Vision Magazine Fall 2019

VISION

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College

FALL 2019 Dr. Jamie Dew sees New Orleans, with its beauty and brokenness, as the perfect place to learn, serve, and fulfill God’s mission.

THE PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE

Vision Magazine Fall 2019 1

VISION MAGAZINE Fall 2019

Dr. Jamie Dew President, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College

THE PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE

The Future of NOBTS and Leavell College

For over 100 years, God has been at work through New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College. At the beginning of a second century of ministry preparation, I am excited to serve as the ninth president of this wonderful theological institution. With such a rich legacy behind us, I set my heart to the future, believing that God wants to use us greatly in the decades to come.

But as we begin our work, the NOBTS and Leavell College family may be interested to hear what we will do and where we will be going. Our mission is to prepare servants to walk with Christ, proclaim His truth, and fulfill His mission. There are four major principles within this statement.

First, we are a people called by God to be servants, taking the towel and the basin to serve the broken and marginalized of this world. If we are anything as Christians, we are servants who follow the example of Christ who modeled this so perfectly for us (Mark 10:4345). Here at NOBTS and Leavell College, we will cultivate that disposition and posture within our hearts.

Second, we want to cultivate a deep devotional life within our faculty and students. The work of ministry is difficult and cannot be done in our own power or wisdom. We deal with broken people and encounter problems at every step of the work. If our students are going to make a difference for Christ, they need the Lord to show up with them in the work and bless their labor. Therefore, our students must be a people that walk with God and live a life of genuine devotion.

Third, in keeping with who we have been in our rich past, we will continue to cultivate an environment where Gospel proclamation is encouraged and expected.

Whether in churches, on street corners, at lunch tables with friends, or in counseling sessions with those in need, our people will be trained to share the love of Christ so that others may experience the life-giving power that is found only in Him. Fourth, and finally, we will cultivate an environment where students are empowered to carry out the mission of Christ. We will train ministers who pastor, revitalize, and plant the churches of the SBC. We will also train missionaries that go to the nations where the church does not yet exist. We will be a people that forsake their own fame and opportunity for the sake of His coming Kingdom.

This will be our work, our passion, and our mission.

Please remember that you are a part of this with us and that we need you now more than ever before. God has great things in store for us, and I am honored to be a part of this great family with you!

Blessings, Jamie

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FALL 2019 DR. JAMIE DEW DR. LARRY W. LYON

GARY D. MYERS MARILYN STEWART DR. BOYD GUY CHANDLER MCCALL MILLY HORSLEY

DR. DENNIS PHELPS

Volume 75, Number 1

President Vice President of Enrollment

Editor Managing Editor Art Director and Photographer Photographer Contributing Writer

Director of Alumni Relations

VISION MAGAZINE is published two times a year by New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College.

3939 Gentilly Blvd.

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

All contents © 2019 New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. All rights reserved.

Please send address changes and alumni updates to the office of Alumni Relations at the above address. NOTE: Alumni updates will be used for the publication of the VISION magazine and on the Alumni website.

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

The cover photo was taken by Boyd Guy.

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VISION MAGAZINE Fall 2019

CONTENTS

FALL 2019

TOTAL COMMITMENT 5

A Commitment Born of Vision

11 New Life, New Role, Same God ADVANCEMENT NEWS 13 Collegiate Ministry Chair 14 $1M Grant from BCM 14 Caskey Center receives $1M Gift SEMINARY NEWS 15 A New Emphasis: Leavell College 17 Accelerated BA+MDIV Program 18 Larry W. Lyon: VP of Enrollment 19 Pattie Shoener: VP for Business Affairs 20 Doctoral Fellowships 20 Hall Receives LAICU Scholarship 21 Caskey Pathfinder Award 22 New Mission Statement 23 Mark Johnson: Student Spotlight FACULTY NEWS 27 Day Receives Research Award 27 Faculty Publications 28 Elections, Anniversaries, Promotions, and Tenure ALUMNI NEWS 30 A Word from the Alumni Director 31 Rice Finds Sobriety, Path to Ministry 33 Class Notes 33 Obituaries

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TOTAL COMMITMENT

A COMMITMENT BORN OF VISION Jamie Dew steps in as NOBTS’ ninth president to lead into the future.

BY MARILYN STEWART

amie Dew began his tenure as ninth president with a simple pledge. That pledge was total commitment. “I will give you everything I have,” Dew promised. “I will give you everything I am to champion New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College.”

As the first year of his presidency gets underway, Dew is proving true to his promise. Whether he is sharing a meal with students in the cafeteria, visiting faculty in their offices, recruiting at college events, or on the road to visit donors with his family in their RV — the “Dew Cruiser” — Dew’s focus is helping NOBTS be all it can be. It is a commitment born of vision.

“In this city you have the best of everything — culture, challenge, opportunity for ministry, a religious pluralistic context that our students could learn in," Dew said. "If you can learn to share the Gospel here, if you can learn to minister to the poor, the broken, the needy here, then that is incredible preparation for wherever God's going to take you."

When two friends suggested to Dew that he was a fit for the job as NOBTS president, Dew didn’t take it seriously.

Life in North Carolina was good. His growing family was settled.

Even when his long-time friend Robert Stewart, professor of philosophy and theology, told Dew he wanted to recommend him, Dew shrugged it off. Then Stewart asked, “But what if it’s God’s will?”

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The question gave Dew pause. He consented, though he still couldn’t see God in it. Committed to transparency, Dew returned the search committee’s initial questionnaire with answers his wife Tara described as “brutally honest.”

“He didn’t think there was a chance he’d be considered after that,” Tara quipped.

As the process continued, the committee became sure they had found their candidate.

“

If you can learn to share the Gospel here, if you can learn to minister to the poor, the broken, the needy here, then that is incredible preparation for wherever God's going to take you. ~ JAMIE DEW

”

“

He answered every question as if it came from God’s heart to our ears.

Bo Rice, dean of graduate studies and a search committee member, was impressed that Dew had a clear vision for the seminary though Dew’s first-hand experience with the seminary was limited.

“It became apparent that the Lord was opening the eyes of Dr. Dew to see a bright future for our beloved New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary,” Rice said.

Frank Cox, the search committee chairman and chairman of the board of trustees at the time, recognized immediately that God was leading them to Dew. “When he walked in the room, it was a ‘God moment,’” Cox said. “God’s spirit permeated that room. He answered every question as if it came from God’s heart to our ears.”

Days after Dew assumed office June 4, he and Tara boarded an international flight to travel to England where Dew received a second doctoral degree, a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Birmingham.

Dew’s first doctoral degree (a Ph.D. in theological studies) and his master of divinity in pastoral ministry degree were earned at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS). His undergraduate degree in biblical studies is from Toccoa Falls College, Toccoa, Ga. Prior to coming to NOBTS, Dew served as vice president for undergraduate studies and distance learning at SEBTS, a position he held since 2014. Dew was elected to the SEBTS faculty in 2011 and was named dean of the College at Southeastern in 2013. For nine years, Dew pastored a church in North Carolina.

Dew’s academic experience is enriched by his time as a pastor and is reflected in his preaching and writing.

Dew is the author or co-author of six books: Philosophy: A Christian Introduction; God and the Problem of Evil: Five Views; How Do We Know? An Introduction to Epistemology; God and Evil: The Case for God in a World Filled with Pain; Understanding Postmodernism: A Christian Perspective; and Science and Theology: An Assessment of Alister McGrath’s Critical Realist Perspective.

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~ FRANK COX

”

A LONG ROAD FORWARD “I’m not afraid of brokenness.” These were some of the first words many in the seminary family heard the day they were introduced to their new president, Jamie Dew. While these words show Dew’s commitment to reaching every life for Christ no matter the path each has traveled, they reflect, too, Dew’s own story and journey. The path Dew traveled is different from others who have held his office and begins with what he calls a “defining wound,” when at age 7, his parents’ marriage fell apart. And, so did his world.

The breakup of his home set him on a trajectory that led through turmoil, pain and confusion. In his teen years, Dew fell into dangerous habits that included drugs and alcohol, and led to other unhealthy behaviors. Even as he struggled, one high school teacher dared to show him grace. Each day when Dew walked into her classroom and laid his head down on the desk, she would walk by, pat him on the head and whisper, “I love you and Jesus loves you.”

The spiral downward would not be broken easily. Dew and his friends entered the back of a grocery store one night to steal bottles of beer, but were caught. As the police officer spun Dew around to cuff him, he slammed Dew’s head against the hood of his truck. For Dew, life had hit a new low.

The words his high school teacher repeated often to him were words he could not forget and at age 18 he got down on his knees and prayed, “I don’t even know if you’re real. I don’t know if you love me or not, but I need help.”

Months later, Dew found himself at youth camp, invited there by friends, and discovered the peace he had long sought as he found new life in Christ. That same week Dew met Tara, the young lady who would become his wife.

“Within just a few weeks, God turned my life completely upside down, giving me the hope of Christ, a clear sense of calling, and the girl that would walk beside me through life and ministry,” Dew said.

TOTAL COMMITMENT

TOP LEFT: Jamie Dew as a youth league football player.

TOP RIGHT: Tara and Jamie during their early courtship days.

BOTTOM: Jamie Dew on a mission trip to Keesee, Kenya, 1997, preached at a school with a student body of 1,200 children.

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TOTAL COMMITMENT

“

If we are anything, we are servants.

Let the towel and the basin define us.

”

~ JAMIE DEW

THE FUTURE UP AHEAD If there is a symbol that captures Dew’s vision for the seminary, it is the towel and the basin. Dew urges the seminary family to remember always the call to Christ-like service.

OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP: Towel and basin photo by Boyd Guy and Chandler McCall. The basin and pitcher were handcrafted by J. R. Cooper.

OPPOSITE PAGE, BOTTOM: Photo of Dr. Jamie Dew preaching the Convocation message in Leavell Chapel on September 3, 2019 taken

by Boyd Guy. TOP RIGHT: Photo of students walking from Leavell Chapel taken by Boyd Guy.

“We must be a people who are servants. We must be a people who are deeply devoted to Christ. We must be a people with the Gospel on our lips,” Dew said. “And we must be a people who give our lives to the mission of Christ.”

When Dew stepped into the pulpit in Leavell Chapel for the first Convocation of his presidency, Sept. 3, he challenged the seminary family to give “total devotion” to Christ. There is no life without it, Dew pointed out. More importantly, the task God has given believers cannot be completed without it.

“Our broken world awaits a people who will rise up and be about the redeeming work of Jesus Christ our King,” Dew said. “If we are anything, we are servants. Let the towel and the basin define us.”

Dew’s vision is four-pronged, beginning with the health and growth of Leavell College and the support of student services to achieve maximum efficiency and enrollment at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.

Student services include admissions, student enlistment and retention, financial aid, advising, and student success at graduate and undergraduate levels. Two other top priorities are marketing and communications, and the building up of denominational relationships.

While academic goals are important, Dew emphasizes that the seminary’s success is based on the number of students “sent out with the Gospel to a broken world” rather than enrollment numbers. Dew sees that in a city as unique as New Orleans, the opportunities to carry out the Great Commission are plentiful. As he sees it, the future is bright and the road ahead leads to a place where God is already at work.

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TOTAL COMMITMENT

NEW LIFE, NEW ROLE, SAME GOD

BY MARILYN STEWART

o one who knows Tara Dew could doubt she can handle the demanding job of president’s wife. Or, any job for that matter. Tara is the mother of two sets of twins.

But Tara’s answer that she could “love children, hold a baby, or lead a Bible study” was enough and for the next nine years she discovered her gifts in teaching, counseling, and leading. “I learned so much,” Tara said of their time at the church. “They loved us very well.”

As if raising four young children wasn’t a big enough job, Tara earned a master’s degree and an Ed.D., all while juggling home, family, and the many responsibilities of being a pastor’s wife, and later, a dean’s wife. Added to that, Tara’s own ministry blossomed as she led women’s Bible studies, started a women’s fellowship, and taught in the children’s programs at church.

As Tara taught and spoke, she became keenly aware of her need for theological education, something she realized other pastors’ wives were missing as well. In her dissertation research, Tara formulated a questionnaire for staff wives that garnered more than 700 responses.

When she walked the graduation stage last December, she didn’t know God was about to open a door in New Orleans for equipping women for ministry. “If we can prepare and equip wives while their husbands are in seminary, then we can serve the church in a healthier way,” Tara explained. “We can go into ministry with better expectations.”

Now at home in New Orleans, Tara takes time out of her busy schedule as mother to Nathan and Natalie, age 12, and Samuel and Samantha, 9, to teach a ministry wives’ class, meet with women students, and travel with Jamie as he fulfills his role as president. Though her role has changed, her focus remains the same — investing in others for the sake of God’s kingdom.

“God has made us all different, but that’s the beauty of the body of Christ,” Tara said. “If we can encourage each other to use our gifts, I think we’ll see the body of Christ come to life.”

As a young wife, Tara didn’t fit the mold of a pastor’s wife — she thought — because she couldn’t play the piano or sing. Her fears were realized during Jamie’s first interview with a pastor search committee. When the committee turned to her and she admitted she wasn’t “musical,” one committee member responded, “Well, what do you do?”

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As a five-year-old, Tara heard Billy Graham preach and knew she needed to follow Christ. But when Tara asked her grandmother if she were a Christian, they decided it was a decision they both needed to make. Together, they walked the church aisle and began new lives in Christ.

The years brought spiritual lessons including a time when the couple needed to trust God regarding finances.

“I was so scared,” Tara remembered. As she sat outside and prayed, she watched a small bird pull on a worm.

Matthew 6:26 came to mind reminding her that God cares for even His smallest creature.

The Dew family. Bottom row, L to R: Nathan, Samuel, Samantha and Natalie. Top row: Jamie and Tara. Photo by Boyd Guy.

The lesson stayed with her. While it might seem that no job is too big for her, Tara is quick to point out the truth — God’s call is always beyond what a believer alone can accomplish.

“We can’t do this on our own,” Tara said. “The job is so much bigger than we can do. The Kingdom is so much bigger than us. We have to be on our faces daily before the Lord asking Him to do the work only He can do.”

When news came that Jamie would be the presidential candidate, Tara’s Bible reading that day included Psalm 115:1 and Luke 9:23-24. She was reminded that believers

are called to trust and follow wherever God leads. “The call was so clear,” Tara said. “It was undeniable.” Breaking the news to the children was easier because the couple had taught them that God uses “normal people” and ministry is a way of life.

As a new life unfolds in New Orleans, the Dew family embraces together a lesson grounded in biblical truth.

“Everything you have, everything you own belongs to God,” Tara explained, adding quickly the reason they follow willingly. “God is faithful to His children.”

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ADVANCEMENT NEWS

Vision Magazine Fall 2019

NOBTS ESTABLISHES COLLEGIATE MINISTRY CHAIR

BY GARY D. MYERS

ew Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary recently established a collegiate ministry chair in honor of Arliss Dickerson.

Photo of Arliss Dickerson by Boyd Guy.

The seminary has long championed the efforts of collegiate ministers throughout the United States and Canada and offers master’s-level training in collegiate ministry. When fully-funded, the endowed academic chair, the Arliss Dickerson Chair of Collegiate Ministry and Discipleship, will help fund a professor to raise up the next generation of BCM directors who will lead like Dickerson.

While Dickerson may not be a household name for all, he is one of the most respected voices in Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM). During his 32-year tenure as the Arkansas State University BCM director, Dickerson touched thousands of lives and mentored hundreds of campus ministers throughout the nation. Even in “retirement,” Dickerson continues to disciple college students in Jonesboro, Ark., and he continues to invest in BCM leaders who disciple college students.

Dickerson regularly addresses collegiate ministry topics on his blog, collegeministrythoughts.blogspot.com.

College campuses remain an important mission field in the United States. College ministry leaders not only disciple Christian college students, they serve as Gospel witnesses on their campuses. Through their evangelism efforts, thousands of young people accept Christ each year and students from across the world encounter the Gospel for the first time.

Can you help NOBTS fund this new academic chair? Contact Institutional Advancement at 1-800-662-8701 ext. 3252, for details.

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VISION MAGAZINE Fall 2019

ADVANCEMENT NEWS Counseling photo by Chandler McCall.

church and community ministries at NOBTS. "The grant is an answer to prayer and it will have an impact on students, faculty, staff and those people seeking counseling services, both now and in the years to come."

NOBTS Receives $1 MILLION GRANT FROM BAPTIST COMMUNITY MINISTRIES

BY GARY D. MYERS

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary has been awarded a $1,005,000 core funding grant to support the school's community counseling and childhood education efforts.

Baptist Community Ministries (BCM) is a faith-based Christian organization supporting projects and programs that enhance health, education, and public safety in the five-parish, greater New Orleans region. According to the organization's website, BCM is committed to the task of improving the physical, mental and spiritual health of the individuals they serve.

The grant awarded to NOBTS, which will be distributed over a three-year period, will support the work of the Leeke Magee Christian Counseling Center and Danielson Early Learning Center (ELC) at the seminary. Both centers provide vital services to underserved communities in New Orleans — the Leeke Magee Center through affordable counseling services and the Danielson ELC through affordable child education services.

The Leeke Magee Christian Counseling Center opened in 2014 on the NOBTS campus, providing an array of biblical, evidenced-based counseling services to address the mental health and relational counseling needs of the New Orleans area. Since 2014, the counseling center has provided nearly 10,000 hours of counseling, including $500,000 in pro bono counseling — no one is turned away due to an inability to pay.

"The BCM grant will allow the seminary to further expand our counseling services and to organize an annual counseling conference for training and continuing education," said Ian Jones, chairman of the division of

A long-term fixture on the NOBTS campus, the Danielson ELC is a Tier III childcare center licensed and approved by the Louisiana Department of Education for early childhood education. The ELC provides quality childcare and educational programming for children ages 6 weeks to kindergarten for children from seminary families and those in the surrounding community. The center also serves as a model early learning center for the community and local churches.

The Caskey Center RECEIVED A $1 MILLION GIFT The Caskey Center for Church Excellence at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College recently received a $1 million donation to advance its work.

This latest gift was presented to Dr. Jamie Dew at a private luncheon. Since its launch in 2014, the Caskey Center has received over $14 million to provide training, resources, research and scholarships for churches that make up the vast majority of SBC life: smaller membership churches. This recent gift was designated to provide full tuition scholarships for Louisiana pastors in smaller membership SBC churches.

“We are beyond grateful for donors that have such a heart to invest in these servants of God that serve in smaller membership churches,” said Dr. Mark Tolbert, director of the Caskey Center. “This gift will enable many more of these ministers to enroll in Leavell College and New Orleans Seminary to prepare themselves to serve wherever God calls and sends them.”

Many of the Caskey scholarship recipients would find it difficult to take classes without this resource. Tolbert said one recipient described his scholarship as a “ram in the bush,” referring to God’s provision of a lamb to Abraham when he was obedient to God. In addition to the financial blessing, a significant spiritual component of the Caskey Center is its intentional Gospel focus. Caskey Scholarship recipients have had 36,145 Gospel conversations and have seen 4,266 people come to Christ in the past five years.

According to Tolbert, God is blessing the ministry of the Caskey Center through academic preparation and Gospel witness. He encourages those who serve smaller membership SBC churches to contact www.nobts.edu/ caskeycenter for more information about the center.

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SEMINARY NEWS

A New Emphasis LEAVELL COLLEGE ADDS DEGREES AND UPDATES CURRICULUM The New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary board of trustees approved three new degrees and revisions to existing degrees for Leavell College.

Trustees approved the creation of a bachelor of arts in biblical studies degree, a bachelor of arts in psychology and counseling degree, and an associate of arts in biblical studies degree. Revisions included updates to the bachelor of arts in Christian ministry, bachelor of arts in music with an emphasis in worship, the associate of arts in Christian ministry, and the associate of arts in music with an emphasis in worship.

The curriculum updates were developed by the Leavell College faculty during a two-year period of evaluation and concentrated prayer. According to Leavell College Dean L. Thomas Strong III, the changes are designed to enhance ministry training for the students based on the current needs of the churches they will serve.

“When we developed the degrees, we definitely had the church in mind,” Strong said. “Our goals are that graduates will walk into church ministry really wellgrounded biblically and in their doctrine.”

Knowledge will not be enough for these graduates to succeed in ministry, Strong said. The desire is to see students become disciples who can encourage and lead others to grow, he continued.

The plan includes the introduction of a true Christian foundational core required of all students, Strong said.

The Christian foundational core includes strong exposure to the Old and New Testaments, Christian doctrine, hermeneutics, evangelism, teaching methods, and other essentials for ministry.

The faculty retained a strong emphasis on writing with English composition and research and writing courses early in their degree programs. All bachelor’s degrees conclude with a capstone course — senior seminar — in which students research, write and present on a debatable topic.

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Leavell College Adopts New Logo, Web Address The fall semester brought many exciting changes to Leavell College. Along with new office space and a new president who is committed to seeing the college thrive, Leavell College recently unveiled a new logo and web address.

The moves are designed to provide Leavell College with a recognizable brand identity of its own and a memorable web address (leavellcollege.com). The font and colors remain closely linked to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s overall brand. However, the new Leavell College logo mark prominently features a fleur-delis (a symbol of the city of New Orleans) and a shield.

Previously, the 27-year-old undergraduate college shared the logo mark with the seminary. In recent years, that mark has included a stylized representation of the iconic Leavell Chapel.

SEMINARY NEWS

TOP: President Jamie Dew pauses among the unfinished walls of the new Leavell College office to ask God’s blessings on the school.

CENTER: Dr. Dew hears updates on the progress of the remodeling of the former LifeWay store to become central office space for Leavell College.

BOTTOM: The Leavell College faculty writes their favorite scripture verses on the new office space subflooring in committing the space to God.

New Leavell College Offices SET TO OPEN JANUARY 2020 Next spring, the offices of Leavell College will have a new, more visible location — on the first floor of the Hardin Student Center (HSC). The seminary is currently renovating the former LifeWay Store as a new home for Leavell College.

The move, which is scheduled for January 2020, will give Leavell College a prominent location in the HSC, which serves as a hub of campus life and activity. The Leavell College faculty will relocate to larger offices with better accessibility to current and prospective students. The location also will feature a more inviting reception area to welcome campus guests.

The new office space and other undergraduate initiatives are designed to help Leavell College grow to its full potential and see an increased kingdom impact.

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Photo by Boyd Guy.

Leavell College and NOBTS Announce ACCELERATED BA+MDIV PROGRAM eavell College and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary will now allow pastoral ministry students to earn both the bachelor of arts degree and the master of divinity degree in just five years.

Made possible through an anonymous grant, the Accelerated BA+MDIV program will shorten a pastoral ministry student’s time in school by two years. Experienced pastor and New Testament scholar Charlie Ray III has been elected to the faculty and will lead the program.

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scholarships. Much of the cost savings will come through reduced course redundancy between the undergraduate and graduate programs and as students use the NOBTS tuition cap. Under the tuition cap, students pay regular tuition rates for the first 12 semester hours of study.

However, an additional three or six hours (for a total of 1318 semester hours) can be taken free of charge.

In addition to the pastoral calling and age requirements, ideal candidates for this program must be willing to devote themselves to full-time theological studies in order to save time in their preparation.

The goals of the five-year initiative are to limit the debt pastoral ministry students incur in college and seminary, reduce coursework redundancy during undergraduate and graduate studies, provide meaningful practical ministry experiences in the learning process, and help young students leave these programs with greater spiritual depth and the ability to minister well to people of all ages.

Students currently attending Baptist colleges can benefit from the plan as well by aligning their undergraduate studies with the seminary’s Accelerated MDIV program.

Students who graduate from a Baptist college in three years (or on the traditional four-year track) with a ministry or Christian studies major are able to complete the M.Div. in two years at NOBTS.

The program is designed for 18 to 21-year-olds entering undergraduate studies who have experienced a call to pastoral ministry. Students will be mentored by a dedicated program coordinator and students will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on ministry experiences.

Prospective students interested in the Accelerated BA+MDIV program should apply through the regular application process to attend Leavell College. Potential students can send an email to Ray (crayiii@nobts.edu) stating a desire to enter the Accelerated BA+MDIV program.

The grant will be used to fund a program coordinator, promotional items for the program and limited student

For additional information about the new program, visit www.nobts.edu/ba-mdiv.

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SEMINARY NEWS

Larry W. Lyon NAMED NOBTS VP OF ENROLLMENT

BY MARILYN STEWART

arry W. Lyon joined the NOBTS administration July 1 as vice president of enrollment and during the fall trustee meeting Oct. 9, the board of trustees elected him to the faculty. Lyon will serve as associate professor of ethics.

The creation of the new position and Lyon’s nomination marked Dr. Jamie Dew’s first official move as president.

“Dr. Lyon is a gifted administrator with proven abilities in the areas of recruiting, retention and completion,” Dew said.

“He is a proven leader with exceptional strategic instinct and training.”

Photo by Chandler McCall.

“

In his previous role as director of enrollment at the College at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS), Lyon oversaw “significant” growth in enrollment, Dew pointed out.

Dr. Lyon is a gifted administrator with proven abilities in the areas of recruiting, retention and completion. ~ JAMIE DEW

”

As chief strategist and catalyst for all NOBTS enrollment related matters, Lyon directs institutional strategy for maximum efficiency and enrollment.

The offices under Lyon’s supervision are student recruitment and enlistment, student admissions, registrar services, student retention and completion, financial aid, advising and student success at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Under his supervision also is the Office of Communications.

“The creation of this position will enable us to better serve our students and prospective students,” Provost Norris Grubbs said.

Lyon holds an M.Div. and a Ph.D. in theological studies with a concentration in Christian ethics from SEBTS. He and his wife Stephanie have three daughters, Anna Kate, 14, Abby, 12, and Maggie, 5.

Lyon pointed to New Orleans’ position as a “strategic city” for training in ministry and a proving ground for effective, Christ-honoring ministry.

“The task of the Great Commission is big, and my prayer is that our students will continue to step up and go out to carry the Gospel to their neighbors and to the ends of the earth,” Lyon said. “I believe the Lord is preparing this school to equip the next generation of those answering God’s call.”

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SEMINARY NEWS

Pattie Shoener Named VP FOR BUSINESS AFFAIRS at NOBTS

BY GARY D. MYERS

amie Dew, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College, has named Pattie Shoener as vice president for business affairs at the school.

Shoener served in the role on an interim basis since June 2018 after the retirement of long-time vice president Clay Corvin. Dew removed the interim label in August, citing Shoener’s competency in the role during the interim, her extensive knowledge of the seminary’s finances and financial systems, as well as her experience living and serving in New Orleans.

“I am absolutely thrilled to have Pattie Shoener serving as our vice president of business affairs,” Dew said. “She is highly skilled, a fantastic leader, and a trusted friend to everyone in the NOBTS and Leavell College family. I am confident that her leadership in this role will serve our institution very well.”

It was the call of God that first brought Shoener to New Orleans in 1986. And though her current ministry looks much different than what she expected when she first arrived on campus, Shoener realizes that she is right where God wants her.

After studying business administration and accounting at Bloomsburg State University in her home state of Pennsylvania, Shoener moved to North Carolina for a job. While working in her field for Thomasville Furniture Corporation, she began attending a Southern Baptist church. Though she grew up in church and believed many things about Jesus, Shoener had never completely understood the personal aspect of the Gospel. Soon after trusting Christ as her personal Savior, she began to experience God’s call to ministry.

“I decided that I wanted to give my life and gifts to the service of the Lord,” Shoener said. “At first, I wanted to go to the foreign mission field. When I got to New Orleans, the Lord said ‘foreign enough.’”

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Photo by Boyd Guy.

At NOBTS, Shoener worked for the Baptist Book Store (now LifeWay) during her first year in the master of divinity program. Soon the NOBTS business office learned about her business background and offered her the role in payroll and human resources. She worked in that capacity from 1987 until 1994. Along the way, Shoener completed her M.Div. and served as youth minister at Elysian Fields Baptist Church in New Orleans.

In 1994, Shoener was asked to lead a New Orleansbased mentoring program called Each One Save One. She served as executive director of the organization from 1994 until 2005. Her time there was fulfilling, but when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, Shoener offered to help her alma mater recover from the devastating storm.

Soon, she returned to NOBTS as director of payroll and human resources.

Through the years she was given additional tasks and new responsibilities. In 2008, Shoener was named associate vice president for finance.

“I have done the things I have been asked to do to the best of my ability as unto the Lord,” Shoener said of her approach to her work at NOBTS. “I felt called to be here to offer my talents and abilities and that is all I have ever done.”

By following her call to budgets, spreadsheets, and human resources, Shoener plays a key role in preparing the next generation of SBC ministers and missionaries. Her diligent attention and care for the Cooperative Program dollars entrusted to the seminary helps to keep student costs down and is a vital service to Southern Baptists.

SEMINARY NEWS

Photo above, bottom row, L to R: Jamie Klemashevich, Jonathan Borland, Dr. Jamie Dew, Ron LIndo Jr., and DeeDee Williams. Top row, L to R: Mark Johnson, Russell Zwerner and DeAron Washington. Not pictured: Bo Smith. Photo by Boyd Guy.

New Doctoral Fellowships

AWARDED DURING CONVOCATION During Convocation, Sept. 3, President Jamie Dew recognized those receiving a doctoral fellowship, a merit-based scholarship that continues throughout the student’s time in the program. The fellows are: Jamie Klemashevich, the Lucille and Harold Harris Ph.D. Fellowship in Christian Counseling Jonathan Borland, the Thomas S. and Mary Wheeler Messer Fellowship in New Testament and Greek Ron Lindo Jr., the J. Duncan Boyd III Memorial Endowed Fellowship in Old Testament Studies and Hebrew DeeDee Williams, the Dr. Rhonda Kelley Ph.D. Fellowship in Women’s Leadership.

Mark Johnson, the Drs. Chuck and Rhonda Kelley Ph.D. Fellowship for African-American Students Russell Zwerner, the Milton and Charlotte Williams Fellowship in Preaching DeAron Washington, the Charles Ray Pigott Fellowship for Minority Students Bo Smith, the C. C. Randall Fellowship in Evangelism

Hall Receives LAICU SCHOLARSHIP FOR SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP Matthew Louis Hall, a Leavell College senior, received the Norman C. Francis Scholarship for Leadership and Service, awarded by the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. The $3,000 scholarship signifies outstanding service and leadership.

“Matthew has a vibrant personality so that he is known by all. He has demonstrated that he is a man of integrity who is passionate about his studies,” said Thomas Strong, dean of Leavell College. “I am confident that God has great plans for Matthew.”

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SEMINARY NEWS

CASKEY PATHFINDER AWARD HONORS MINISTRY COUPLE

BY MILLY HORSLEY

he Pathfinder Award, announced each year by the Caskey Center for Church Excellence, recognizes a small church pastor for innovation and effectiveness in reaching the community. This year’s recipients, Brian and Denise Webber, are doing just that and have been for 23 years.

Brian and Denise were honored this year for their continued presence at Carrollton Avenue Baptist Church in the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans. After arriving there in 1996, they were able to replant the church until, when Hurricane Katrina hit, they had to start over and rebuild.

Since then, they have launched the community outreach, “Carrollton Impact.” This includes clothes and food pantries for the community, children’s events, and computer classes for the elderly. Recently, the church went on a mission trip to Mexico where every person had a bag that contained a Spanish tract, a Spanish version of “Beginning Steps” — a Bible study for new believers and $50 — money raised by the youth group for missions — to give out on the streets of Mexico in order to open doors for Gospel conversations.

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As Pastor Webber said, “What good is learning the Bible without witnessing and what good is witnessing if you do not know the Bible?”

Added to all of the witnessing and ministry opportunities the couple makes available to church members, they lead each member through an intensive three-year discipleship program. Its purpose, Brian said, is “to equip people to move through scripture, to rightly be able to understand truth, and to witness effectively.”

As they continue to focus on new and creative methods of outreach, the couple works to build up a sense of family in the church.

Denise describes their church in three ways, “God, Family, and Sharing your Faith.” This is what they attribute their longevity and success to — the sense of family and the passion for sharing the Gospel.

The Pathfinder Award is given out at the annual No Restraints Conference. This is an award, as Dr. Jeffrey Farmer describes, to celebrate and motivate the Caskey students not to “just phone it in, but to look at their context and community and figure out the best way to complete the mission.”

SEMINARY NEWS OPPOSITE PAGE: Photo of Brian and Denise Webber by Chandler McCall.

BELOW: Photo of Gabriel and Shaale Mirabal leading worship in Leavell Chapel on Oct. 9, 2019 by Chandler McCall.

Trustees Approve NEW MISSION STATEMENT The trustees of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College affirmed new president Jamie Dew’s vision for the institution by approving a new mission statement during their fall meeting Oct. 9.

The newly approved mission statement reads, “New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College prepare servants to walk with Christ, proclaim His truth, and fulfill His mission.” The statement echoes the core themes of servanthood, Gospel proclamation, spiritual fervor and mission involvement that Dew has been sharing with Southern Baptists since his election as the school’s ninth president in June.

“We are excited about this mission statement because it gives us clarity about what we are trying to do,” Dew said. “Around this statement we will teach classes, offer programs, raise money, initiate central tasks for the institution. We think it will shape who we are very deeply.”

Taking the Oath AS AMERICAN CITIZENS Gabriel and Shaale Mirabal, Leavell College students and natives of Cuba, became American citizens recently when they stood alongside people from more than two dozen nationalities and took the Oath of Allegiance.

For them, it was a dream come true, as it has been for other NOBTS students who have come to America and made it their home.

“I do not deserve this blessing of being a citizen of this country. I am an American citizen because of the grace of God,” Shaale Mirabal said. “I feel adopted. I feel blessed. America embraced my husband and me as we are.”

Gabriel leads music at their church, Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana-Americana de New Orleans, and plays guitar with the praise team at Leavell Chapel. Gabriel is studying music. Shaale is a psychology and counseling student with a music minor.

Dew said the goal was to create a mission statement which represented the ethos and DNA of NOBTS and Leavell College. While Dew wanted the statement to be clear, compelling and memorable, he was not looking for a slogan. The new mission statement will drive the programs, activities, initiatives and even the fundraising efforts of the school, Dew said.

Expounding on the statement, Dew said he and the cabinet selected each word and phrase carefully and intentionally. They chose “servants” rather than “students” and “fulfill His mission” to encompass those who will serve existing churches, plant new churches, and those who will carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth where churches do not yet exist, Dew said.

“

We are excited about this mission statement because it gives us clarity about what we are trying to do.

”

~ JAMIE DEW

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SEMINARY NEWS

Photo by Boyd Guy. VISION MAGAZINE Fall 2019 23

SEMINARY NEWS

FROM THE COURT TO THE PULPIT

BY MARILYN STEWART

ark Johnson thought he had to choose between the basketball court and the pulpit. The worlds were too different. It had to be one or the other. But Mark’s father, a longtime pastor, knew God could use both. “And boy, was he right,” Johnson said.

From his career as a shooting guard in European and South American professional basketball leagues to Princeton Theological Seminary, to an Ohio pastorate and team chaplain for the Cleveland Indians baseball team, and now at NOBTS, Johnson’s love of sports has unlocked doors for the Gospel.

“I had to stay in shape because that was one way I was getting in to minister to people, so I would always work on my game as if I were playing professionally,” Johnson (D.Min. ’18) said. “I just kept training.”

For Johnson, pursuing now a Ph.D., and his wife, Heather, the new chapter of life in New Orleans with their four children is simply the next step in God using every part of their lives for His service. Heather, an NOBTS student as well, is in the MACE program.

“Who’s the preacher?” the youth asked when they saw the six-foot-five gentle giant with the quick smile.

“Then, I dunked on them,” Johnson related, grinning. And the doors for the Gospel flew open.

In a neighborhood filled with potential but plagued by crime, Johnson built a rapport with youth that included gang members from the Crips and the Bloods. A reminder of what the youth from the neighborhood faced came when Johnson left a young man on the sidewalk by the church and went to retrieve his car. When he returned to give the young man a ride, he found him beaten up. “It happened just that quick,” Johnson explained. “It was a hot area.”

Princeton’s predominantly white culture stood in stark contrast to “the hood,” Johnson said, and brought a larger problem into focus. Later, racial reconciliation became the core of Johnson’s D. Min. project.

“My worlds were so different,” Johnson said. “I didn’t know God was about to bring them together.”

During his graduate student days at Princeton Seminary, Johnson drove 45 minutes to serve a large church as youth and young adult pastor in a troubled New Jersey neighborhood.

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SEMINARY NEWS

TOP: Mark and Heather Johnson with their children Mark Jr, Jonathan, Victoria, and Benjamin.

MIDDLE: Photo of Mark with an Upward Basketball team.

BOTTOM: Mark on the court with a group from the neighborhood.

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SEMINARY NEWS

FACING THE TOUGH QUESTION At Pennsylvania’s Washington and Jefferson College, a predominantly white university where Johnson and his twin brother Matthew played basketball, Johnson was the first African American to be selected senior commencement speaker. When Johnson married his wife Heather, he gained a mother-in-law who is white.

Johnson became adept at navigating two worlds.

“God was putting me in both worlds so that he could ‘take all the veils off,’” Johnson said. “God was telling me, ‘It’s just My people. They’re all My people.’”

Before moving to New Orleans last year to start the Ph.D. program, Johnson was senior pastor at Cleveland’s Liberty Hill Baptist Church. His burden for unbelievers drove him to phone Cleveland Hope, the Southern Baptist association of churches, to find a ministry partner.

“

When God opens the door, you gotta go.

”

~ MARK JOHNSON

The partnership that developed, along with Johnson’s close friendship with Director of Missions Kevin Litchfield, forged a pathway that led to the congregation joining the Southern Baptist Convention. At the time, Fred Luter was SBC president, the first African American to hold the position. Still, some in Johnson’s congregation were unsure.

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES

One member confided to Johnson on her deathbed that she had opposed the move. As a child, she had witnessed the lynching of her school’s principal.

On the way home last year from Black Church Week at Ridgecrest, Johnson’s wife Heather applied for NOBTS’ master program. That week, she felt God calling her to seminary.

The question of whether the SBC was a racist organization had to be settled, Johnson knew. His research — which included reading all 1135 resolutions in SBC history — was central to the D.Min. project he produced while pastoring in Ohio. Johnson was convinced God had moved the SBC “slowly but surely” toward racial reconciliation.

Two weeks later, after selling their home and pulling up roots, the family moved to New Orleans. Another new chapter began recently when Johnson was called as pastor of New Orleans’ Edgewater Baptist Church, a predominantly white congregation.

With tough questions such as, “If you thought someone was KKK, could you worship beside them?” Johnson challenged his members to put their faith before their fears.

For Johnson and his family, following Christ is simply about being obedient. He says, “When God opens the door, you gotta go.”

“When you really fall in love with Jesus, it changes everything,” Johnson reminded them. “The question is, ‘Do you love Jesus?’”

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Day Receives GREAT COMMISSION RESEARCH AWARD

The award is given to a researcher who has exemplified scholarship, intellect and leadership in the research and dissemination of the principles of effective disciple-making.

Through his role as associate director of the Leavell Center for Evangelism and Church Health, Day has researched declining evangelism efforts and baptisms in the SBC and studied church growth and health in the greater New Orleans region following Hurricane Katrina. His most recent research studied the methodologies of small, medium, and large churches that have been successful in evangelizing Millennials.

Day joins a list of previous McGavran award-winners which includes Bill Easum, Gary L. McIntosh, J.D. Payne, Thom Rainer, Ed Stetzer, and Elmer Towns.

2018-2019 FACULTY PUBLICATIONS

Vision Magazine Fall 2019

FACULTY NEWS

Bill Day, distinguished research professor of evangelism and church health, received the Donald A. McGavran Award for Outstanding Leadership in Great Commission Research during the Great Commission Research Network’s annual meeting in Littleton, Colo., Oct. 17-18.

Craig Price, general editor Engage: Tools for Contemporary Evangelism, a Festschrift in Honor of Dr. Charles S. Kelley Jr. Published by NOBTS Press/Iron Stream Media, 2019

Randy Stone, editor (with John McClendon and Jim Estep) Indispensable: Becoming an MVP in Disciplemaking Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2018

Jody Dean and Allen Jackson Protect: A Youth Worker's Guide to Risk Published by YM360, 2019

FACULTY NEWS

FACULTY ELECTIONS

Dr. Jamie Dew, President and Professor of Christian Philosophy

Dr. Larry W. Lyon, Vice President of Enrollment and Associate Professor of Ethics

Dr. Karla McGehee, Assistant Professor of Christian Education in Leavell College

Ten Years

Dr. George Ross, Assistant Professor of Church Planting and Evangelism, (Ministry-Based)

Dr. Charles A. Ray III, Assistant Professor of New Testament and Greek

Fifteen Years

FACULTY ANNIVERSARIES

Dr. Greg Woodward, Associate Professor of Conducting and Worship

Twenty Years

Dr. Philip Pinckard, Distinguished Professor of Missions

Dr. Jeff Griffin, Associate Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew

Twenty-Five Years

Dr. Darryl Ferrington, Professor Emeritus of Music Education

Dr. Allen Jackson, Professor of Youth Education (MinistryBased)

Dr. Bob Hall, Professor of Discipleship in Leavell College (Ministry-Based)

Dr. Jeff Nave, Professor of Psychology and Counseling

Thirty-Five Years

Forty Years

Dr. Jimmy Dukes, Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Greek

Dr. Dan Holcomb, Distinguished Professor of Church History

Tenure

FACULTY PROMOTIONS

Dr. Blake Newsom, Associate Professor of Expository Preaching, (Ministry-Based)

Dr. Bo Rice, Associate Professor of Evangelism and Preaching

Dr. Adam Harwood, Professor of Theology

Dr. Kevin Brown, Associate Professor of Church and Community Ministries

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TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH NEW ORLEANS

At MissionLab, we specialize in planning short term mission trips focused on TRA I N I N G , EQ UIP P ING & SENDING .

M I S S I O N L A B. CO M

ALUMNI NEWS

A WORD FROM THE ALUMNI DIRECTOR

by DENNIS PHELPS

ave you ever been part of a “pounding”? I do not mean a meeting that involves destructive behavior. I mean a tradition in which a pastor is welcomed to a congregation with various essential items as gifts to help begin life together with the people and community.

I have been a part of several “poundings.”

Some included food and kitchen items.

Some included basic housekeeping utensils. Another included financial gifts to help purchase basic items needed specifically to help our family get off to a good start.

A “pounding” can be a practical, tangible expression of gracious hospitality. It says “Welcome! We are glad you are here and want to help you be a part of our lives. Thank you for obeying God’s call and coming to serve with us.”

The NOBTS community is often described as “a family.” Whether you are an extension center student, undergraduate student, certificate student, doctoral student, online student, Hispanic, Creole, Korean, African American, international, staff, faculty, student spouse — you are an important member of this family. You may be serving Christ in the Southeast United States, New England, Pacific Northwest, Southwest United States, internationally, through the military, bi-vocationally, or as a volunteer — this family is diverse and worldwide.

And our NOBTS worldwide and diverse family welcomes a new family to our community of servants.

We are grateful to the obedient faith of the Dew family to join us in our divine assignment to pursue the Great Commission and Great Commandments.

Please take the opportunity to meet, hear, and get to know our new president. And let’s observe a unique “pounding” for these new friends. Consider offering these gifts in the months ahead:

LISTEN TO HIS HEART. PRAY FOR HIS FAMILY. EXPRESS YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT. TELL YOUR NOBTS STORY. PARTICIPATE WITH OUR “SCHOOL OF PROVIDENCE AND PRAYER” Dennis Phelps is director of alumni relations and church-minister relations, professor of preaching, occupying the J. D. Grey Chair of Preaching.

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Photo by Boyd Guy.

ALUMNI NEWS

RICE FINDS SOBRIETY, PATH TO MINISTRY

by GARY D. MYERS

he first steps toward addiction seemed harmless to Jason Rice. What started as social drinking with Christian friends soon escalated to a decade-long battle with heroin.

The key step in his recovery and spiritual awakening was a 15-month stay at Bethel Colony South, a Christian residential rehabilitation program in New Orleans.

Bethel Colony South, which maintains a close and mutually beneficial partnership with New Orleans Baptist Theological and Leavell College, helped Rice gain sobriety. Leavell College helped Rice answer a call God had placed on his heart many years earlier.

Rice had entered Samford University to study music after high school, hoping to become a worship leader.

Before long, that calling seemed in doubt. After dabbling with alcohol and becoming addicted, he developed a full-blown heroin addiction that, in Rice’s words, “took everything but his life.” Soon he had quit college, gotten into debt and had frequent run ins with the law.

Ultimately, Rice was arrested 21 times.

During this painful time, Rice developed an unhealthy dating relationship which led to the birth of a daughter.

Even though he was struggling with his addiction, Rice always remained close to his daughter. That relationship motivated him to seek treatment for his addiction.

And from time-to-time, he was able to break free of his addiction — temporarily. But the monster which had overshadowed his life since college was always lurking in the background. Eventually, Rice fell back into his addiction multiple times.

Rice had hit rock bottom again in 2012 when his mother suggested that he try Bethel Colony South’s recovery program. Rice bristled at the thought of another rehab stint. He especially did not want to be a part of a Christian recovery program. Finally, when the physical and emotional pain was about to overwhelm him, Rice relented and checked into Bethel Colony South. The accountability and help Rice received at Bethel Colony South helped him break free of addiction and forgive himself of a decade of failures. Slowly he began to see his faith rekindle.

A key step in his spiritual journey came during the weekly Bethel Bible Study. Each Tuesday and Thursday night during his recovery program, Rice came to the seminary campus with other Bethel residents for a Bible study led by seminary professors. Rice connected with Dr. Jim Parker, Dr. Rex Butler, and others at the Bible study and began to grow in his walk with Christ. Soon that earlier call to ministry didn’t seem so distant.

In 2013, Rice completed the recovery program at Bethel Colony South. Parker had seen great potential in Rice at the Bible study and he encouraged Rice to attend Leavell College. Rice credits God for clearing all the obstacles for him to enter Leavell College. The largest obstacle was the need to repay a large debt he owed at Samford. Once accepted to Leavell College, his desire to serve got even stronger.

Soon Rice was playing guitar during worship services at Williams Boulevard Baptist Church in Kenner, La. Later, he was asked to serve as a worship assistant. God also blessed Rice with a dating relationship. After a year of dating, Rice and his wife, Dakota, were married.

Most Christians believe that God has the transformative power to rescue any people, even from the darkest of circumstances. Rarely do they get to see the full power of God’s redemption. In Rice’s case, God took him from his lowest point and restored him to usefulness.

After graduating from Leavell College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music, Rice was called to serve as the worship pastor at Bellview Baptist Church in McCalla, Ala. In addition to his ministry at the church, Rice helps other recovering addicts with his Soberholic Podcast (soberholicpodcast.com). Rice also has been able to spend more time with his daughter and teach her what it means to truly follow Christ. In September of 2018, Rice experienced the joy of baptizing his daughter following her profession of faith.

One of the most exciting aspects of Rice’s story of redemption and recovery happened at Samford University. In 2018, Rice was asked to serve as an adjunct instructor of guitar at Samford. Through God’s grace, Rice’s journey has come full circle.

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CLASS NOTES

Vision Magazine Fall 2019

ALUMNI NEWS

Charles A. Fowler (M.C.M. ’88) has been elected president of Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City, Tenn.

Fowler came to the presidency from his nineyear tenure as senior pastor of Germantown Baptist Church in the Memphis area. Other previous roles include his 15-year service at various academic and administrative roles at Union University, including Vice President for Enrollment Management, Vice President for Development, and founding Executive Director of the Union University Foundation and Director of the R. G. Lee Center.

In other roles, Fowler has served as a trustee for the International Mission Board, Union University, and Blue Mountain College, and has served on the Leadership Council for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.

Scott Sullivan (M.A.C.E. ’00, D.Ed.Min. ’15) has joined Georgia Baptists as Discipleship Catalyst. Sullivan comes to the position from his role as equipping pastor at First Baptist Church in Haughton, La. While at his church position, Sullivan served as a discipleship consultant for the Louisiana Baptist Convention and adjunct teacher for NOBTS. He is currently president-elect of the Baptist Association of Christian Educators (BACE) and is a contributor to the book Together We Equip: Integrating Discipleship and Ministry Leadership for Holistic Spiritual Formation by NOBTS professors Jody Dean and Hal Stewart.

OBITUARIES 1940S DIER, PATRICIA (ATTENDED ’49) HARRIS, NORMA (DIPM ’49) MEADE, CHRISTINE “CHRIS” (ATTENDED ’47) PEMBLE, MARGARET (ATTENDED ’48)

Morris Murray Jr. (M.Div. ’77) recently made his 26 commentaries, Bible study guides, and articles available for free download at Google’s Internet Archive. On Google, go to Community Texts: Internet Archive, and search for Dr. Morris Murray Jr. Dr. Murray has 40 years of pastoral experience.

1950S ALLISON, BEVERLY “GRAY” (BDIV ’52, THD ’54) BAKER, ILA “SUSAN” (MSM ’57) BOWMAN, BETTY (BRE ’57) CASADAY, JAMES “WILLIAM” (BDIV ’59) COLE, EUGENE (MRE ’57) COVINGTON, ROBERT “BOB” (THD ’56)

Carl Duck (B.Div. ’52) and his wife Bonnie celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Aug. 28.

CROSBY, ELMER “E.L.” (MRE ’51, MCM ’57) DELAGE, JOSEPH (MSM ’57) EDWARDS, CHARLES (ATTENDED ’58) GLAZE, GRACE (ATTENDED ’58)

Gary D. Myers, (M.Div. ’03, M.A. ’18) Vision editor and the director of the Office of Communications, received a writing award during the 2019 Baptist Communicators Association Wilmer C. Fields Awards Competition. The article, “Death and Life of an Image-Bearer” garnered second place in the Feature Writing Division, Blog, Single Entry.

HALE, BROADUS (BDIV ’57, THD ’63) HENDRICKS, GEORGE (ATTENDED ’55 ) HODGES, MAURICE (BDIV ’56, MRE ’62) HUTCHENS, EUGENE (BDIV ’56) ICHTER, WILLIAM “BILL” (MSM ’55) JOHNSON, DANIEL “DAN” (MSM ’59) JOHNSON, JAMES “PHIL” (ATTENDED ’51) JORDAN, MARY “JUNE” (MRE ’58)

ALUMNI NEWS LAMB, MORGAN (THB ’59)

LITES, NANNETTE (ATTENDED ’69)

IRONS, WILLIAM “RANDY” (MDIV ’94)

LANDRY, LORRAINE (MRE ’55)

LYON, HENRY (BDIV ’60)

KOOKER, PATRICIA (ATTENDED ’92)

LESLIE, ARTHUR “ART” (BDIV ’52)

MAY, JOHN “JACK” (BDIV ’64)

MELON, JEANNE (ATTENDED ’94)

LINGLE, ROBERT (BDIV ’58)

ONLEY, ERNEST “ED” (MRE ’69)

OWENS, HERBERT “BUDDY” (MDIV ’91)

LOVAN, NADINE (MRE ’56)

OWENS, JOE (MRE ’60)

SHANNON, DON (DMIN ’97)

MCDOWELL, DONALD (ATTENDED ’55)

OZMENT, MARTHA (ATTENDED ’67)

SHOEMAKER, DAVID “EDDY” (MDIV ’96)

MCTEER, VIRGINIA (DPRE ’57)

PARISH, WILLIAM “ELWOOD” (BCM ’61)

WATSON, WALTER (ADPM ’93)

MILES, GOOLENE (BRE ’56)

PARTRICH, DOUGLAS (BDIV ’66, MRE ’67)

WAY, WENDELL (ADPM ’90)

MYERS, ERNEST “ERNIE” (ATTENDED ’52)

RAWLES, WARREN (MRE ’68, EDS ’69, EDD ’70)

WINN, EMORY “ALLEN” (BA ’95, MDIV ’98)

NELSON, JOYCE (CCT ’51)

ROBERTS, HOLLIS (DPCH ’66)

NICHOLAS, ANNE (MRE ’51)

ROGERS, SAMUEL “KIRBY” (MCM ’64)

2000S

NORTHCUTT, MILDRED (DPRE ’57)

SANDERS, JOHN “BILLY” (ATTENDED ’61)

BRALEY, ROY “STAN” (MDIV ’00)

OWENS, CHARLIE (BDIV ’59)

SNIDER, WILLIAM (BDIV ’60)

DEAN, PHILLIP (ATTENDED ’09)

POSS, RANDLE (ATTENDED ’58)

WALKER, JAMES (MCM ’62)

DUFOUR, STEPHEN (BACM ’09)

RAY, HAROLD (BDIV ’59)

WARREN, MURRAY (EDS ’68, EDD ’68)

JENSON, DAVID (MDIVCE ’01)

RICHARDSON, DAVID (BDIV ’57)

WEBB, JERRY (MCM ’66)

MOREIRA, SARA (CPM ’09)

RITCHEY, JAMES “HAROLD” (BDIV ’51)

WHATLEY, FLOYD (BDIV ’62)

RIZZUTTO, JUANITA “NITA” (ATTENDED ’04)

ROOKS, ROBERT “BOB” (BDIV ’59)

WILSEY, EVERETT “ED” (MRE ’66)

STOVALL, JOE (THM ’54, DMIN ’75)

WINBERRY, CARLTON (THMH ’68, THD ’73)

2010S BURTON, JAMES “JIM” (DMIN ’13)

TRAWICK, MILTON (BDIV ’59) VERNER, MARJORIE (BRE ’56)

1970S

JACKSON, WILLIAM “BUBBA” (MACA ’18)

VERNER, WALTER “GENE” (BDIV ’55, MRE ’56, EDD

ARMOLD, JACK “DAVID” (MDIV ’74)

ODOM, LARRY (CPM ’13)

’79)

BENTLEY, DAVID (DMIN ’77)

WALKER, ERNEST (BDIV ’55)

FOSTER, VIRGINIA (ATTENDED ’77)

WALKER, MARY “PAULINE” (BRE ’55)

JENNINGS, WILLIAM “BILL” (MDIV ’77)

WALLACE, BOBBYE (ATTENDED ’54)

LUCAS, LOUIS (MRE ’76)

WALLACE, WILLIAM (BDIV ’59)

MCARN, CARL (THM ’73) PULSIFER, ERLAND (MRE ’72)

1960S

SHAFFER, ROBERT (MDIV ’73)

BARNES, CHARLES (BDIV ’61)

WAGONER, JOHN (DPCH ’70)

BASS, WILLIAM (BDIV ’61)

WILKS, THOMAS (THMH ’71)

BIRDLEBOUGH, ELIZABETH (MRE ’62) BOLLICH, ROBERT “BOB” (BDIV ’63)

1980S

BOULDIN, DONALD “DON” (BDIV ’64)

ALFORD, JAMES “JIM” (MDIV ’84, DMIN ’92)

BRITT, ROBERT (BDIV ’61)

CARTER, JAMES (MDIV ’81)

BURLESON, JOHN (THB ’60)

CLEVELAND, JOHN (MRE ’87)

COLE, THOMAS “TOM” (THMH ’68)

HICKS, MARTHA (MCM ’82, DMA ’91)

DAVIS, CHARLES “JOE” (THM ’69)

KIHNEL, CARL (ADPM ’83)

DOWDLE, THAD (BDIV ’63, THD ’71)

LEVI, DAVID (MDIV ’82)

GILLESPIE, PAUL (BDIV ’60, THD ’65)

MILLER, ARCHIE “RANDY” (MCM ’81)

HALL, ALVIN (MRE ’62)

NICHOLS, JAMES (MDIV ’83, DMIN ’87)

HERRING, FRED (ATTENDED ’68)

ROGERS, DANNY (MDIV ’84, MRE ’86)

HERROD, RONALD “RON” (THM ’68)

STRANGE, MAXIE (ATTENDED ’88)

ADRIAN CHRISTOPHER FRAZIER (MDIV ’14)

HILL, BENJAMIN (MRE ’67)

THAMES, JOHN (THD ’81)

PASSED AWAY SEPT. 20, 2019 AT AGE 36

HOBBS, WAYNE (MCM ’62)

THRASH, JIM (MDIV ’80)

FOLLOWING A COURAGEOUS BATTLE WITH CANCER. HE WAS A NOBTS STAFF MEMBER AND

JONES, ERON “MAX” (ATTENDED ’63) KIMBRIL, TRAVIS (THM ’69)

1990S

A DEACON AND LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBER AT

KINGRY, JAMES (BDIV ’61)

ALBUS, PHILIP (ATTENDED ’97)

NEW ORLEANS’ EDGEWATER BAPTIST CHURCH. HE

KNIGHT, GEORGE (BDIV ’63)

BRUNETTI, MARION “LEE” (ATTENDED ’97)

IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE LEAH BALLARD FRAZIER

LANGLOIS, JOHN (BDIV ’64, THD ’72)

BUNN, KERRY (MDIV ’94)

(MDIV ’14). THE PHOTO ABOVE WAS TAKEN

LATHAM, JAMES “BILL” (BDIV ’65)

COLLIER, MICHAEL (MDIV ’91)

DURING A MISSION TRIP TO CANADA. WE WILL

LEA, ILEY (ATTENDED ’62)

COX, JIMMY (MDIV ’94)

MISS HIS CONTAGIOUS SMILE, SERVANT ATTITUDE,

LEACHMAN, EVELYN (MRE ’65)

DEES, MARION “BUBBA” (ATTENDED ’94)

AND LOVE FOR THE CHURCH.

LEE, ROBERT (MRE ’60)

GUESS, JERRY (ADPM ’92)

LEVENS, ERLE (ATTENDED ’68)

HENSLEY, JACKIE (BGS ’94)

VISION MAGAZINE Fall 2019

34

Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID Permit No. 100 New Orleans, LA

3939 Gentilly Blvd • New Orleans, LA 70126

An Apologetics Conference Hosted by NOBTS

With Special Guest

Jamie K. Dew

DEFEND THE FAITH

NOBTS President

January 6-10, 2020 New Orleans, LA http://nobtsapologetics.com/defend/ Live video chat with:

Craig Hazen

Tim McGrew

Lisa Fields

Richard Howe

Frank Turek

James Walker

Douglas Groothuis

Gary Habermas

Alister McGrath

John Lennox