Vision Spring/Summer 2013

NEW ORLEANS BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY VOLUME 69, NUMBER 1 • SPRING/SUMMER 2013

Making Theological Education Accessible

Cuban Conexion PAGE 10

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

School of Providence and Prayer

BY DR. CHUCK KELLEY

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s the old story goes, when you see a turtle on top of a fencepost, you can be certain of one thing: Someone put him there!

When you find a Baptist seminary thriving in a city like New Orleans, you can also be certain of one thing: God has intervened! That in a nutshell is the story of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. We learned early on that this would have to be the “School of Providence and Prayer,” a seminary that would owe its very existence to the prayers of God’s people and the divine providence of God’s grace supplying every need. In every chapter of our story, we learn this lesson all over again.

A Providential Gift

One Friday morning in April God sent a providential gift to NOBTS. As we sat around the breakfast table in our home with some sweet Baptist folks who think the training of ministers and missionaries is important, they announced breakfast was so good they wanted to give Rhonda a tip. They handed her a check for $1.5 million to give to the seminary. I told her to save that menu! It was the largest single check I have been given in my 17 years on the job.

Here is what that slice of God’s Providence will do for NOBTS in the next few months. $150,000 will be used to upgrade the classroom technology in all the classrooms of the Bunyan Building and Hardin Student Center. Because of the gift’s perfect timing we can do the work during the summer and have the classrooms ready to go in the fall. Every professor and every student taking classes on our campus will benefit from this gift. $600,000 of the gift will be used to build a Community Center that can be used to provide the flexible space needed for our homeschool kids and provide a meeting space for campus and community groups. Katrina destroyed the space we once had for this purpose. When KELLEY added to another very precious gift for this proposed facility given earlier by a Louisiana family who loves students and their children, we now have enough to proceed with building the facility. It will be underway this summer. With some 100 children doing homeschool on our campus now, this need was crucial.

Another $500,000 of that gift will be used to fund a new faculty position—a Professor of Church and Community Ministries who will teach students how to mobilize a church to address the needs of its neighborhood and city. We will draw down a portion of that amount each year for the professor’s salary, and as the whole amount is spent, the family plans to add more to keep funding the position into the future. This will be an important step torward the development of our social work program to equip students for ministry evangelism and the task of addressing community needs in the name of Jesus.

The last $250,000 of the gift will be used to help us make whatever adjustments to our entry and exit point will be necessary when the new Walmart opens. Yes, that is right. All the hurdles have been cleared, and this summer work should begin on building a new Walmart across the street from our campus. They have announced plans to open in 2014.

As you can see, this amazing gift addresses significant issues and goes to the heart of our functional needs and our missional opportunities. The Providence of God has again been manifested at NOBTS!

A Prayerful Strategy

Building a healthy seminary when you are surrounded by lost people and not churches has been a challenge NOBTS faced from the beginning of our existence. Our students and faculty have been involved in planting churches in the area throughout our history, but still, there are fewer churches within 50 miles of our campus than you will find near any other SBC seminary. We consider this a Great Commission opportunity and not a problem to be regretted. We prayed for God to give us a strategy. Business as usual would not cut it in an environment like this. Because we are surrounded by so much need and so few churches, we started by making ministry a part of theological education at NOBTS. Our typical student has a ministry role while they are being equipped to serve the church and the mission field. As the campus grew, the philosophy of making the practice of ministry a part of teaching ministry became deeply rooted in our academic culture. Along the way we discovered that there were many ministers in other places who, for a variety of reasons, could not move to a campus for a classical theological education. They asked us if they could get seminary while they lived and served on a church field.

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

After much prayer, my predecessor, Dr. Landrum P. Leavell II, made a strategic decision on how to do seminary. He decided that we would push seminary out to the churches and provide both residential theological education on the campus and field-based theological education in the churches. We launched extension centers across the Gulf South to bring seminary to those who could not come to the campus. This was unorthodox at the time, but we felt it necessary for us to follow where God was leading and to serve the students He was sending to us. Once we started down that road, we never left it.

Today, the fruits of that prayerful strategy are obvious. The impact of our extension center program was so great the five other SBC seminaries eventually began similar programs. Cooperative agreements giving guidelines about who would serve what city and state were developed to minimize overlap and duplication of effort. That unorthodox strategy has now become everyone’s strategy. God used the difficulty of our setting to prepare us for the future. None of us knew Hurricane Katrina was coming, but God did. Because our network of extension centers was in place, we were able to keep on teaching all of our students, using all of our professors, even though we lost the use of our campus for a year. One seminary president said if what happened to New Orleans had happened to his school they would have closed forever, unable to continue. We kept teaching without dropping a class.

Today, some 60 percent of our students are taking most of their classes in someone’s church. Most of our students are able to serve a church while they are getting their theological education. The development of educational technology allows us to create a classroom in which students and faculty are physically located in as many as four different cities, but they are seeing and talking to one another as if they are in the same place. With the Internet as a classroom, we are able to make seminary education available to anyone in the world who has access to a computer and the Internet. We have created a ministry-training cafeteria that allows students to fit seminary training into almost any calling and circumstance.

Traditional theological education is alive and well at NOBTS, with the highest levels of scholarship you can find. Alongside the traditional are multiple options for church- and missions-based theological education for those who want to get their training in the field of service. This issue of Vision will show you how many different ways we are able to provide seminary to those God calls in the 21st century. When we asked for guidance, God led us into the future. Truly God was guiding every step of the way in response to our prayers for the right strategy for this most unusual seminary.

So what lies ahead? More Providence and more Prayer! Keeping theological education accessible and affordable is one of the great challenges facing Southern Baptists. To keep seminary affordable, Southern Baptists with means will have to step up as God guides them to invest in theological education. The Lord is able to knit together gifts large and small to fashion His provision for training students.

Have you made the training of ministers and missionaries a part of your legacy yet? We would love to show you how you can use current giving, estate planning, or a combination of the two to do far more than you think is possible.

All of us will have to keep praying for God’s wisdom. We know this with certainty: He will always have His people prepared for the future when they follow where He leads. Today, consider a gift to the Providence Fund and be a part of this amazing story. Today, pray for God to guide us to the best ways to equip those He calls for a lifetime of service. Together we can keep seminary both affordable and accessible.

www.nobts.edu

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CONTENTS SPRING/SUMMER 2013 Volume 69, Number 1 PRESIDENT Dr. Chuck Kelley VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT Randy Driggers DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS Dr. Dennis Phelps EDITOR Gary D. Myers

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ASSISTANT EDITOR Frank Michael McCormack

Theological Education Accessible

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Laura K. Landry PROOF READING TEAM PR Staff and IA Staff

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New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary is a Cooperative Program ministry, supported by the gifts of Southern Baptists.

DEPARTMENTS NEWS 12 • ADVANCEMENT Beating the ‘Midas Curse’ OR

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Please send address changes and Alumni Updates to the office of Alumni Relations at the above address. NOTE: Alumni Updates will be used for publication in both the Vision magazine and on the Alumni website.

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VISION is published two times a year by New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary 3939 Gentilly Blvd.

New Orleans, LA 70126 (800) 662-8701 (504) 282-4455 www.nobts.edu www.nobtsfoundation.com

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PARTNERSHIP SPOTLIGHT

Cuban Conexioń: Perseverance and partnerships impact Cuban Baptist seminaries

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ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Stephen M. Jennings

FEATURES COVER STORY 4 Your World is Our Classroom: Making

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ART DIRECTOR & PHOTOGRAPHER Boyd Guy

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• NOBTS Foundation Board Meeting • NOBTS at Angola: How God used New Orleans Seminary to transform the bloodiest prison in America

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SEMINARY NEWS

• Trustees approve new academic division, new degrees, elect faculty • Seminary releases new app in iPhone, Android and mobile web formats • News Gumbo • Platt, Rainer first guests on new online video series ‘Conversations’ • ‘Jeopardy!’ mentions seminary’s Angola extension center • Infographic: Accessibility by the Numbers

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FACULTY NEWS

• inPrint: Faculty Books • Faculty Accomplishments • Provost Steve Lemke will lead SBC Committee on Committees

IN MEMORIAM

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Dr. Duke McCall (1914-2013) Dr. R.E. Glaze, Jr. (1918-2012) Dr. Don Aderhold (1925-2013) Dr. Rick Byargeon (1957-2013)

ALUMNI NEWS

• NOBTS alumnus Russell Moore to lead SBC’s ERLC • Philip Coyle named as provost at LeTourneau University • Class Notes SPRING/SUMMER 2013 | VISION 3

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Making Theological Education Accessible to God-called Men & Women Regardess of Location ARTICLE BY GARY D. MYERS

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our World is Our Classroom.” The statement is more than just a slogan – each word is loaded with meaning and purpose. The words encompass New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s past and embrace a bold step into the future. For students entering seminary at NOBTS the options are limitless.

Their world literally is their classroom.

No matter where a person lives and serves, NOBTS has a way to make seminary education available to God-called individuals around the world. Some will choose to relocate to the main campus or attend an extension center near their ministry location.

Others, serving in distant cities and villages around the world, will choose one of the seminary’s online-only degrees. Today, NOBTS offers a wide range of options for students.

Apart from making theological education accessible, “Your World is Our Classroom” also implies something deep in the NOBTS DNA – the idea that ministry education involves hands-on ministry experience. The place a student lives and serves plays an important role in that student’s education as he or she learns about ministry by doing ministry. This is an essential part of the NOBTS experience.

A Heritage of Accessible Education According to Seminary President Chuck Kelley, New Orleans Seminary’s focus on practical ministry and accessible education stretches back to the school’s founding in 1917. Hands-on learning and creative methods are implications of the school’s location, he said.

“From the beginning, we were established in a city that was as non-Baptist as it gets,” Kelley said. “We were not established here to serve a large base of Baptist churches. We were established here, as P.I. Lipsey said, ‘To put siege guns at the gates of the enemy.’”

“When you think about a Baptist seminary in a place without Baptist churches, one obvious implication is that you make doing ministry a part of the curriculum,” Kelley said. “It is not something you are preparing for in the distant future. It’s something you are going to involve students in right away, because the needs are so many and so present. That’s been our heritage.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BOYD GUY

The great need for a gospel witness in New Orleans led the founders of the Baptist Bible Institute, renamed New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 1944, to send students out into the city by the busload. From the start, real-world ministry involvement played an important role in ministerial education. In many ways, the city of New Orleans has been one of the school’s most effective classrooms from the very beginning.

Another implication of the school’s location is that there was a limited number of churches in which students could serve, Kelley said. Early on students came to campus to study during the week and left on weekends to serve churches some distance from the city.

“This is a fact that I have come to appreciate. Distance learning isn’t new for NOBTS, it is just taking some new forms and expressions,” Kelley said.

Recently, while speaking at a church in Meridian, Miss., Kelley met a retired NOBTS graduate. Each week during his seminary days, the man would take the train from Meridian to New Orleans on Monday, study through the week and return to Meridian on Friday to minister at a local church.

Kelley hears similar stories from NOBTS alumni – young and old – as he speaks throughout the Southern Baptist Convention.

Having commuter students serving churches some distance from the campus has been a consistent pattern at the seminary.

“You find out that long before there was an Internet, long before there was an extension center, long before we were doing seminary training in churches, our students were finding ways to serve in churches while they were getting their training,” Kelley said.

New Options Bring New Possibilities Flowing out of the school’s longtime commitment to practical, accessible theological education and the desire of students to serve in churches while they study, Kelley’s predecessor Dr. Landrum P. Leavell II started the first NOBTS extension center in the 1980s to reach out to the many potential students serving churches in

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NOBTS student Jeff Turner prepares to preach at a church plant in India.

SPRING/SUMMER 2013 | VISION 7

Atlanta. The Atlanta extension center was quickly followed by centers in Birmingham, Ala., Orlando and Miami, Fla., and Shreveport, La. The extension centers thrived, and now NOBTS has an extension center within a two hour drive of anyone in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia.

Kelley still credits the extension center system for helping the school survive Hurricane Katrina in 2005. And the Katrina experience led to more innovations, including rapid growth of online courses.

“As that experience unfolded and we came back to our campus, we knew we could provide some sort of seminary education to anybody on the face of the earth ... if God has called someone, they can get theological training,” Kelley said.

“We were strengthened in our conviction that we had to provide as many options as we could for training.”

NOBTS refocused its efforts to address two sides of the accessibility issue. The faculty and administration looked at both delivery systems (how classes are taught) and content (what is taught). The key questions were “What do students want?” and “What do churches need?”

As a result of this work, NOBTS expanded the ways students can learn the skills needed for ministry. The school updated and enhanced the traditional master’s programs and began offering smaller, focused certificates on the undergraduate and graduate levels. Some students who are graduating with doctoral degrees today entered their seminary career by completing an undergraduate certificate.

From small, focused certificates to comprehensive master’s and doctoral programs, NOBTS has educational options to fit any need in the local church and its related ministries.

The content side of the equation was also a key component in Kelley’s vision to make theological education accessible. With the demands of church ministry in mind, the seminary designed its curriculum around seven key competencies: biblical exposition, Christian theological heritage, disciple making, interpersonal skills, servant leadership, spiritual and character formation and worship leadership.

New Orleans, the Southeast & the World Advances in the seminary’s delivery system opened theological education to the uttermost parts of the world. The seminary now has 21 different ways to offer certain courses.

In addition to traditional main campus and extension center learning in the classroom, the seminary worked to create a new type of class which combines a limited number of classroom meetings (on the main campus or at an extension center) with an enhanced Internet component. Known as “hybrids,” these courses allow students to live and serve farther away from campus. Students can take a full-load of main campus hours and only come to New Orleans a few days each month.

Last semester, Kelley saw a student he didn’t recognize walking on the main campus. When Kelley struck up a conversation with him, he discovered the student lived and ministered in Detroit, Mich. Thanks to hybrid courses, the student was able serve in Detroit and maintain a full load of coursework on the main campus. The new accessibility focus makes stories like this possible.

New mentoring-based master’s programs will be a key part of seminary training in the future. In these programs, working alongside an experienced minister in a local church setting is a key 8 VISION | SPRING/SUMMER 2013

“The typical student, more and more, graduates having earned credit hours on campus, having earned credit hours in an extension center and having earned credit hours online or some other means of delivery outside the classroom.”

- Dr. Chuck Kelley

part of the educational experience. Kelley believes mentor-based programs will grow exponentially in the coming years.

Other key accessibility tools are week-long workshops and event-based courses. Workshops, held during the summer, spring break, fall break and in January, allow students to complete the classroom component of a course in one intense week. Students complete projects and papers before and after the workshop to fulfill the course requirements. Event-based courses work in a similar way but are based on a high-profile conference or an event such as the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting.

Through Internet courses accessible theological education truly is possible. The seminary stepped up efforts to impliment online courses following Katrina. At that time, students could only apply a limited number of online courses to their master’s degree, but the rest of their credit had to be earned on the main campus or at an extension center.

Recently, a key decision by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada, the seminary’s accrediting, paved the way for a limited number of accredited fully-online degrees.

This monumental decision was essential to the seminary’s efforts to open classes to God-called men and women throughout the world.

Students anywhere in the world who have Internet access and meet the admission requirements can study in the fully-online Master of Theological Studies, Master of Arts-Theology or Master of ArtsBiblical Studies programs.

“The interesting truth that has emerged is that students actually do fit together all these pieces in light of their calling and their circumstances,” Kelley said. “The typical student, more and more, graduates having earned credit hours on campus, having earned credit hours in an extension center and having earned credit hours in online or some other means of delivery outside the classroom.” www.nobts.edu

With all the talk of accessibility at NOBTS, some wonder about the future of residential theological education. Kelley insists that the viability of the main campus is crucial to the success of everything the seminary does and will do in the future. Much of the energy and life that spreads out to extension and online students flows out of what is happening in New Orleans. The main campus will continue to be an integral part of the seminary’s educational philosophy.

Accessible Training, No Matter the Cost Choosing to make theological education accessible has many implications for the seminary. First, it creates a demanding environment for the faculty. Professors at NOBTS must work hard to stay on top of cutting-edge educational technology. They must constantly develop new ways to teach the next generation of church leaders across all class platforms NOBTS offers.

In addition, making theological education more accessible has implications for the seminary’s funding. The Cooperative Program funding formula was designed with traditional, residential education programs in mind. CP dollars given to each seminary are based on the “Full-Time Equivalency (FTE)” formula. Main campus master’s program FTEs receive the most CP funding,

while only a portion of extension center FTEs are funded. Online courses receive no CP dollars. Each year, due to distance learning efforts, NOBTS has a large number of unfunded FTEs. But the fact remains: New Orleans Seminary has decided to build its academic programs around the needs of students rather than to build around the SBC funding mechanism, Kelley said. More and more, direct gifts from donors are needed for NOBTS to do what God called the school to do – make theological education accessible. These gifts, especially those given to the Providence Fund and those given for scholarships, allow the seminary to accomplish that mission and keep costs down for students.

“Every dollar given to the Providence Fund is a dollar we don’t have to charge students in tuition,” Kelley said.

Accessibility opens a world of possibilities for students. What was impossible just a few years ago is now possible.

“It makes for a very rich environment for students. There is literally no reason for a student to not get seminary training today,” Kelley said. “There is no excuse. There is some form a theological education available for anybody God calls.”

Wherever God-called men and women live or serve, NOBTS has theological education available that is relevant to their calling and accessible to their circumstances, he said. 

To explore the options at NOBTS visit www.nobts.edu/options

www.nobts.edu

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Cuban Conexion

Perseverance, partnerships impact Cuban Baptist seminaries

BY FRANK MICHAEL MCCORMACK

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our days before “Superstorm” Sandy roared ashore in New Jersey Oct. 29, 2012, as a Category 1 hurricane, the storm crossed Cuba, making landfall near Santiago de Cuba around 2 a.m. Oct. 25 as a Category 3 storm.

In Southeastern Cuba, Hurricane Sandy caused 11 deaths, including nine in Santiago de Cuba Province. The storm’s 111 mile-per-hour winds damaged some 130,000 homes, with more than 15,000 of those totally destroyed.

As Sandy churned through the Caribbean, Bill Warren, professor of New Testament and Greek at NOBTS and director of the seminary’s H. Milton Haggard Center for New Testament Textual Studies, was en route to Santiago. He and 11 others from Jacob’s Well Church in Diamondhead, Miss., and Central Baptist Church in Brandon, Miss., were headed to the Baptist seminary in Santiago to teach, preach, help in construction projects, and outfit the school’s library with new equipment to aid students in their ministry training and pastoral study.

But with the hurricane in his path, Warren had to alter their itinerary.

“With our flight to Santiago grounded due to Sandy, and with all the equipment already in tow, I said, ‘We’re not going to waste this. Let’s train the people here in Havana and get it set up here.’

You could say it was providential,” Warren said.

The equipment included a new computer system outfitted with Surpass library management software and a barcode scanner. With the new software, the seminary can digitally catalog its collection and students can conduct more thorough study.

Upon returning from Havana, Warren, who travels to Cuba about three times a year, immediately made plans to return to Santiago with a second computer system and software set. The return trip to Santiago was in February.

Warren said the new library system will open a whole new world of learning possibilities to ministers in both Eastern and Western Cuba.

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“Before this, they tried to keep a card catalog, but it wasn’t totally up to date with what they had. Mostly, the librarian just knew a lot of what they had. The student would ask ‘Do you have something on this?’ and the librarian would make suggestions,” Warren said.

With the Surpass system, students are able to search subtopics within books. The software also generates barcodes for library items and creates ID cards for students. Though widespread Web access is not currently available in Cuba, Warren said when the Internet does become available, the two seminaries and their extension centers will be able to browse each other’s databases and share resources.

For the libraries, the task now is to add to their collections.

“Their libraries are pretty small,” Warren said. “In Santiago, I don’t know that they’ve passed 10,000 volumes. In Havana, they may have more, but I don’t think they’re too far past that. That includes magazines, everything, and there’s a lot of duplicates.”

Warren said their libraries also are quite dated, with many entries dating to the pre-Castro 1950s or earlier and many in English instead of Spanish. When Warren was in Santiago in February, he took a catalog from the Baptist Spanish Publishing House and had seminary leaders mark what they wanted. With few import options, ministry partners like Warren will have to add volumes as they visit.

“Books can be taken in at the rate of about four per person, so it takes a little while to take them in,” he said. “But it you have a group of about 10 people, well, that’s 40 books. This is going to explode the number of books in their library.”

SUPPORT FROM HOME Warren has been involved in ministry in and around Santiago for close to a decade, but the latest library work was made possible by a new partnership forged just a year ago with Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport, La. That connection has its genesis at the NOBTS Trustee-Faculty Dinner in April 2012. www.nobts.edu

Cuban Conexioń is a recurring series detailing how churches, pastors, professors and students with ties to New Orleans Seminary are partnering with Cuban Baptists to reach the lost in Cuba.

As a part of the IMB’s Embrace campaign, NOBTS announced commitment to reach Cuba’s seven unreached/unengaged people groups.

“Long term, the idea would be [the grant] could also help with travel funds for people coming to study there,” Warren said.

Harrison, who grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., with many Cuban friends, said the relationship between Broadmoor, NOBTS, Warren and the Steeles, and Cuban Baptists is the realization of a lifetime desire for him.

“There’s always been that vision in my heart of ‘Why can’t we reach this communist country that’s just 90 miles off the coast of where I grew up?’” Harrison said.

GOSPEL SPREADING DESPITE HARDSHIP

Rev. Alex Suero, pastor of the Baptist church in El Cobre (20 miles from Santiago de Cuba), baptizes new believers in a pond near town.

During that event, Warren met Tom Harrison, executive pastor at Broadmoor and the newly-elected trustee chairman for NOBTS. Broadmoor’s missions committee, which supports ministry work all over the globe, had already aided NOBTS professors Kathy and Ed Steele in their ministry in Western Cuba. Harrison said partnering with Warren in Eastern Cuba made perfect sense.

“He said the only dilemma was he needed the proposal by the next morning,” Warren recalled. “So I went home, got home about 10 o’clock that night and wrote him a proposal. I emailed it to him about midnight. Lo and behold, the next Wednesday night it was approved.”

Broadmoor pledged Warren $15,000 to support teaching resources, outreach, and travel expenses in Eastern Cuba. For now, those funds are making it possible to bolster the school’s library and provide for some of the travel costs to and from Santiago. www.nobts.edu

Now just over six months since Hurricane Sandy hit Santiago, recovery is still ongoing. Besides the initial storm surge and damage from wind, the region faced weeks without power and experienced an outbreak of cholera.

“As for recovery, the current estimates are that about five years will be needed,” Warren said.

But despite natural disasters, difficulty in traveling, economic depression and occasional government antagonism, Christianity is spreading in Eastern Cuba at a rapid pace. A new house church is started about every two days and most conversions are adults or youth.

“The response is amazing. Just in the week we were there [in February], in nine services with some house church visiting, there were about 90 people who responded by making first-time commitments to follow Christ,” he said.

Warren said the seminary training, ministry and church life in Cuba may not be flashy, but it’s passionately centered on Jesus.

“They’re just trying to reach their country. When they come in [to a house church meeting], they’ll have some singing, a Bible focus and prayer. And they just have folks responding left and right,” Warren said. “So many of them are looking for something more real in their lives.”  SPRING/SUMMER 2013 | VISION 11

ADVANCEMENT NEWS

Beating the ‘Midas Curse’

BY RANDY DRIGGERS

You WILL leave a legacy of some kind whether you plan to or not.

“Ninety percent of all traditional inheritance plans will fail.”

This is a quote from the book, Beating the Midas Curse, written by two attorneys, Percy L. Cochell and Rodney C. Zeeb. They further state, “We believe that when parents who build wealth pass only their material assets to their children, and not the values by which they have lived, there is little chance the family, or its wealth, will survive for long.”

I believe I have read just about every book written on the topic of Christian stewardship including one titled “Don’t get rid of the mule until you learn how to drive the tractor.” In my many years of ministry with one of our State Baptist Foundations and now at NOBTS, I believe the Bible provides specific principles regarding money. They are: • God owns it all (Psalm 24:1).

• We are His stewards (managers).

• How we plan our estate is a part of Christian stewardship.

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary launched a partnership with PhilanthroCorp of Colorado Springs one year ago to provide a service overlooked by 7 in 10 adults. For our Alumni and Friends of the Seminary, this service is provided at NO COST and it is private.

Many reading this magazine have utilized their services.

PhilanthroCorp was started in 1997 and exists to help Christian ministries meet the needs of their donors in the areas of estate planning as well as issues relating to the sale of assets

2013 IRA rollover extended

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he American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA) extended the IRA charitable rollover through December 2013.

If you are over the age of 70 ½, you may direct your IRA custodian to make a qualified charitable distribution up to $100,000 directly to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary to help us underwrite current programs and keep the cost of a seminary education affordable. We can also discuss other giving options. This distribution fulfills the required minimum distribution (RMD) amount for 2013.

If you would like to discuss the details of making such a gift, please call me at (504) 816-8002 or (800) 662-8701, ext.

8002. You may also email me at rdriggers@nobts.edu. 

such as a family business, land, real estate, etc. In both areas, PhilanthroCorp’s desire is to be a blessing to the people they serve by minimizing taxes, providing for families and retirement. For the Christian, estate planning may be the most important act of stewardship he or she will ever undertake. Sadly, the traditional planning approach has been to find ways to pay taxes at the time of death often making the IRS the largest, single beneficiary.

That’s right, the IRS. NOBTS and PhilanthroCorp make this service available to Alumni and Friends of the Seminary without any cost or obligation.

They are a valuable tool for you. They do not sell insurance; one of their estate specialists will simply study your estate information and develop an estate plan that will maximize your goals for family and ministry while minimizing taxes.

To take advantage of this no cost service, call PhilantroCorp’s toll free number at (800) 876-7958 and tell them you are with NOBTS. You may also call me at NOBTS for more information by phone at (800) 662-8701, ext. 8002, or by email at rdriggers@nobts.edu. 

NOBTS Foundation Board Meeting Christian Cartoonist and NOBTS Alumnus Dr. Joe McKeever draws a caricature of Board Member Martha Ann Powell during the NOBTS Foundation Board Meeting in March.

For more information about the NOBTS Foundation Board, call (800) 662-8701, ext.

8002, or email Randy Driggers, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, at rdriggers@ nobts.edu.

Photo by Boyd Guy 12 VISION | SPRING/SUMMER 2013

www.nobts.edu

ADVANCEMENT NEWS

NOBTS at Angola Prison: How God used New Orleans Seminary to transform the bloodiest prison in America “Before I got to prison, I had never heard the gospel.”

Let those words sink in. Those are not the words of a man who grew up in an unchurched nation. Paul grew up right here in the U.S. – one of the most “churched” nations in the world.

Yet somehow he never heard, never saw the gospel. It took incarceration and a life sentence for him to find truth.

Paul met God in a cell in the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. Paul now pastors a church within the prison and is leading fellow inmates to a saving knowledge of the Jesus Christ.

In 1995, NOBTS began theological training at Angola Prison, and in that time there has been nothing short of miraculous transformation.

“Prison is a frontier as far as church polity and the ever expanding parameters of what we understand church to be,” Paul explained. “There is a legitimate work of the Lord happening here.

There are men here whose lives Christ is legitimately changing.”

Paul speaks of Angola not in terms of a place to be left, but of a mission field to be worked.

In 1993, Angola prison lost Pell Grants for higher education. Warden Burl Cain was unsure what could be done but knew he wanted education back in the prison. T.W. Terrell, Director of Missions at Judson Baptist Association at the time, suggested something a little unconventional. He told the warden to ask New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary to come and set up a Bible college within the walls of the prison.

“I said, ‘You’ve lost your mind; they’ll never come,’” Cain recalled.

Despite this uncertainty, however, in 1995, with the help of NOBTS professor Dr. Jimmy Dukes, NOBTS began theological education at Angola Prison.

“Honestly, it was all about getting higher education back into the prison,” Cain said. “The rest was divine intervention. We had no idea it would turn out like it did.”

As inmates began to pray, slowly things began to change, and what was once described as “the bloodiest prison in America” became a fertile mission field.

“It’s been like what God says in 2 Chronicles 7:14,” said Cain. “‘If my people, who are called by my name will humble www.nobts.edu

themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.’ God brought NOBTS to heal their land.”

“Once we started the Bible college, the Bible got real popular and the knife got real unpopular. The Bible became the sword.

Inmates began having Bible studies within the prison, and the culture began to change from one of violence and evil to one of godliness,” Cain said.

And not only are inmates evangelizing within Angola, but they are being sent out as missionaries to other prisons.

“We are seeing the cultures at those prisons changing. We have seen a great transformation in the entire Department of Corrections,” Cain said. “And the best part is, we didn’t plan it.

We’re not that smart. This is a God thing.”

Isn’t it wonderful to be reminded that God is not just for the intellectual or the righteous or the perfect? Our God is God of the broken – the least of these. He is God to you and me and even to those who society has deemed unfit for their midst.

God is still Lord over murderers, kidnappers, thieves, and everyone.

A person’s sins do not have to define them. Everyone can be transformed. Everyone can become something new – something apart from their past.

Thanks to the generous supporters of NOBTS, believers like Paul at Angola are able to receive the training they need to teach and preach the Word of God. The Providence Fund works hard to make sure every God-called man and woman has the opportunity to pursue a theological education – regardless of their situation. Your support is far-reaching and helps our students, staff, faculty and the various ministries of NOBTS. Through support of theological education, you are helping to change lives.  For more information about the Providence Fund or to find out more about making a gift, visit www.nobts.edu/ development/providencefund.html.

SPRING/SUMMER 2013 | VISION 13

SEMINARY NEWS

Trustees approve new academic division, new degrees, elect faculty

T

BY GARY D. MYERS

he Board of Trustees of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary established a new academic division, approved new degrees and elected new faculty members during their spring meeting April 17.

Trustees voted to move the counseling program from the Pastoral Ministries Division and the social work program from the Christian Education Division into a new academic group called the Division of Church and Community Ministries. The division brings together two programs with similar purposes. Ian Jones, professor of psychology and counseling, will serve as chair of the new division.

“Counseling and social work are closer to each other than the other disciplines in Christian education and pastoral ministry,” said NOBTS Provost Steve Lemke. “We believe there is a synergism that can develop between the two programs.”

Lemke said that while state licensing will be available for graduates in these programs, the main focus of the division will be on church-based ministries.

“We are excited about this focus on church-based community ministries,” Lemke said. “Our focus will be in preparing graduates to serve in ministries such as church counseling centers, ministry-based evangelism centers in churches, Christian children’s homes and senior adult homes.”

Before the move, the Pastoral Ministries and Christian Education divisions were much larger than the seminary’s other divisions.

With the creation of the new division, the seminary’s six divisions are more similar in size, making division chair positions more manageable. Another factor in creating the new division is recent enrollment growth in the counseling program and anticipated growth in the social work program. Trustees approved the new social work dual enrollment partnership with the University of Southern Mississippi during their October 2012 meeting which allows NOBTS students to earn the master of social work degree from USM while completing the master of arts in Christian education degree at NOBTS. Trustees also added several new degree plans, including a new mentoring track in the master of divinity degree program, a master of divinity specialization in Christian theology, and a Great Commission studies major in the doctor of philosophy program.

The board also voted to revise the foundations for mission service certificates on the graduate and undergraduate levels in response to new International Mission Board training requirements for overseas personnel. Two new undergraduate study programs were also approved – a diploma program in Messianic studies and an advanced pastoral ministry degree for Haitian pastors.

Mentor-based learning is formally a part of the church ministry and collegiate ministry M.Div. tracks, and many students are mentored informally while serving in local churches. The new mentoring track M.Div. offers students another way to gain handson training with experienced pastors and church leaders while studying at NOBTS. A unique application process has been developed for the students studying in this specialization as well as for the pastors and churches

14 VISION | SPRING/SUMMER 2013

participating in the partnership. The office of supervised ministry at NOBTS will be involved in the recruitment of participating churches and in the supervision of mentoring track students.

“I’m excited about the M.Div. Mentoring Track because it makes the option of pairing quality seminary education and practical training available to all of our students,” said Associate Provost Norris Grubbs. “We want to do all we can to connect theological training to the local church.”

The newly approved M.Div. Christian theology specialization is designed for students preparing to be pastor-teachers in a local church or professors in Christian colleges or seminaries. NOBTS offers other specializations related to theology, however the new specialization offers much more comprehensive study in theology.

This approach will provide graduates with a greater degree of mastery in theology and help with the transition to doctoral studies.

The Great Commission studies major approved for the NOBTS doctor of philosophy program combines the content of the current evangelism and missions majors. This program shifts to modified presence study format, which allows students to live farther away from the main campus during the doctor of philosophy residency. Intensive class meetings are held on campus four times per semester, rather than the traditional Ph.D.’s weekly classes.

This program will include the same rigorous acceptance standards of the traditional Ph.D. program. Course content for the program will maintain the same high academic standards as the other NOBTS Ph.D. programs as well. NOBTS will continue to offer the evangelism and missions majors in a traditional, main campus residency format.

New missions service certificates In response to changing requirements for overseas personnel serving with the IMB, the trustees approved four new “foundations for missions service” certificates: • 12-hour undergraduate course of study for missionary spouses • 15-hour graduate career service basic certificate for apprentice missionaries • 20-hour graduate career service advanced certificate for career missionaries • 30-hour graduate team strategy leader certificate for team strategy leaders Each degree is specially tailored to meet IMB requirements and each is available in a completely online format to meet the needs of SBC missionaries who are already serving overseas.

The new diploma program in Messianic studies was developed in response to requests from the Messianic Jewish community in Atlanta.

This first-of-its-kind, 48-hour online diploma includes foundational coursework in biblical languages, church history, Christian doctrine

Continued, see TRUSTEES on page 15 www.nobts.edu

SEMINARY NEWS • elected Mike Miller as associate professor of expository preaching (ministry-based).

TRUSTEES continued and evangelism, as well as courses tailored to meet the specialized needs of Messianic congregational leaders.

The board elected Tom Harrison, executive pastor at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport, La., to serve as their chairman. Dan Wilson, professor of biblical studies at California Baptist University, was elected as vice chair; and Marsha Dyess of Maurepas, La., was reelected to another term as secretary-treasurer.

In other action, trustees: • approved a $22.5 million budget; • granted tenure to Jim Parker, associate professor of biblical interpretation; • elected Blake Newsom as assistant professor of preaching; • elected Peter Kendrick as professor of theology and culture; and

Trustees granted the following faculty rank promotions: • Eddie Campbell, from associate professor to professor of English in Leavell College; • Norris Grubbs, from associate professor to professor of New Testament and Greek in Leavell College; • Mark Tolbert, from associate professor to professor of evangelism and pastoral ministry; • Rex Butler, from associate professor to professor of church history and Patristics; • Jeff Riley, from associate professor to professor of ethics; and • John Robson, from assistant professor to associate professor of Christian ministry (ministry-based) in Leavell College/Angola Prison program. 

NEW FOR ALUMNI

N OBTS

Planned Giving Solution Have you ever thought about what happens when your Will doesn’t follow your will?



Too often, a lifetime of hard work and commitment to God results in our most precious gifts and possessions being redirected by some stranger. Tax laws change. Perhaps you’ve moved to another state or your assets have changed in nature or value. All require you to revisit your Estate Planning or Will documents. And if you’ve yet to begin planning, every day you wait is another day of uncertainty about what happens to your possessions when you enter God’s Kingdom.



Don’t let a probate judge determine the destiny of your estate. Call Susan at PhilanthroCorp at 800-876-7958. She will set a time for you to speak with one of the PhilanthroCorp estate specialists who will help you create or update your will.

For more information, visit: www.nobtsfoundation.com/wills www.nobts.edu

SPRING/SUMMER 2013 | VISION 15

SEMINARY NEWS

NEWS Gumbo LEAVELL COLLEGE’S AARON FORD WINS STATE NATS COMPETITION

SEMINARY RELEASES UPDATED APP IN IPHONE, ANDROID AND MOBILE WEB FORMATS New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary recently released a new and improved version of the school’s mobile app. The updated free app launched in early 2013 and is available for iPhone and Android phones. The app is also available in a mobile web format which works on any smartphone with Internet/browser capabilities.

Created by Blackboard, in conjunction with a team of seminary administrators and staff members, the app includes Blackboard access for students, maps, calendars, library access, videos, photos, news articles, chapel messages, academic information, and more.

We hope you will try out the new app and look for additional apps and digital publications from NOBTS in the future. 

Get NOBTS Mobile for iPhone

Open the following link with your phone or search “NOBTS Mobile” in the App Store

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nobts-mobile/ id594979304?mt=8

Get NOBTS Mobile for Android

Open the following link with your phone or search “NOBTS Mobile” in Google Play

https://play.google.com/store/search?q=NOBTS&c=apps

Use NOBTS Mobile - Web Version Open the following link with your phone.

http://bbmobile.nobts.edu/index/index/?f=smart

16 VISION | SPRING/SUMMER 2013

Aaron Ford, a bachelor of arts in music student at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s Leavell College, won the classical voice category at the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Louisiana state singing competition March 9 at the University of Louisiana in Monroe. Ford won the category by singing “Total Eclipse” and the German song “Die Forelle.”

A New Orleans native, Ford grew up attending Elysian Fields Baptist Church and now serves as the minister of music at Gentilly Baptist Church. He is currently in his second semester of studies in the Leavell College music program.

“Aaron is a gifted and very artistic singer with an unusually light, clear, and beautiful tenor voice,” said Dr. Chris Turner, assistant professor of voice at NOBTS. Ford’s interest in singing came during his senior year in high school at Warren Easton. Before then, he was more focused on sports and didn’t realize his own musical ability. About two years ago, Ford began singing with the New Orleans Opera Chorus, which exposed him to classical voice pieces like the ones he sang at NATS. The National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), founded in 1944, is a professional association of singing teachers with more than 7,000 members worldwide. The organization offers workshops, intern programs, master classes, and conferences to provide lifelong learning opportunities for members.

PH.D. PROGRAM RECEIVES $15,000 GRANT FROM WABASH CENTER The Wabash Center awarded a $15,000 grant to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s Research Doctoral Programs and Dr. Charlie Ray, Professor of New Testament and Greek and Associate Dean for Research Doctoral Programs.

The Wabash grant funds research that determines and helps to improve the preparedness of Doctor of Philosophy students for teaching effectively.

Graduate programs awarded the grant subsequently host a Teaching Initiative Gathering conference. Alumni meet with the Dean of Graduate Studies, Graduate Program Director and two to three key faculty members to discuss alignment between the preparation they received at the institution and their current teaching appointment. www.nobts.edu

SEMINARY NEWS

CAMPUS LIFE CREATES ORGANIC GARDENING OPPORTUNITY Students living on campus can now participate in square foot gardening by reserving a plot in the campus garden, located across from the Mississippi and Florida Apartments. There is no membership fee other than the cost of building the plot; students and their families can reserve multiple plots. The garden is a convenient and cost effective alternative to buying produce as the New Orleans climate plays perfect host to a variety of vegetables, beans and fruits.

This garden is completely organic – the harshest chemical allowed is dish soap. NOBTS seeks to create a quality living experience for students acquiring their seminary education, and this is just one of the ways the Campus Life office works to accomplish that goal.

SEMINARY RECORDS THIRD HIGHEST ENROLLMENT IN 2011-2012 With 3,784 students, the 2011-2012 school year boasted the third highest enrollment ever for the seminary, making it the second largest SBC seminary and one of the largest in the world.

Academic workshop week in January 2012, featuring the Defend the Faith conference, and Red Carpet Week in May 2012 saw their greatest enrollment to date. The seminary taught 54,000 credit hours last year between the main campus, extension centers, and online classes. In addition, the seminary’s allowable full-time equivalent (FTE) increased from 1,219 to 1,297, making it the highest since Hurricane Katrina.

LUTER ENCOURAGES SENIOR ADULTS DURING ONE-DAY CONFERENCE Rev. Fred Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church and current president of the Southern Baptist Convention, spoke to a crowd of more than 300 senior adults attending Senior Fest at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary April 12. The annual, oneday event for senior adults, sponsored

by NOBTS, offered challenging Bible teaching, breakout sessions and applicable

“season-of-life” seminars.

The next Senior Fest is scheduled for April 11, 2014, and all senior adults are invited to participate. For more information about Senior Fest, call (504) 816-8106 or email seniorfest@nobts.edu.

ALUMNI OFFICE SEEKS UPDATED CONTACT INFO FROM ALUMNI If you have a change of address, phone number or email, please contact the Alumni Relations Office. Please call us at (800) 6628701, ext. 3331, email us at alumni@nobts.edu, or use the online form: www.nobts.edu/Alumni/alumni-address-update.html

FOLLOW THE GEZER DIG ONLINE An archaeology team from New Orleans Seminary, led by Dr. Dennis Cole, Dr. Dan Warner and Dr. Jim Parker, will continue to excavate and explore the massive, ancient water system in Gezer, Israel, this summer. The fourth dig season will begin May 27 and ends June 16.

Follow the team’s progress at www. nobtsarchaeology.blogspot.com or through the NOBTS Facebook and Twitter sites.

NOBTS’ HAGGARD CENTER PIONEERS CUTTING-EDGE NT DATABASE The Haggard Center for New Testament Textual Studies (CNTTS) completed a nine-year project on the CNTTS Critical Apparatus software module. The module, a condensed database of about 17,000 pages, is the first substantial searchable electronic textual database of this type in the world. CNTTS strives to inspire a new generation of scholars dedicated to serious study of the New Testament through increasing the accessibility of these ancient texts. www.nobts.edu

ALUMNI AND FRIENDS LUNCHEON SET FOR JUNE 12 IN HOUSTON The New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary office of Alumni Relations will host a reunion luncheon for alumni and friends, Wednesday, June 12, at the SBC annual meeting in Houston.

Immediately following the morning session, the luncheon will be served in Room 360A-F (Level 3) in George R. Brown Convention Center. In addition to connecting with friends and former classmates, NOBTS President Chuck Kelley will update attendees on the previous year’s developments and activities at NOBTS. The Distinguished Alumni for 2013 will be named and the national alumni treasurer will be elected. Worship will be lead by special musical guests Chris and Diane Machen.

The menu includes: lemon-thyme roasted chicken, pan-seared hanger steak, salad, fingerling potatoes, green beans, broccoli rabe, fresh baked cookies and brownies.

To purchase a ticket before the convention, send a check payable to NOBTS to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Attention Alumni Relations, 3939 Gentilly Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70126, or visit www.nobts.edu to purchase tickets online. All luncheon tickets may be picked up at the seminary’s booth in George R. Brown Convention Center’s exhibit hall during the SBC Annual Meeting. Tickets can be purchased during the convention at the NOBTS exhibit.

SPRING/SUMMER 2013 | VISION 17

SEMINARY NEWS

Platt, Rainer first guests on new web video series ‘Conversations’

N

BY GARY D. MYERS

ew Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary recently launched an online video series designed to share insights from leading figures in the Southern Baptist Convention. The new series, “Conversations,” is a collaborative effort of the NOBTS Dean of the Chapel office, the Office of Public Relations and Media Services.

New episodes will post on the 15th of each month and will be available on the seminary’s YouTube channel (www.youtube. com/user/nobtspublications). Links to the new episodes will also be posted on the NOBTS chapel Facebook page (www. facebook.com/LeavellChapelAtNobts) and chapel Twitter account (www.twitter.com/ NOBTSchapel).

In the first episode of “Conversations,” NOBTS alumnus David Platt discusses how he prepares for preaching. Platt, New York Times best-selling author and pastor of the Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Ala., is a former NOBTS professor and

former dean of the chapel. He earned two master’s degrees and a doctor of philosophy degree from New Orleans Seminary.

Platt emphasized the importance of intimate communion between the preacher and God. “A preacher is a dying man preaching to a dying man – we need the life of Christ to infuse us in our ministry and our preaching,” he said.

Prayerful meditation on the truth of the text is the most important aspect of his sermon preparation, Platt said. It is through meditation that preaching becomes “the overflow of transformation for the sake

of transformation,” rather than the mere sharing of information, he said.

After this time of prayerful meditation, Platt begins extensive exegetical work on the text he will preach. By the end of the week, he organizes a detailed outline, and before Sunday, he compiles a sermon manuscript in order to “make every word count.”

The second episode, available May 15, features LifeWay President Thom Rainer.

Future guests include Chuck Kelley, Johnny Hunt and O.S. Hawkins.

According to Blake Newsom, current dean of the chapel and creator of “Conversations,” he wanted to launch the series to give seminary students, ministers and lay people an opportunity to hear from some of the leading voices in the Southern Baptist Convention.

Newsom wanted to create an informal, more personal venue for them to discuss current trends and challenges in Christianity.

“Conversations” also gives these leading preachers an opportunity talk about the aspects of ministry they hold most dear. 

‘Jeopardy!’ mentions seminary’s Angola extension center

F

BY FRANK MICHAEL McCORMACK

or casual and competitive Jeopardy! fans alike, it’s not unusual to know at least a hand full of correct questions to the show’s answers. (Note: Jeopardy! poses statements or answers, and contestants respond with questions like “What is…?” or “Who is…?”)

Some are easier than others. And for the really difficult questions, usually featured in “Final Jeopardy,” the show gives contestants a few extra seconds to respond, accompanied by the famous Jeopardy! theme song.

Rarely, though, can Jeopardy! viewers claim to be, at least in part, the subject of a question. But that’s what Jeopardy! fans with ties to New Orleans Seminary experienced during an episode in December 2012.

Images of the question spread through New Orleans Seminary’s social media network. The answer read, “Prisoners at Angola in this Southern state can study for degrees at a Baptist seminary.” The correct response was, “What is Louisiana?”

The trivia question on Jeopardy! refers to New Orleans Baptist Seminary’s undergraduate program at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. NOBTS launched the Angola extension center in 1995 at the urging of Angola Warden Burl

18 VISION | SPRING/SUMMER 2013

Cain and inmates there who desired more extensive training. In January 2000, the first 4-year degree graduation service was held at the penitentiary, once known as the bloodiest prison in the United States. Inmates may earn either associate’s or bachelor’s degrees from Leavell College of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. At any given time, there are about 100 inmates studying in the NOBTS Angola extension center.

In the years since that 2000 graduation, graduates from the Angola program have gone on the be official ministers to other inmates. In addition, Louisiana State Penitentiary inmates are now sent to other state prisons as “missionaries,” serving 2-year stints before returning to Angola.

The success of the NOBTS program at Angola has been widely documented

over the years. The connections between the seminary’s extension program and the dramatic drop in prison violence have been featured in USA Today, Christianity Today, Baptist Press, a number of radio and television reports, and even a documentary titled “A New Hope.” The PBS program “Religion & Ethics Newsweekly” featured the Angola extension in a March 2004 episode.

Due to the incredible success of the Angola extension center program in reducing prison violence, other prisons across the Southeast have reached out to New Orleans Baptist Seminary to start similar programs.

NOBTS now oversees educational programs at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women in St. Gabriel, the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman, and at Phillips State Prison in Buford, Ga. NOBTS President Chuck Kelley called the seminary’s prison programs a true miracle.

“What God has done in and through our inmate ministry training programs defies description,” Kelley said. “It is a miracle of moral rehabilitation, demonstrating that Jesus has the power to work in any life. It is encouraging to see that word of what is happening is seeping into the popular culture.”  www.nobts.edu

Mid-South Center (Olive Branch) Main Campus/Hub Graduate/Undergraduate North Mississippi Center (Blue Mountain)

Birmingham

Graduate Center

North Georgia Regional Hub (Marietta)

Undergraduate Center

Monroe

Clinton

North Louisiana (Shreveport)

Jackson

Central Alabama (Montgomery)

South Georgia (Warner Robins)

Graceville Pensacola

Baton Rouge Southwest Louisiana (Lafayette)

Jacksonville

Main Campus (New Orleans)

Total Enrollment 3,732

ENROLLMENT 5 YEAR TREND

Birmingham Center: 216 (6%) Atlanta Center: 394 (11%)

2007-2008: 3,605 2008-2009: 3,570 2009-2010: 3,741 2010-2011: 3,675 2011-2012: 3,729

Tampa

Regional Hub Graduate Only (Orlando)

South Florida (Miami)

Main NOBTS Campus: 1,573 (42%)

ACCESSIBILITY BY THE NUMBERS Making theological training accessible...

TOP ENROLLMENT BY CAMPUS/EXTENSION

Total 3,732

Extension Centers 1,943 (52%)

New Orleans

1573

Atlanta, GA

394

Birmingham, AL

216

Internet Students

216

Miami, FL

155

Angola, LA

114

All Others Internet Only 216 (6%)

=100 Students

1064 SOURCE: NOBTS Office of the Provost. Based on 2011-12 data.

FACULTY NEWS

inPRINT Faculty Books

n Word Studies Made Simple: How to Study the Bible in the Original Languages

The War Scroll: Genre & Origin

Norris Grubbs, Co-Author BorderStone Press, 2012

Jim Parker BorderStone Press, 2012 The War Scroll: Genre & Origin is an investigation into the various literary forms that are contained within one of the most mysterious documents found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, the War Scroll or 1QM. This investigation demonstrates the dependence of the War Scroll on the Hebrew Scriptures, and sets a date, origin, and history of the scroll and explores the War Scroll’s relationship to the Book of Daniel. Parker uses this analysis to identify the origin of the Qumran sect, and why this sect chose to live beside the Dead Sea. Jim Parker is Associate Professor of Biblical Interpretation and Associate Vice President of Facilities at NOBTS. He also serves as the Executive Director of the Michael and Sara Moskau Institute of Archaeology at NOBTS.

n Can Only One Religion Be True? Paul Knitter and Harold Netland in Dialogue Robert B. Stewart, Editor Fortress Press, 2013 This volume highlights points of agreement and disagreement on the subject of religious pluralism. The dialogue partners in the discussion are Paul F. Knitter, Paul Tillich Professor of Theology, World Religions, and Culture at Union Theological Seminary, and Harold A Netland, professor of Mission and Evangelism and director of Intercultural Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois.

A transcript of the March 2009 Point-Counterpoint event between Knitter and Netland allows the reader to see how each presents his position in light of the others, as well as their responses to selected audience questions. The balance of the volume is comprised of substantive essays on various facets of the question of religious pluralism from a diverse set of scholars.

The Greer Heard Point-Counterpoint series takes pride in presenting a fair and balanced case for both sides of complex issues and providing the tools for students and scholars to form their own conclusions.

Robert B. Stewart is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Theology and occupies the Greer-Heard Chair of Faith and Culture at NOBTS.

20 VISION | SPRING/SUMMER 2013

In Word Studies Made Simple: How to Study the Bible in the Original Languages, Norris Grubbs and Francis Kimmitt teach you the basics of Greek and Hebrew so you can have access to the finest in biblical studies resources. Then, they lay out a clear, concise method for performing word studies with Greek and Hebrew tools.

Norris Grubbs is Associate Provost and Associate Professor of New Testament and Greek at NOBTS. He earned a Master of Divinity degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from NOBTS.

n Unframed: A Handbook for College Ministry

By Allen Jackson Unframed: A Handbook for College Ministry presents methods and principles for reaching college students through campus-based and churchbased collegiate ministry programs.

The ideas presented in this handbook are being used by some of the most successful college ministers in America.

Allen Jackson is Professor of Youth Education and Director of the Youth Ministry Institute. He earned a Master of Divinity degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from NOBTS.

n Equipped For Good Work: A Guide for Pastors, Third Edition Joe Cothen Jerry N. Barlow, Editor Pelican Publishing, 2012 This updated edition of the Joe Cothen classic is designed to guide both new and experienced ministers in their everyday pastoral work.

Technological suggestions, solid policy and programming guidelines, along with specific suggestions on various aspects of ministry provide pastoral inspiration and study content.

Joe H. Cothen is a former Professor and Vice President of Academic Affairs at NOBTS and an NOBTS alumnus.

Jerry N. Barlow is Dean of Graduate Studies and Professor of Preaching and Pastoral Work at NOBTS. He earned a Master of Divinity degree and a Doctor of Theology degree from NOBTS.

www.nobts.edu

FACULTY NEWS

Faculty Accomplishments Dr. Michael Edens, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Professor of Theology and Islamic Studies, has been honored by East Texas Baptist University as being the recipient of the 2012 J. Wesley Smith Achievement Award. Recipients of this award attended ETBU/ETBC, demonstrated outstanding achievement in their profession, business vocation, or life service, possess outstanding character, and reflect favorably on the university.

Dr. Kathryn Steele, Assistant Professor in Psychology and Counseling and director of clinical practice at NOBTS, was appointed to the Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners by Gov. Bobby Jindal. The 11-member panel tests applicants for licenses to be marriage and family therapists.

Dr. Rick Yount, Visiting Professor of Christian Education, was honored with the 2012 Distinguished Leadership Award from the Baptist Association of Christian Educators (BACE). He had earlier been awarded the Warren S. Benson Distinguished Christian Educator Award by the North American Professors of Christian Education (NAPCE).

Dr. Loretta Rivers, Associate Professor of Social Work, was awarded the Norman W. Cox Award by the Baptist History and Heritage Society for the best article published in the Baptist History & Heritage Journal in the previous year. Her article was titled “Baptist Centers: Influences and Education.�

Dr. Dennis Phelps, Professor of Preaching and Director of Alumni Affairs, was awarded the Gardner C. Taylor Award for Exceptional Preaching for 2012, presented by Life Center Cathedral in New Orleans.

www.nobts.edu

PROVOST STEVE LEMKE WILL LEAD SBC COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES SBC President Fred Luter has named the members of the Committee on Resolutions for the June 11-12 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Houston.

Luter, pastor of the Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, appointed the committee in keeping with the provision in SBC Bylaw 20 that its members be named 75 days prior to the start of the annual meeting.

Luter named Steve Lemke of Louisiana as committee chairman.

Lemke is provost at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in New Orleans, where he also serves as professor of philosophy and ethics, occupies the McFarland Chair of Theology, directs the Baptist Center for Theology and Ministry and is editor of the Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry. Lemke is a member of First Baptist Church in New Orleans.

NOBTS alumnus David Crosby, pastor of First Baptist Church in New Orleans, was also named to the committee on committees.

INTERNET COURSE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE AN IMMENSE SUCCESS The NOBTS initiative to increase faculty training resulted in the development of 107 new online graduate courses and 55 online undergraduate courses, totaling 378 credit hours.

Students earned more than 5,000 credit hours online last year, and enrollment could increase to more than 6,000 this year. Students can now complete three degrees entirely online, the Master of Arts in Theology, the Master of Arts in Biblical Studies, and the Master of Theological Studies.

SPRING/SUMMER 2013 | VISION 21

In Memoriam Dr. Duke McCall (1914-2013) - Former NOBTS president

D

uke Kimbrough McCall, a Southern Baptist statesman and former president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, died April 2 from congestive heart failure and respiratory distress. He was 98.

McCall’s contributions to the Southern Baptist Convention cover nearly 70 years. He served as president of three different Southern Baptist entities: New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (1943-1946), the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention (1946-1951) and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (1951-1982).

He invested in denominational leadership as a very young man and was only 28 when elected president of the New Orleans Seminary (then Baptist Bible Institute).

By the time he retired in 1982, he had become the longestserving president in the history of Southern Seminary.

Chuck Kelly, the current president of New Orleans Seminary, said, “Dr. Duke McCall was one of the most influential leaders in SBC history. He made an indelible impact in New Orleans, presiding over our transition from Baptist Bible Institute to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. His influence throughout the SBC was profound, extending from our seminary to the Executive Committee to The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and beyond. Whether you agreed with him or disagreed with him, you had to take account of his perspective. He earned the respect and appreciation even of those who disagreed with him. The story of the modern Southern Baptist Convention cannot be told without including the story of Duke McCall.

“I am thankful for Dr. McCall’s giving his life in kingdom service to Southern Baptists and the global Baptist family. New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary will always be in his debt.”

McCall was president of Southern Seminary for three decades, a period that stretched from the civil rights movement to the beginning of the conservative resurgence in the SBC. McCall stood firm for the civil rights of African Americans, and it was during his tenure at the seminary that Martin Luther King Jr. spoke in chapel and in class in 1961.

Son of judge John W. and Lizette McCall, Duke McCall was born in Meridian, Miss., in September of 1914, and he grew up with his four siblings in Memphis, Tenn. Following high school, McCall entered Furman University in Greenville, S.C. There, McCall met Marguerite Mullinnix. The couple married shortly after McCall graduated from the university as valedictorian in 1935. The McCalls raised four sons.

In 1943, the trustees of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, at that time still called the Baptist Bible Institute of New Orleans, elected McCall, despite his youth, because he had earned a reputation for powerful preaching, evangelistic zeal and bold leadership. He looked, however, like an incoming freshman.

“Are you new here too?” a freshman asked him in 1943. “Yes I am,” McCall replied, “they have just made me president.”

McCall leaves behind his wife, Winona McCandless, a widow whom he married after Marguerite died in 1983, and his four sons: Duke Jr., Douglas, John Richard and Michael. – Baptist Press

Dr. R.E. Glaze Jr. (1918-2012) - Professor Emeritus

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edus Edgar Glaze Jr. of Cullman, Ala., went to be with the Lord on Dec. 19, 2012, at age 94. He is survived by his loving wife of 72 years, Grace Ashley Glaze. He is also survived by four children: Linda Glaze Vaughn (Judson), Judith Glaze Pruitt ( William), Joseph Glaze (Jenny), Betty Glaze Dyess ( Steven); 11 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Ruby Glaze Glasscock ( J. D.) and Louise Glaze McDowell (Robert); a sister-in-law, Patty Glaze, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Redus and Jessie Glaze, his sister, Nancy Glaze Duncan, and his brother, James Glaze.

A graduate of Florence State Teachers College, he held the B. S. degree from Samford University, the B. D. degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Th. D. degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Additional studies were at Princeton Seminary in New Jersey, and Union Theological Seminary in New York.

He served as Pastor of five churches in Alabama, Tennessee,

22 VISION | SPRING/SUMMER 2013

Indiana and Louisiana. He was Interim Pastor of 58 churches from 1953-2005 in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In addition, he led numerous Bible Studies all over the East and South. He and Grace had the privilege to lead two tours to the Holy Lands.

Dr. Glaze taught Bible, Greek and Homiletics at Louisiana College for three years. He was Professor of New Testament and Greek at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary for 32 years. After retirement, for eight years, he directed and taught at the New Orleans Extension Center in Birmingham, Ala. Glaze authored No Easy Salvation and co-authored Interpreting the New Testament and contributed articles to the Biblical Illustrator, Theological Educator, Encyclopedia of Southern Baptists, Outreach, Study Guide for Seminary Extension, Advanced Bible Study in The Gospel of John for college students, the Holman Bible Dictionary, and other articles for academic journals and religious publications.  www.nobts.edu

In Memoriam Dr. Don Aderhold (1925-2013) - Former Professor, NGA Director

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on Aderhold, age 87, of Dacula, Ga., died April 4, 2013. He is survived by his daughter, Laura Griffo, and her husband, Jim, of Birmingham, Ala.; son David Aderhold and his wife, Rita, of Dacula; grandchildren, Mark and Michelle Griffo, and Marshall and Logan Aderhold.

He is preceded in death by his wife of over 50 years, Geraldine Turner Aderhold.

Aderhold was born Nov. 14, 1925, and reared in the metropolitan Atlanta area. A veteran of World War II, he served in the Navy with a rank of Lieutenant. (junior grade). He also served in student pastorates and was called to be the pastor of the Columbia Drive Baptist Church in Decatur, Ga., when the church was organized Nov. 20, 1949. He served as Pastor at Columbia Drive for more than 39 years and returned after retiring from NOBTS.

Aderhold served as director and professor at the North Georgia Campus (NGA) of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary for more than 14 years, retiring in 2001 to teach adjunctively and pastor Columbia Drive. He retired from the Seminary at age 80 in 2005.

Aderhold served as president of the Atlanta Baptist Pastor’s Conference, Georgia Baptist Pastor’s Conference, Mercer Ministerial Alumni Association, and the Home Mission Board for two terms. He served as trustee of the Atlanta Baptist College, now Mercer University in Atlanta, and Mercer University in Macon, and was a member of the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention as well as the Foundation Board of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. 

Dr. Rick Byargeon (1957-2013) - Former Professor

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ick Byargeon, pastor of Temple Baptist Church, Ruston, La., and former Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, died at his home on April 4, 2013, after a courageous battle with cancer.

Byargeon was born in Rayville, La., on Nov. 8, 1957, to John C. and Audrey Hales Byargeon. After graduating from Rayville High School in 1975, he spent the next year working with his dad as a carpenter. On June l8, 1976, he married Jonann Weeks. They enrolled in Louisiana College where he graduated in l980.

Upon graduating, he served as youth minister at First Baptist Church, Jennings, La., before entering Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned M.Div. and Ph.D degrees,

majoring in Old Testament. While at seminary he pastored First Baptist Church Streetman, Texas.

During his long academic career, Dr. Byargeon taught at the Baptist Theological Seminary in Singapore, Oklahoma Baptist University, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he held the J. Wash Watts Chair of Old Testament and Hebrew. He received numerous awards during his academic career and served as interim pastor in many churches. Dr. Byargeon was widely published in various academic journals and translated the book of Ecclesiastes for the Holman Christian Standard Bible.

Byargeon, who pastored Temple Baptist Church for eight years, is survived by his wife, Jonann, and their son, Will. 

Henry J. Dishburger (1926-2012) - Donor, Former Trustee

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enry J. Dishburger, 85, beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend died Sept. 26, 2012.

The son of the late Walter W. and Mabel C. (McNulty) Dishberger was born in Texas City, Texas, on Nov. 4, 1926.

Dishburger went on to Stephen F. Austin University where he received the bachelor of science degree in 1950 and was selected as a Distinguished Stephen F. Austin University Alumnus in 1993. He received the master of science in 1952 from Oklahoma State University.

Dishburger served in the United States Navy during World War II in the Pacific Theater. He was employed with the Dow Chemical Company in research and development for agrochemicals, retiring in 1990 after 35 years of service. He was a 60-year member of the American Chemical Society.

Dishburger was a member of Sunrise Baptist Church where he served as treasurer and a trustee, a trustee of the Bay Area Baptist www.nobts.edu

Association and Michigan Southern Baptist Foundation, Executive Committee of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan, and completed five years of loyal service as a trustee of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He had a heart for supporting small mission churches throughout Michigan.

Dishburger also established a student scholarship at NOBTS to help train the next generation of ministers.

Surviving is his wife of 61 years, the former E. Merle Cox, whom he married on Jan. 28, 1951, in Nacogdoches, Texas; son, Paul T. Dishburger of Newnan, Ga.; DeAnn (Steven) Lee of Waynesville, Ohio; Denise (Tom) Clark of Broken Arrow, Okla.; grandchildren, Jasmine Lee, Alicia Clark, Travis Dishburger, Jana Clark, Carolyn Dishburger; brother, Walter W. (Ruth) Dishberger Jr. of Conroe, Texas; many nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Henry was preceded in death by brothers, Thomas L. and Jackie Dishberger; and sister, Elizabeth Sonnier.  SPRING/SUMMER 2013 | VISION 23

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

of a

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ownstairs at Cafe Reconcile, patrons feast on traditional New Orleans dishes like fried oyster po-boys, bread pudding and eggplant Jennifer. Two floors up, students gather for a life skills training class – their first stop en route to culinary training and job placement. And just down the hall, a student, on his way to work as a server for the day, knocks on Onassis Jones’ door. He’s seeking counsel for a personal issue before he gets started in the restaurant.

From drop-in talks, to individual assessments and group counseling sessions, Jones stays busy as the mental health specialist at Reconcile New Orleans, a youth development organization based in New Orleans’ Central City neighborhood that recruits young adults ages 16 to 22.

At 37, Jones – who also is pastor of Christ Temple of New Orleans and a 2003 graduate of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary – already has a long history of church and community ministry in the Greater New Orleans area.

Pastor, musician, teacher, church planter, counselor, case manager – all are roles Jones has had in the city. And that stillunfolding history of ministry for Jones begins just a short distance from New Orleans Seminary.

“I was raised by a single mom in the Ninth Ward,” Jones said. “I stayed probably only two or three minutes from NOBTS.” Jones graduated from the regionally famous McDonough 35 High School. He later earned a bachelor of science in psychology degree and a minor in theology from Xavier University of Louisiana.

After graduating, Jones joined the Louisiana Department of Social

24 VISION | SPRING/SUMMER 2013

Services as a case manager in the Office of Family Support.

Throughout that time, Jones was active in ministry through his local church. Soon, his passion for ministry and for counseling grew together into a singular sense of calling.

“I was called into ministry in July of �99. My pastor was attending the seminary, so I had some exposure at that time to seminary life,” he said. “I enrolled at NOBTS for grad school, because I knew they had an excellent psychology department.”

Jones said he was drawn to the master of divinity degree in psychology and counseling at New Orleans Seminary because of the spiritual dynamic it brings to counseling.

“Even at that time, I still believed in holistic counseling that intertwines spirituality, psychology, theology – all that into one,” he said. “That was my goal. Not to just deal with it clinically, from the world’s perspective, but to get the biblical interpretation as it relates to counseling.”

Jones said his internship at Covenant House, an organization that reaches homeless, runaway and at-risk youth in New Orleans, had a huge impact on his vision for ministry.

“It broke down stereotypes, barriers I had of people,” he said. “It just shattered it to pieces. All I saw was hurting people.”

Jones also said missions professor Philip Pinckard, evangelism professor Bill Day and pastoral ministry professor Jerry Barlow each had a huge impact on his scope of ministry.

“It’s not about culture, it’s not about ethnicity,” Jones said. “It’s about the soul, and the soul is crying out. [People] need to be saved.

There’s a hurting world out there.” www.nobts.edu

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT A new church, a hurricane, and a new start By the time Jones graduated from NOBTS in 2003, he was licensed and ordained as a minister and already an accomplished counselor in the New Orleans juvenile criminal justice system. He planted Christ Temple of New Orleans – the church he now pastors – in 2002, and later started a music group called “Justified.” While continuing to pastor Christ Temple, Jones also served as a pastor at Olivet Missionary Baptist Church until Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

But when Katrina hit in August 2005, both Jones and his congregation were scattered. Jones landed in Baton Rouge, about 80 miles up river from New Orleans, and went to work with Volunteers of America as a crisis counselor. Later in 2006, Orleans Parish Juvenile Court brought Jones back as a family intervention specialist. About the same time, people who had been involved in Christ Temple began contacting Jones, expressing a desire to restart the church.

“The interesting thing was that they didn’t want to come back to ‘church.’ Their purpose was ‘We want the Word,’” Jones said.

After restarting Christ Temple’s ministry in January 2007, Jones set in motion much of the counseling and community ministry experience he’d gained through his education and professional experience.

“We had Sunday services, then on Thursday evenings through the American Red Cross, we were providing post traumatic stress disorder counseling,” he said. “Sometimes attendance would be 30 or 40 people who would come weekly to talk about their experience from Hurricane Katrina.”

Christ Temple also served as a hub for rebuilding information and a forum for community meetings. In September 2007, the church moved to its current location along St. Claude Avenue in New Orleans’ Upper Ninth Ward. Christ Temple has since grown into a multi-site and multi-community congregation.

“We now have ministries in Orleans Parish, Jefferson Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish in Laplace, and in East Baton Rouge Parish,” Jones said.

No two ministry sites look alike. Christ Temple holds Sunday worship services at both its Jefferson Parish location in Gretna and the St. Claude location. In Laplace, members of the congregation meet for Bible study and weekly worship. In East Baton Rouge Parish, the church holds a worship service every fourth Sunday of the month, with outreach and evangelism efforts on the weekends.

A new chapter at Cafe Reconcile

Jones transitioned from the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court to his new role as mental health specialist at Reconcile New Orleans in January 2012. He said he’s involved in students’ lives from their initial application through the end of the 12-week program, and beyond. www.nobts.edu

Prospective students go through an intensive application and interview process. In his initial assessment, Jones looks at a student’s family and medical history, individual strengths and weaknesses, anger and anxiety issues, homelessness, legal and social issues, and substance abuse.

“We don’t want to leave anything undone. Before they even start the program, we’ll know their issues, we have them identified, and we’re working on a plan to solve those issues,” Jones said. “They can affect their work environment.”

In the 3-week life skills component, students work to earn their GED if needed. They also develop a resumé, deal with any legal, housing or personal issues, and otherwise prepare to succeed in a work environment. During this time, Jones offers both group and individual counseling sessions, using the “Why Try” model. He also conducts weekly male and female empowerment groups.

“For the males, we’ll talk about how to be a man and issues men face on a day-to-day basis,” Jones said. “We train and teach them how to be more responsible men in society.”

Topics might be financial issues, how to respect women, behavior on the job and how to deal with stereotypes and stigmas, he said.

“Downstairs” in the kitchen, students spend the next five weeks learning all facets of the restaurant, from service to cooking and cleaning.

“Sometimes you have to challenge them to get out of their comfort zone, but nine out of 10 times they’ll feel their way [to the part of the restaurant that’s best for them],” he said. “That’s how we determine internship placement.”

Toward the end of the culinary training period, Reconcile staff will meet and go through each student’s file to identify a good fit for their internship. Many times, Jones said, if the 4-week internship goes well, the company will hire the student full time.

After students graduate from the Reconcile program, they receive a year of “after care.”

“I tell them, ‘We’re your agency. We work for you. You work for us and afterward we’ll work for you and help you find a job,’” Jones said.

And the program is making an impact. Since launching the culinary training program in 2000, more than 1000 Reconcile New Orleans graduates have moved on to careers in the service industry.

Whether with his church or at Reconcile New Orleans, Jones said his mission is to help end the cycle of violence, poverty and lostness that plagues many streets in New Orleans.

“I’ve had at least 17 men I’ve been connected to murdered in this city since 2005,” Jones said. “That’s why just being in a church building is not enough for me. Evangelism, outreach, ministry, missions are not just in [the church building], they must also be out. And this [Reconcile New Orleans] isn’t just a job. It’s my ministry.”  SPRING/SUMMER 2013 | VISION 25

ALUMNI NEWS

NOBTS alumnus Russell Moore to lead SBC’s ERLC Richard Land, Outgoing President of ERLC, named President Emeritus

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ussell Moore has been elected as the next president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.

Moore, 41, a native of Biloxi, Miss., will be the eighth president of the entity charged by Southern Baptists with addressing moral and religious freedom issues. With a background in government, the pastorate and seminary training, he already is well-known as a commentator from a Southern Baptist and evangelical Christian perspective on ethics, theology and culture.

“I am honored and humbled to be asked to serve Southern Baptists as ERLC president,” Moore said. “I pray for God’s grace to lead the ERLC to be a catalyst to connect the agenda of the kingdom of Christ to the cultures of local congregations for the sake of the mission of the gospel in the world.”

Moore’s election means he will be only the second ERLC president in the last quarter of a century. He will succeed Richard Land, who will retire upon the completion of 25 years leading the entity.

“I am delighted that the Holy Spirit has led the ERLC’s trustees to Dr. Russell Moore as the commission’s next president,” Land said. “Dr. Moore is a godly Christian minister, a devoted husband and father, and a convictional, committed Baptist. His excellent academic preparation, combined with his keen mind and his tender heart for God and His people, make him a person uniquely suited to serve our Savior and Southern Baptists in this crucial role at such a critical moment in our nation’s history.”

Moore will begin his new responsibilities June 1. At that time, Land will become the entity’s president emeritus, an honor bestowed on him by ERLC trustees.

Moore has served since 2004 as dean of the school of theology and senior vice president for academic administration at Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky. He joined the faculty in 2001 as professor of Christian theology and ethics and continues in that role.

Moore was preaching pastor at a campus of Highview Baptist Church in Louisville from 2008 to 2012. While a student at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div. ’97, Ph.D. ’02), Moore was associate pastor at Bay Vista Baptist Church in Biloxi, Miss. Before attending seminary, Moore served for four years as an aide to pro-life Democratic Congressman Gene Taylor of Mississippi. Moore and his wife Maria are the parents of five sons.

Moore is a leading voice in the growing proadoption movement among evangelicals. His 2009 book – “Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches” – has played a significant role in that cause and he is a frequent speaker at adoption conferences.

On his blog, in written commentaries, in speeches and in news media interviews, Moore comments frequently on a range of issues and the Christian gospel’s impact on them. These include abortion and other sanctity of life matters, race relations, marriage, pornography, politics and popular culture.

Moore has written two other books, “Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ” and “The Kingdom of Christ: The New Evangelical Perspective.” He has three other books scheduled to be published, including one on marriage and one on abortion. Moore also has edited and contributed to other books.

Land, who was 41 when he became head of the entity in 1988, led the transformation of the ERLC during the convention’s theological resurgence, moving the commission in a more conservative direction on such issues as abortion. He announced his retirement as ERLC president in July 2012.  – Baptist Press

Philip Coyle named provost at LeTourneau University

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eTourneau University President Dr. Dale A. Lunsford announced the appointment of Dr. Philip A. Coyle, provost and executive vice president, at the Longview, Texas-based school.

As the university’s chief academic officer, Coyle has executive level responsibilities for planning, development and administration of the academic mission of the university. He provides leadership to achieve initiatives of the university’s strategic plan and oversee the recruitment, development and performance of deans, academic administrators, and faculty in the university’s six schools.

“Philip has a number of strengths that will well serve our university,” Lunsford said. “He is unapologetic in defending the value of Christian higher education and will bring an orientation for innovation and growth in our academic programs, calling our faculty to excellence in all they do. Much of his career has been focused on preparing Christians to claim the psychology

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and counseling workplace for Christ, so Philip is excited about LETU’s strategic Every Workplace – Every Nation vision. I am eager to see what God will do with Philip’s talents here at LETU.” Coyle earned his Ph.D. in psychology and counseling from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he chaired the counseling and psychology department for 12 years. As a licensed marriage and family therapist, Coyle has a record of accomplishment in pastoral counseling, family counseling, and academic research in psychology.

He also holds Doctor of Education in marriage and family therapy and two master’s degrees, one in religious education and one in marriage and family therapy from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. His undergraduate degree in psychology is from Memphis State University. Coyle and his wife, Judi, have two grown sons.  www.nobts.edu

ALUMNI NEWS

CLASS Notes 1990s

Dolan, Lew (MDiv ’90) has retired as a Commander in the Navy Chaplain Corps after 24 years of total service. He is also a chaplain with Regency Hospice, Fort Walton Beach and Defuniak Springs offices in Northwest Florida.

Rogers, Alan (MDiv ’93) was recently elected as a moderator for the Hamilton County Baptist Association in Chattanooga, Tenn. He currently serves as pastor of New Salem Baptist Church in Soddy Daisy, Tenn.

Swenson, Wendy (BA ’99) has had 5 workbooks published through Leader Resources that you can see on her site: www.the5needs.com “The 5 Needs” are practical and can be used in ministry with education, VBS, Sunday schools, small groups, and a variety of other ministry opportunities.

DEATHS

Allen, Elemuel L., Sr. (MDiv ’82) of Mobile, Ala., passed away Oct. 14, 2012.

He is survived by his children and other family members.

Allen, James P. (DPRE ‘77) of Frederick, Md., passed away March 5, 2013. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Marjorie, and other family members.

Arinder, Thomas R. (MDiv ’79) of Hattiesburg, Miss., passed away on Feb. 11, 2013. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Harman Arinder, and other family members.

Askew, Mary Lee Trenor (MRE ’46) of Albuquerque, N.M., passed away Oct. 21, 2008.

Atchison, L.B. (ThM ’71) of Branson, Mo., passed away on Nov. 2, 2011.

Barber, Richard Martin (BDiv ’55 exchanged for MDiv ‘74) of Gaffney, S.C., passed away on May 1, 2010.

Barker, Robert F. (BDiv ‘66) of Meridian, Miss., passed away March 4, 2013. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Cindy, and other family members. www.nobts.edu

Barrows, Fredrick W. (attended ’88) of Woodstock, Ga., passed away on Feb. 10, 2013. He was preceded in death by his wife, Joyce Rohner Barrows. He is survived by his children and other family members.

Bates, Allen E. (BDiv ’65) of Etowah, Tenn., passed away Oct. 10, 2012. He is survived by his wife, Nancy Bates, and other family members.

Beduerftig, Gerhard (MDiv ’83, MRE ’85) of Harvest, Ala., passed away Nov. 24, 2012. He is survived by his wife, JoAnn White Beduerftig, and other family members.

Blair, Ralph (ThM ’70) of Bradenton, Fla., passed away Oct. 1, 2012. He is survived by his children and other family members.

Bond, Billie Jean Faulkner (attended ‘66) of Decatur, Ga., passed away Jan. 1, 2013. She was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Marvin. She is survived by her daughter and other family members.

Bond, Marvin T. (attended ’61) of Decatur, Ga., passed away Oct. 20, 2012.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Billie Jean Faulkner Bond, and other family members.

Brabham, David (BDiv ’52, MRE ’54) of Tallahassee, Fla., passed away Nov. 26, 2012. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Francois Brabham, and other family members.

Clark, O.C. (CCT ‘53) of Avoyelles Parish, La., passed away March 23, 2013. He was preceded in death by his wife, Helen Queen Clark (attended ‘52). He is survived by his four daughters and other family members.

Cuthriell, William M., Jr. (BDiv ’55) of Virginia Beach, Va., passed away Oct. 28, 2012. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Millie, and other family members.

Cutrer, John L. (ADPM ’74) of Hattiesburg, Miss., passed away on Nov. 21, 2006.

Daniell, Robert (BDiv ’63 exchanged for MDiv ‘73) of Savannah, Ga., passed away Nov. 30, 2007.

Daughtry, Cornell (attended ‘58) of Starkville, Miss., passed away Feb. 25, 2013. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Shelby Daughtry, and other family members.

Davis, William R. (attended ’54) of Hattiesburg, Miss., passed away June 18, 2012. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Cora Joyce Davis, and other family members.

Deane, Guy Moorman (BRE & CCT ‘53) of Owensboro, Ky., passed away Feb. 28, 2013. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Eulah May, and other family members.

Dobbs, William C. (MCM ’70) of Satsuma, Ala., passed away Nov. 13, 2012. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Betty Sellers Dobbs, and other family members.

Dowden, John Chester (MDiv ’76) of Crosby, Texas, passed away June 12, 2012. He is survived by his wife, Grace Hall Dowden, and other family members.

Driggers, Patsy (MRE ’57) of Monroe, La., passed away Dec. 17, 2012. She is survived by two cousins and other family members.

Cooper, James C. (ADRE ’81) of Pearl, Miss., passed away Jan. 4, 2004.

Dyson, Amie Irene (DPRE ’64) of Lake City, Fla., passed away Nov. 11, 2007.

Crawford, Ray H. (MDiv ’72) of Saint Petersburg, Fla., passed away on Jan. 11, 2013. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Carrol Crawford, and other family members.

Dyson, Jonas Colby (DPCH ’64) of Lake City, Fla., passed away Nov. 17, 2012. He was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Amie Irene Dyson. He is survived by his three daughters and other family members.

SPRING/SUMMER 2013 | VISION 27

ALUMNI NEWS Easley, Dale (MDiv ’84) of Vardaman, Miss., passed away on Jan. 10, 2013.

He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Mary Douglas Mallory Easley, and other family members.

Elmore, William E. (MRE ‘64) of Madisonville, La., passed away May 20, 2012. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Jean Elmore, and other family members.

Emery, Leon (attended ‘68) of Clinton, Miss., passed away Dec. 23, 2012. He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Jessie Emery, and other family members.

Eubanks, Helen Elizabeth (MRE ’52) of Kosciusko, Miss., passed away Jan. 4, 2011.

Foster, William H. (attended ’58) of Meridian, Miss., passed away on Jan. 16, 2013. He is survived by his family members.

Fountain, Lilian Leavell (attended ’51) of Black Mountain, N.C., passed away Aug. 27, 2012. She was preceded in death by her father, Roland Q. Leavell.

She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Rev. W. Maynard Fountain Jr., and other family members.

Franklin, Robert L, Jr. (MSM ‘60) of Macon, Ga., passed away July 8, 2012.

He is survived by his wife, Martha, and other family members.

Hatfield, Virginia (MRE ’48) of Atlanta, Ga., passed away Dec. 30, 2012. She is survived by her husband, Rev. A. Benjamin Hatfield, and other family members.

Haygood, J. Franklin (MCM ’62) of Dallas, Texas, passed away Dec. 1, 2012.

He is survived by wife of 50 years, Carrie Nell Knighton Haygood, and other family members.

Hornbuckle, Henry C. (DPCH ‘55) of Blytheville, Ark., passed away March 1, 2013. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Tressie, and other family members.

Howard, Robert E., Jr. (attended ’66) of Grand Bay, Ala., passed away on Feb. 4, 2013. He was preceded in death by 28 VISION | SPRING/SUMMER 2013

his wife, Peggy Jean Wilks Howard. He is survived by his children and other family members.

Hubbell, John F. (MDiv ‘83, Doctor of Education ‘89) of Brooklyn, Miss., passed away March 1, 2013. He is survived by his wife, Ladeen, and other family members.

Hudspeth, Glenn A. (attended ’01) of Walnut, Miss., passed away on Jan. 10, 2013. He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Sherri Lollar Hudspeth, and other family members.

Jackson, Marjorie A. (attended ’57) of Modesto, Calif., passed away March 22, 2009.

Jernigan, Ralph B. (BDiv ‘57 exchanged for MDiv ‘73) of Jackson’s Gap, Ala., passed away March 2, 2013. He is survived by his sons and other family members.

Johnson, M.C. (attended ’58) of Clarksdale, Miss., passed away Nov. 1, 2012. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Helen Johnson, and other family members.

Joyner, Mana D. (MRE ’59) passed away Jan. 12, 2013. She is survived by her husband, Jack Joyner, and other family members.

Judge, Hugh L., Jr. (attended ’59) of Leeds, Ala., passed away March 15, 2010.

Knight, Norvel E. (BDiv ’64 exchanged for MDiv ‘72) of Acworth, Ga., passed away on Jan. 8, 2013. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Betty Knight, and other family members.

Lay, Walter F. “Frank” (ThM ’69) of Winona, Miss., passed away on Feb. 3, 2013. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Margaret Carraway Lay, and other family members.

Lee, Bobby G. (attended ‘70) of Tupelo, Miss., passed away March 9, 2013. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Carolyn, and other family members.

Luttrell, Jack (MRE ‘85) of Thomasville, Ga., passed away Nov. 20, 2012. He is

survived by his wife, Betty Luttrell, and other family members.

McDonald, Ralph W. (BDiv ’54 exchanged for MDiv ‘74) of Moultrie, Ga., passed away Nov. 2, 2012. He is survived by his wife, Mabel Sanders McDonald, and other family members.

McIntire, Russell M., Sr. (BDiv ’48) of Clinton, Miss., passed away Jan. 5, 2013.

He was preceded in death by his wife of nearly 60 years, Maellen Neil McIntire.

He is survived by his son and other family members.

Milstead, Glenn Eddie (APM ’85) of Molino, Fla., passed away Dec. 16, 2012.

He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Sharon, and other family members.

Parrish, Paul (DMin ’75) of Riverview, Fla., passed away Oct. 15, 2010.

Place, Johnnie I. (ADPM ’80) of Daphne, Ala., passed away Oct. 19, 2012. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Joyce McCullough Place, and other family members.

Richardson, George R., Jr. (BDiv ’58 exchanged for MDiv ‘75) of Lafayette, La., passed away Oct. 19, 2012. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Rosalie Richardson, and other family members.

Setterlind, Carl Brown, Jr. (attended ‘59) of Belton, S.C., passed away March 19, 2013. He is survived by his wife, Linda, and other family members.

Shirley, W. Eugene (DPCH ’57) of Apopka, Fla., passed away Nov. 9, 2012.

He is survived by his wife, Monnie Rose Little Shirley, and other family members.

Simpson, Rayford A. (ThM ‘69) of Abbeville, S.C., passed away on Oct. 4, 2012. He is survived by his three daughters and other family members.

Snipes, Marion R. (BRE ’55) of Colombia, S.C., passed away on Jan. 20, 2013. He was preceded in death by his wife, Frances Snipes. He is survived by his children and other family members.

Sperry, Judy (attended ‘86) of Orange Park, Fla., passed away Jan. 15, 2011.

www.nobts.edu

ALUMNI NEWS Stone, Lester P. (CCT ‘49) of Montgomery, Ala., passed away Aug. 2, 2006. He is survived by his children and other family members.

2013 Distinguished Alumni Recipients

Terrell, George L., Jr. (MRE ’79) of Denham Springs, La., passed away Jan. 7, 2012. He is survived by his children and other family members.

Thompson, Charles A. (BDiv ’59) of Little Rock, Ark., passed away on Jan. 18, 2013. He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Sara Kathern Traylor Thompson. He is survived by numerous friends and relatives.

Herrod

Toby, Dennis M. (attended ’70) of Waco, Texas, passed away on Dec. 29, 2012. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Jackie Toby, and other family members.

Shaw

Ron Herrod (THM ‘68) Evangelist, Ron Herrod Ministries, Sevierville, Tenn.

Chris Machen (MCM ‘80)

Worship Pastor, Preston Ridge Baptist Church, Frisco, Texas

Tomberlin, R.P., Jr. (BDiv ‘54 exchanged for MDiv ‘72) of Quincy, Fla., passed away Feb. 25, 2013. He is survived by his wife, Christine, and other family members.

Tucker, John H. (BDiv ’59) of Moreland, Ky., passed away Aug. 4, 2012. He is survived by his wife, Louise R. Tucker, and other family members.

Machen

Mike Shaw (THM ‘73; DMin ‘76)

Pastor, First Baptist Church, Pelham, Ala.

Don Stewart (BDiv ‘60; THD ‘65/PHD ‘02)

Professor Emeritus of New Testament & Greek, NOBTS

Stewart

Upton, Wayne (BDiv ’59, exchanged for MDiv ‘75) of Jacksonville, Fla., passed away Aug. 14, 2012. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Barbara Upton, and other family members.

White, Winton E. (MDiv ’83) of Pensacola, Fla., passed away Sept. 24, 2012. He is survived by his children and other family members.

Witchen, Ted J. (attended ’67) of Knoxville, Tenn., passed away on Feb. 7, 2013. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Patricia Witchen, and other family members.

Vandercook, John P., Sr. (attended ‘51) of Houma, La., passed away March 6, 2013. He is survived by his sons and other family members.

Williams, John G. (ADiv ‘88, BA ‘93) of Gibson, La., passed away Feb. 20, 2013.

He is survived by his wife, Deanne, and other family members.

York, William M., Jr. (BDiv ‘58) of Richmond, Va., passed away Feb. 25, 2013. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Beth, and other family members.

Vinson, George Malcolm (BDiv ’59, exchanged for MDiv ‘00) of Liberty, Texas, passed away Oct. 28, 2007.

Williams, Lona “Pete” (attended 1997) of Columbus, Miss., passed away Sept.

25, 2011. She is survived by her children and other family members.

Send Your Updates

Wangle, Henry B. (MRE ’82, MDiv ’84) of Birmingham, Ala., passed away on Jan. 24, 2013. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Carolyn E. Wangle, and other family members.

Williams, Mike (APM’82) of Macon, Ga., passed away on Feb. 13, 2013. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Judy Williams, and other family members.

White, Aubret H. (BDiv ’57, exchanged for MDiv ‘74) of Prattville, Ala., passed away Oct. 9, 2012. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Florence Davison White, and other family members.

Williams, Paul E. (attended ‘64) of Jackson, Tenn., passed away March 14, 2013. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Mildred, and other family members.

www.nobts.edu

Please send your Class Notes items to the Office of Alumni Relations at NOBTS, 3939 Gentilly Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70126 or alumni@nobts.edu. Updates will be used for publication in both the Vision magazine and on the Alumni website.

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