waiting for me. I am writing two articles for a new study Bible being published by Fortress Press. I have to write two more articles for The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, a book review for The Expository Times, and two book reviews for the Review and Expositor. If I have time, I hope to finish writing an article on Zedekiah to be submitted for publication by the end of the year.

And then, there is the blog. Beginning next week, I hope to begin posting regularly to the blog. For the past two weeks I have been unable to answer the many emails and comments I received from readers, but I will do so beginning this weekend.

I missed blogging and I can’t wait to begin writing again.

AUGUST CARNIVAL

By the way, I am responsible for the August Carnival. If you have not submitted your entry, consider this an invitation to submit your best post for consideration. So, do it today.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tag: Blogging