CACREP ACCREDITATION AWARDED TO COUNSELING PROGRAM

NOBTS received key CACREP accreditation for its licensure-track master’s programs in counseling and for the counseling doctoral program, Feb. 22, a signal to the program’s quality and professionalism.

Accredited were the Master of Arts in Counseling (Clinical Mental Health Specialization and the Marriage and Family Specialization); the Master of Divinity, Specialization in Marriage and Family Counseling; and the Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision.

“This accreditation means our graduates will be able to take their biblically-saturated training in counseling and serve in a multitude of contexts to be salt and light in a broken and hurting world,” said Jamie Dew, President.

According to the CACREP website, CACREP accreditation means “the program has been evaluated and meets standards set by the profession.” The website notes also that CACREP-accredited programs meet the required educational training for counseling licensure in most states, “making CACREP-accreditation a pathway to portability.”

“Southern Baptists can rest in the knowledge that when they send us students for training in counseling they will be sent out with a biblically-based training that has prepared them to serve anywhere God calls them,” Dew said.

SOLD-OUT ABIDE ‘23 INSPIRES WOMEN TO ‘LIVE MISSIONALLY’

The voices of 1200 women from 15 states and 150 churches—a soldout crowd—filled the chapel at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College as they gathered to praise, learn, and fellowship at the third annual Abide Women’s Conference, headlined by Kelly Minter, Tara Dew, and Stephanie Lyon. This year’s theme, “Women Living Missionally,” challenged the attendees to live on mission in their workplaces, neighborhoods, and homes.

“This conference truly meets a need for women,” Tara Dew said. “The women who come each year are hungry to know God and to be like Him. We count it such an honor to serve them, to encourage and equip them, and then to send them back out into their churches and communities.”

DEFEND ‘23 INVITES QUESTIONS, GROWS FAITH

Church and college groups from as far away as Oregon and Canada attended the Defend 2023 apologetics conference, Jan. 2-6, that featured top Christian apologists and more than 100 breakout sessions.

“We are living in a post-Christian culture that is rapidly becoming an anti-Christian culture,” said Robert Stewart, NOBTS apologetics program director. “People are still fascinated with Jesus but are biblically illiterate, and thus are easily led astray without knowing it.”

Plenary speakers included Jamie Dew, NOBTS president; Paul Copan, Palm Beach Atlantic philosophy professor and author of 40 books; Gary Habermas, top resurrection scholar and NOBTS visiting professor; Douglas Groothuis, author and Denver Seminary philosophy professor; David Calhoun, Gonzaga University philosophy professor; Craig Hazen, Biola University professor of comparative religion and Christian apologetics, and others.

‘BUNKING WITH BIKERS’ GIVES OPENINGS FOR THE GOSPEL

Evangelism professor Jeff Farmer’s 18-week “motorcycle sabbatical” took him across 46 states to research growing churches. But along the way, he “bunked” several nights with fellow motorcycle enthusiasts—all of them unbelievers. Conversations about faith came up naturally as Farmer answered their questions about where he was going, and why.

Farmer practiced what he teaches his students to do—sharing the faith with grace and kindness.

“If you’re humble, loving, matter-of-fact about your beliefs, and friendly, people will talk to you about anything,” Farmer said.

A Lifestyle Of Proclamation

In this episode of #ExploreOurMission, Dr. Tara Dew speaks about the importance of proclaiming His truth in the way we live our lives.

Proclaim His Truth

In this episode of #ExploreOurMission, Dr. Bo Rice considers the topic of “Proclaiming His Truth” in light of 2 Timothy 3.

Foreign Mission and Domestic Mission Boards are formed. China is opened as SBC’s first mission field.

Rev. and Mrs. C. O. Dunkin’s letter from Alaska noted the high cost of living where they served: “Gasoline is 75 cents per gallon and matches are 25 cents a box.” They noted also how God was at work.

“Greetings from the most northern Southern Baptist mission in the world—150 miles from the Arctic Circle. We have had the mission at Fairbanks since. At present we have 12 members counting us and two awaiting the thaw for baptism.”

The annual Christmas Offering renamed Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

B.B.I. deploys two buses bought with money donated by students and friends to take students out to 40 sites twice a week to preach. Other buses and vans are added later.