Beauty moves the human heart and makes it ache with joy, yet leaves it yearning for more, for something beyond this world. It is but a glimpse into what it means to be MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE
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NEW ORLEANS BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AND LEAVELL COLLEGE EXIST TO PREPARE SERVANTS TO WALK WITH CHRIST, PROCLAIM HIS TRUTH, AND FULFILL HIS MISSION.
Serving others often catches people by surprise. This is especially true if the person serving others is someone you would not expect to see taking on that role, like celebrities or royalty.
Throughout the pages of the Old Testament, there is a picture, a hope that one day a King would come. The New Testament shows us that God stayed true to His promise and that Christ is that King. Yet, we are struck by how different Jesus is from what we expected Him to be. Even John the Baptist, as he languished in prison, gave in to discouragement and sent word to Jesus asking, “Are you the one …?” (Matthew 11:3)
The answer Jesus sent back was clear—Tell John the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the dead are raised. This kind of evidence should convince anyone and yet many did not see Jesus as the King that He is. Why? How can that be?
The answer is that Jesus came in humility and served others, certainly not what you would expect from royalty.
Matthew records that Jesus called His disciples to deny themselves, take up their cross, lose their lives and follow Him. In other words, serve others. You and I also, along with all those who have gone before us, are called to lay down our lives for others. This is the task and calling Jesus has placed on our lives, to take up the towel and basin in service to others.
This may feel uncomfortable at first unless we realize that those whom we serve are our equals as fellow image-bearers of God. The reason we can go into the dark places and do hard things and take the gospel to hurting people is because they too bear His image. Each is loved as Christ has loved us. We are called to love Jesus with everything we have, to trust our Father enough to lose our lives for Christ, to go out and proclaim Him to a lost, broken, and thirsty people. And when we do, as Matthew also tells us (16:25), we will find life—true, meaningful, and abundant life.
Dr. Jamie Dew PresidentNew Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College
It matters and it works—why bi-vocational ministry blends well with the seminary classroom.
Student-initiated gospel conversations reach 75K and see thousands of lives changed as Caskey marks 10th anniversary.
One professor’s investment helped build a surprising and far-reaching ‘ministry tree’ that touches generations.
Theologians debate how to define it, but one thing is clear: the imago Dei is beautiful, mysterious, and revealing.
Local pastor Chad Gilbert shares what happens when a church’s heart for missions becomes a commitment to pray.
This edition of the Vision magazine is dedicated to Marilyn Stewart for her longstanding work in the Communications office at NOBTS and Leavell College. We are grateful for how she has made the work of this institution come alive with her words. Marilyn is a dedicated professional, a prolific writer, and a wonderful friend. We wish her well in retirement.
-The Staff of the Office of Communications
SPRING 2024
Volume 80
DR. JAMIE DEW
President
DR. LARRY W. LYON
Vice President for Business Administration
DR. MIKE WETZEL
Vice President for Institutional Advancement
CHRISTIAN TOWNSON Director of Alumni Engagement
JOSEPH DUKE Director of Communications
MARILYN STEWART
Editor
MADELYNN DUKE
Art Director and Photographer
GARY D. MYERS
Contributing Writer
MEREDITH SASSARD
Additional Photography
VISION MAGAZINE
is published once a year by New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College.
3939 Gentilly Blvd.
New Orleans, LA 70126 (800) 662-8701 | (504) 282-4455 contact@nobts.edu www.nobts.edu | www.leavellcollege.com
All contents © 2024 New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. All rights reserved.
Please send address changes and alumni updates to the office of Alumni Engagement at alumni@nobts.edu. 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.
On the cover: Photo Illustration by Madelynn Duke. Used with permission from Holy Ghost Catholic Church, Hammond, Louisiana.
Beauty moves us to think about God. C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
The Psalmist wrote, “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” [Psalms 27:6]
disclaimer as you read: I too am a bi-vocational minister. Though I am Vice President of Spiritual Formation and Student Life here at NOBTS and Leavell College, I also serve as the senior pastor of Metairie Baptist Church, a local church. I have done so now for 18 years at the church and 30 years at the seminary. Both through ministry at the seminary and through being a bi-vocational minister, I have faced the challenges of bivocational ministry and have embraced the opportunities of helping those who are bi-vocational and lay leaders.
Some may ask, “Why should I seek a theological education?” After all, life is busy, resources are more accessible now than ever, education can be costly, and a myriad of other reasons for not seeking further theological education come to mind. This question becomes even more pressing when the person asking the question is a bi-vocational minister or lay leader. Time and energy are already strained, and without a good reason few individuals would seek to add more to an already crowded calendar.
Why seek theological education as a bi-vocational minister or lay leader? The reasons, which are many, provide encouragement both for the pursuit of theological education and for adding one more thing to an already busy life.
The most basic reason is simply for the purpose of gaining further education. Remember that education is much more than just acquiring a degree, passing a class, or reading a book. True education deals with expanding your knowledge and with thinking critically through what you believe, why you believe, and considering what others believe. It helps with the challenge of being aware of current thoughts and trends, and how to evaluate those. With the proliferation of so much information these days, one needs to investigate and evaluate on a regular basis what is being touted as “true.” Of course, as we seek to fulfill our calling this includes continually thinking through the matters related to scripture and theology.
Walking with Christ and fulfilling His calling upon our lives is a journey. Included in that journey is the continual sharpening of our understanding of His Word and the ministry to which He has called us. Knowledge is valuable and the continual refining of our process of critically thinking through matters is key.
Another reason for pursuing theological education is the emphasis upon the practical application of what one learns that aids in one’s current ministry context. NOBTS and Leavell College have a long tradition of equipping and encouraging those in bi-vocational ministries and do so through classes aimed at the bi-vocational minister and by hosting conferences which are meant to encourage and to equip.
A trend in theological education is the inclusion of mentoring classes which provide directed study in one’s current ministry context which leads to academic credit. Through the interaction with faculty members and local mentors, each person gains information regarding the subject, practical help for the application, and a mentor to encourage and guide. All this happens in the context of one’s present local ministry context.
Theological education not only provides the opportunity to expand one’s knowledge, but it also provides the structured discipline to that exploration. In a busy bi-vocational life, schedules are often driven by the tyranny of the urgent. A disciplined approach to education provides a framework for life which prevents the “I’ll get around to” attitude which seldom renders that which is of benefit. Any person involved in an educational pursuit discovers the importance of discipline. This discovery then shapes life and that becomes an unexpected blessing of the pursuit.
An often-overlooked aspect of theological education that is impacting both the present and future ministry is the development of a ministry network of colleagues who share common callings and common ministry experiences. We
constantly hear of the loneliness of those in ministry and of the isolation factor that many feel. Ministry isolation is a reality of most and without being addressed will often lead to one’s frustration in ministry.
In the classroom, working alongside those who are experiencing life as you are experiencing it becomes an engaging moment where deep relationships are formed. Those relationships then become a great source of encouragement for the completion of the course and the degree. Even more so, those relationships solidify partnerships for your lifetime of ministry. While pursuing my formal theological education, I developed friendships with other ministers that now spans over 40 years of ministry. These are the men whom I pray for daily and whom I know are praying for me.
A unique network that is developed as well is the bond between the faculty who will be teaching and the students. These relationships do not end when the student completes a course or a degree. Personally, after teaching for 30 years, I am constantly in contact with former students who are reaching out for encouragement, prayer, and information – and I along with our faculty are excited to provide that support. That is the calling of a theological faculty such as ours.
In a theological education environment, you will also be encouraged “to walk with Christ.” Through the matters being studied to the testimonies of faculty and staff, you will discover that theological education can be and should be an encouragement in your daily walk. You will be challenged to walk closer to Christ as one realizes that theological education without a personal walk with Christ is not of great value.
Theological education can be life changing for those in bivocational or lay ministry. The continual process of “iron sharpening iron” takes place as faculty and students help one another walk closely with Christ and serve effectively in a local context, all while receiving a theological education.
**Adapted with permission from the 2024 Logos Seminary Guide, “Four Reasons Why Bi-Vocational Ministers Need Theological Education,” by Thomas Strong.
LUTER STUDENT CENTER DEDICATION
JUNE 14, 2023
ABRE MIS OJOS CONFERENCE SEPTEMBER 15-16, 2023
FALL TRUSTEE MEETING OCTOBER 10-11, 2023
FALL CONVOCATION
AUGUST 15, 2023
LANDRUM LEAVELL DINING HALL DEDICATION
AUGUST 15, 2023
DEFEND APOLOGETICS CONFERENCE
JANUARY 2-5, 2024
FALL 2023 GRADUATION
DECEMBER 8, 2023
SPRING CONVOCATION
JANUARY 16, 2024
ABIDE WOMEN’S CONFERENCE
FEBRUARY 23-24, 2024
SPRING TRUSTEE MEETINGS
APRIL 16-17, 2024
onna Peavey, Professor of Children’s Ministry, realized in a moment what her two decades of teaching, mentoring students, and working alongside students in ministry really meant.
As Peavey looked around the room at a conference in Nashville earlier this year and saw more than a dozen former students—many who are producing the children’s curriculum for Lifeway and leading the denomination in children’s ministry—she knew this was her legacy. They were her “ministry tree,” branching upward and outward, and bearing fruit for Christ.
“We all have these moments where you wonder, ‘Am I doing anything important?’” Peavey said. “Seeing all these alums at the conference was an overwhelming moment for me when I realized this is my ‘ministry tree.’”
When Peavey thinks of former and current students writing and editing for Lifeway’s children materials, and those serving in children’s ministry nationwide, the list grows long.
Like a family tree branching out, the church’s children’s ministry is the starting point of an impact that changes lives and reaches into future generations. The breadth of that influence can be surprisingly profound.
Here, three who have benefitted from Dr. Peavey’s investment share the work they do and show why children’s ministry may be the church’s most important ministry.
TODD CAPPS (CURRENT Ed.D. STUDENT)
Children’s ministry has the power to change the trajectory of a child’s life, said Todd Capps, NOBTS doctoral student and former Lifeway children’s editor. Capps noted research that finds that 70 percent of a child’s theology is developed before the age of 13.
“Then that ought to be where we put the majority of our resources,” Capps said. “Children’s ministry should be the best ministry a church provides.”
Capps told of Daniel, a third grader, who “appeared” at church one Wednesday for the children’s activities, but proved difficult to manage. The children’s workers soon realized that Daniel was being “dropped off” in the parking lot by himself.
When Daniel’s behavior worsened, Capps knew it was time to visit in the home. What Capps discovered moved him to tears. Poverty and negligent parents had robbed Daniel’s home of love and security.
As Capps’ children’s ministry team led the church to provide for the family’s needs, Daniel’s demeanor changed dramatically. Capps said his team no longer dreaded Daniel’s arrival at church, but instead were delighted to see him. “God did not change the home life, but I do believe the impact of the church reaching out to him and sharing resources had an impact on his life,” Capps said.
A children’s ministry that “babysits” or leans on video-driven curriculum and entertainment misses the mark, Capps said. Children need leaders who have “a robust Christian faith and worldview” and who “live out what they believe” by investing personally in children’s lives, Capps said.
Modeling Christ before children can change a child’s life, but the impact an effective children’s ministry can make does not stop there.
FAYE SCOTT (Ed.D. ‘19)
Faye Scott, a retired children’s minister and current Lifeway editor, recalled her time at a north Louisiana church with a strong ministry to military wives. With their husbands deployed and family often many miles away, the women longed for relationships.
“Every week they came,” Scott said. “They needed help in parenting. They came searching.”
When tragedy struck one home with the death of the twoyear-old son, the preschool ministry and church showered the family with love and walked beside them in their grief, Scott related. “The church loved on that family,” Scott said. “The family became believers and it happened through children’s ministry.”
Encouraging parents and equipping them to disciple their children touches future homes for the gospel.
Though young adults may drift from church, Scott has seen them time and again return when they have children of their own.
“Parenting is a huge task. They begin to say, ‘I need the Lord to show me what to do,’” Scott said. “They want their children to be raised the way they were raised. They want them to learn the things of God.”
Watching the children she once nurtured at church now with children of their own, Scott sees the fruit of children’s ministry. She thrills to see them “raising their children in the Lord” and notes that reading the Bible with children and teaching them scripture is crucial for anchoring faith.
“The earlier that we can begin to immerse them in God’s Word, the deeper their commitment will be and the better their understanding and development of their worldview will be,” Scott said.
Children’s ministry reaches into homes to meet parents’ spiritual needs today while helping lay the foundation for future homes grounded in biblical faith.
RACHEL RIQUELME (M.A. ’22; CURRENT Ed.D. STUDENT)
Children’s ministry can shape a child’s worldview, that important and foundational set of beliefs from which a person interprets experiences and understands the world, said Rachel Riquelme, Preschool Content Editor for Lifeway’s publication Hyfi.
Young children, even preschoolers, form impressions that are crucial to that child’s sense of identity and value, and understanding of who God is, Riquelme said. Building a biblical worldview to last a lifetime must begin early.
“They are soaking in everything they see and hear about the world because it’s going to be their foundation for everything,” Riquelme said. “They are sponges.”
Children today who experienced the isolation of COVID-19 are longing to understand what it means to belong, Riquelme said. The love and care they receive at church can help children form a biblical answer to the most basic worldview question, Who am I? Riquelme explained.
“They are learning to make the connection of ‘I am known, I am secure, I am loved, and I am those things because of who God is,’” Riquelme said.
Drawing from Lifeway’s book FLIP the Script: Disrupting Tradition for the Sake of the Next Generation, Riquelme said relationships with “friends, leaders, influencers, and pastors” the acronym “FLIP” can reinforce the truth of who God is and His purpose for every child.
“What an opportunity for the church to be the filter through which they observe the world,” Riquelme said. “Why not embrace our role as the church to help them understand that they’re made by God, that they’re designed for a purpose, and that they are known by God?”
Changing children’s lives today, building a faith and worldview to last a lifetime, reaching parents with the gospel and setting the stage for faith in the next generation—that is a ministry with far-reaching impact. That is children’s ministry.
Humans are drawn to beauty. We feel compelled to create. When we create objects of beauty, we reflect the God who spoke the world into existence and set the universe, with all its majesty and beauty, into place.
These creations in art, photography, and word by NOBTS and Leavell College students, staff, and spouses highlight our unique relationship with the Creator God.
Rachel Reeves Magnolia, 2021 Watercolor on Paper
Rachel Reeves St. Louis Cathedral at Sunset, 2022 Watercolor on Paper
Allison Daw Gardenia 289, 2020 Mixed Media
Erin Chandler
NEW ORLEANS HAS A BEAUTY OF ITS OWN. AS WE EXPERIENCE THE BEAUTY AROUND US HERE, WE ARE DRAWN TO THE CREATOR WHOSE WORKS REFLECT HIS HEART AND HIS HAND.
Abby Wilson
The Cresent City Connection, 2024
Photography
Zach Cowart
Light Shining in the Darkness, 2023
Photography
Savanah Phillips
Alligator Tears, 2024
Linoleum Block Print
Devotion, truth, and mission are the three values of the House System. One strength of the House community is its ability to get students off campus and in the city of New Orleans with a missional focus. Each House is student-led, so when a House goes into the city, it’s the students of Leavell College on mission together. From planned evangelism groups and prayer walks to frequenting the sights of the city, our students are mission-minded and live their lives with intention, wherever they go.
For example, some of our students love to play basketball. While we have a gym on campus they use often, there is an intentional effort to consistently play off campus in order to engage with others who do not know Jesus. Other students love the different coffee shops the city has to offer. While we have one on campus they often visit before class, there is an intentional effort to frequent ones off campus with the hopes of building relationships with the lost. From times like these, I have heard numerous stories of our students sharing the gospel, building friendships, starting Bible studies, and more. This is not something I could ever manufacture. This is simply the students God is calling to Leavell College taking seriously the command to GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES!
- Rebekah Callahan Assistant Dean of Students for Student Life
Leavell College prepares servants to walk with Christ, proclaim His truth, and fulfill His mission. We believe that servanthood, devotion, proclamation, and mission should
Contend, the annual apologetics event for high school students at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College, gathered almost 300 students from 23 different churches for a oneday conference discussing apologetic issues impacting culture today.
This year’s Contend, April 27, 2024, marked its second year.
Jamie Dew, president of NOBTS and Leavell College, spoke to the importance of teaching apologetics to the next generation.
“Training students to think apologetically has always been important, but it’s especially important now because in our broader cultural landscape, every problem we face, every fight, is an ideological fight,” Dew said. “Culturally speaking, we’re in a different moment than we were even 15-20 years ago. Christianity is under attack very directly. It’s no longer subtle. It’s no longer implied. Our culture largely today sees our faith as evil or problematic. Even in middle school and high school, [students] are already facing this. If that’s the climate we’re in today, then it’s more important than ever before that we train people apologetically.”
More than 4,000 friends and dignitaries gathered in front of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College June 14, 2023 to celebrate the dedication of the Fred Luter Jr. Student Center and the presentation of a state resolution and local proclamations honoring “the pastor of New Orleans.”
Jamie Dew, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College president, turned to Luter during the ceremony and asked him to notice the large crowd gathered.
“Do you see them?” Dew asked. “Do you see the people you’ve had an impact on? Do you see the people throughout our convention that you have had an impact on?
“You have been faithful. You have been diligent. You have labored hard and God, through your humble obedience to Jesus Christ, has used you profoundly,” Dew continued. “We celebrate you tonight, my friend.”
Tony Evans, LifeWay author, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship and president of the Urban Alternative, sent his video congratulations to his “good friend” and praised Luter for his impact and investment in the SBC.
“Most important of all is your commitment to our great God and His word, your faithful proclamation and dedication and illustration of kingdom commitment,” Evans said. “I am proud to be your friend. I am proud as an African American to join you in this first-in-a-lifetime opportunity and recognition. I hope generations to come will come to know and appreciate the life and legacy of Pastor Fred Luter.”
The Fred Luter Jr. Student Center houses NOBTS and Leavell College offices, classrooms, student study carrels, the North American Mission Board Church Planting Center, and the Global Mission Center in partnership with the International Mission Board. The building faces the busy Gentilly Blvd. that runs in front of the seminary.
Elizabeth Luter, wife of Fred Luter Jr., was honored in a surprise announcement that drew shouts and cheering from the crowd. Dew announced that the newly renovated student study carrels inside the Fred Luter Jr. Student Center were named in her honor.
SBC leaders present for the event included Bart Barber, Southern Baptist Convention president; Paul Chitwood, IMB president; Jason Allen, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary president; Jonathan Howe, vice president for communications, SBC Executive committee; Ben Mandrell, Lifeway president and CEO; former SBC presidents Ed Litton and Jim Henry, and numerous executive committee members and NOBTS trustees, and others.
Dew recognized the many politicians and city dignitaries in the crowd and welcomed them to speak.
State Senator Joseph Bouie Jr. announced Senate Resolution No. 167 that commended Luter for being “an exemplary leader, devoted servant, and unwavering advocate for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell noted the importance of the faith community to the city and praised Luter for his legacy.
Dew recounted that as a new Christian he listened to Luter’s sermons on cassette tape and admired him as a “hero of the faith.” Dew said his admiration for Luter did not change after meeting Luter four years ago when he came to NOBTS as president.
“Southern Baptists, I know you know him. I know you love him. I know that you esteem him,” Dew said. “But I can tell you having lived four years in this city and seeing the impact ... God has made through him, that this man is exactly who we always thought he was.”
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO OF THE EVENT BY SCANNING THE QR CODE.
Alex Wendel, LPC [Ph.D. ‘24] was elected Assistant Professor of Counseling in the Spring 2024 trustee meeting. He will continue in his position as Director of Clinical Training for the NOBTS Counseling Division. Wendel holds the M.A. in Counseling with a Specialization in Clinical Mental Health, the M.A. in Apologetics, and the Th.M. from NOBTS. Wendel’s submitted paper to the 2023 L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture paper competition, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, in conjunction with the Exploring Personhood: Human Formation conference, garnered third place.
Professor of Church History and Patristics, John T. Westbrook Chair of Church History, serving since 2007.
Dr. Butler’s numerous writings and academic presentations focused on the Christian scholars and leaders of the Early Church including Christian martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas. Outside the classroom, Dr. Butler devoted much time teaching and serving others through the Leavell College certificate program.
Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Theology, Greer-Heard Chair of Faith and Culture, serving since 1998.
Dr. Stewart directed the Greer-Heard PointCounterpoint Forum, hosting 14 events, and the NOBTS Apologetics program with the Defend Apologetics Conference since 2008. Dr. Stewart is the author or editor of 14 books. During his tenure, he served as pastor or interim pastor to several local churches.
Professor of Discipleship and Ministry Leadership, serving since 2000.
Dr. Sherrer’s expertise from the classroom was tested in the real-life classroom of the local church where he served various churches as pastor or in educational and administrative positions, as well as in associational, state, and denominational positions during his tenure.
Professor of Christian Education, John T. Sisemore Chair of Christian Education, serving since 2011.
Dr. Stone directed the Doctor of Educational Ministries and the Doctor of Education programs for NOBTS. Along with his years of academic instruction and leadership, Dr. Stone has four decades of local church ministry experience.
Natural Theology: Five Views
By James K. Dew Jr. and Ronnie P. Campbell Jr.Critical thinking and respectful dialogue in this volume give a balanced understanding to the much-debated topic of Natural Theology. Contributors include John C. McDowell, Alister E. McGrath, Paul K. Moser, Fr. Andrew Pinsent, and Charles Taliaferro.
The Apocalypse of John Among Its Critics: Questions & Controversies
ByAlan S. Bandy and Alexander E. Stewart
Engaging with the Revelation of John has long confused its readers, often raising hard questions. But the Revelation contains words of life and here readers will find right responses to honest questions.
Local Focus, Global Impact: Biblical Principles for Effective Church Life
By Lloyd HarschMinisters and academicians from around the world identify principles in this volume that produce healthy and effective church life and transcend diverse backgrounds and widelyvaried contexts.
Hebrew Grammar: Implicit Learning by Elaborative Encoding
By Jeff Griffin and Mario MelendezUsing the Hamiltonian reading method and the implicit learning approach of Elaborative Rehearsal, this volume allows students to become Hebrew readers quickly, as well as confident and lifelong readers.
Managing the Ministry: A Practical Guide to Church Administration
By Jody DeanMinistry requires management and this book provides pastors and church leaders an up-to-date and accessible guide to church operations from property management to personal development.
The “Abre Mis Ojos” conference, Spanish for “open my eyes,” yielded salvations as more than 800 guests from the Hispanic community gathered at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary for the second annual event, September 15-16, 2023.
The conference was developed as an intentional way for NOBTS to engage the Hispanic community.
“I love hearing you sing, and while I may not understand your words, I hear your heart,” said Jamie Dew, president, as he welcomed attendees on the first evening of the conference. “I’m reminded that our God is the same God, our savior is the same savior, and our mission is the same mission.”
NOBTS partnered with the New Orleans Baptist Association (NOBA) and the North American Mission Board (NAMB) as hosts of the conference to strengthen and encourage Hispanic pastors and their churches. Bill Warren, NOBTS Professor of New Testament and Greek, and Julio Arriola, Director of Send Network for the Southern Baptist of Texas Convention, were the plenary speakers.
The conference theme was “Christianity and Gender Identity,” which included discussions such as “Following Christ in a Sexualized (or hypersexualized) Culture” and “The Authority of the Bible for Culture.”
Warren said the Bible is our “sure guide” for the cultural issues of today.
“We are called to be holy, which means living morally upright lives,” said Warren. “We need to remember that while Christianity is about more than morality, it’s never about less.”
Arriola ended the last plenary session with a call to faith which saw at least half of dozen attendees make professions of faith.
“I was able to share the gospel at the end,” Arriola said. “Several people came to Christ, and there was a great response when the altar call was offered, packing the altar with people needing prayer and reconsecrating to the Lord.”
Fabio Castellanos, NOBTS Director of Spanish Online Education and conference host, hopes the reputation of the conference increases and becomes a staple event for Hispanic communities.
“My prayer and desire are that Abre Mis Ojos matures and grows to be an annual meeting not to be missed for the Hispanic community in the southern United States, where both children and adults find an intense and refreshing strengthening of their faith.”
SCAN THE QR CODES TO LISTEN TO WHAT OUR FACULTY HAS TO SAY IN CHAPEL
The Board of Trustees in the regularly scheduled April meeting commended Dr. Rice as he transitions to First Baptist Church, Brandon, Mississippi, as senior pastor. The commendation praised Rice for his faithful service to NOBTS and for his mentoring of “countless men in their preparation for service as pastors in the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention.” Rice has served on faculty since 2015.
Editor: Tommy Doughty, Assistant Professor of Theology and Worldview
The Journal for Baptist Theology & Ministry is a resource for academics and professionals engaging contemporary conceptual and practical issues. The Journal explores a broad array of theological studies, including biblical interpretation, systematic theology, church history, and ministry leadership. Scan the QR code to subscribe.
Finding joy in the busyness of life or when trials come is a challenge every believer will face. Tara Dew, wife of President Jamie Dew, adjunct professor, and Director of Thrive, the NOBTS and Leavell College ministry wives certificate program, draws from John 15 to speak to this in her first book, “Overflowing Joy: What Jesus Says About a Joy-Filled Life.”
Scan the QR code to read some of Tara’s thoughts reflected in the book.
NOBTS JIM HENRY INSTITUTE ‘PREPARE HERE’ CONFERENCE CALLS FOR ‘SERVANT LEADERSHIP IN UNCERTAIN TIMES’
“Servant Leadership in Uncertain Times,” the theme of the Prepare Here Conference, Oct. 12-13, 2023, hosted by the Jim Henry Leadership Institute of NOBTS and Leavell College, spoke to the challenging times pastors face today.
Featured speakers were Steve Gaines, senior pastor, Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis; Robby Gallaty, senior pastor, Long Hollow Church, Hendersonville, Tennessee; and Jamie Dew, NOBTS president.
Jim Henry, 86, noted the importance of leadership in today’s culture.
“It’s a great opportunity for the gospel but it is a difficult time,” Henry said. “I’ve been in this over 60 years and it’s probably the most challenging time to minister in my lifetime. But it’s also the best time for the light to shine. The darkness is getting darker but the light can shine brighter.”
The Jim Henry Leadership Institute (JHLI) was established in 2022 in recognition of Henry’s long tenure in ministry and denominational service. Henry pastored churches in Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee before serving 29 years as senior pastor at First Baptist Church, Orlando, Florida.
Henry served as Southern Baptist Convention president, 1994-1995, and as a trustee for the International Mission Board, Lifeway Christian Resources, GuideStone Financial Services, the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and in other denominational roles.
JHLI prepares leaders by providing leadership conferences and summits, research, consultation, resource and content material, and a doctoral student fellowship in support of a new generation of leaders.
On August 15, 2023, NOBTS and Leavell College hosted the ribbon-cutting and dedication of the Landrum Leavell Dining Hall in the heart of the seminary campus in honor of the seminary’s 7th president.
Landrum Leavell II, the seminary’s 7th president, served from 1975 until his retirement in 1994, and served an additional year as interim president. During his tenure, the seminary experienced record growth, welcomed new technology that made distance learning possible, reestablished the undergraduate program—now named Leavell College—and established the school’s extension center system.
“It seems fitting, it seems right that a building like the cafeteria here in the center of our campus, central to our work every single day as we eat, as we fellowship, as we make disciples, that that building where he used to sit and [talk] to students, will be named after him,” said Jamie Dew, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College president.
The 2023 Vision won first place in the Overall Publication Division at the 60th Annual Wilmer C. Fields Awards Competition presented by Baptist Communicators
2023 featured a new format and layout with an emphasis on how God is showing hope and favor to New Orleans.
Madelynn Duke, graphic designer and photographer, won first place in the Design Division, category “Print Collateral—Advertisement,” for her Caskey Center ad in the 2023
Jonathan Skinner, videographer, took first place in the Audio-Visual Communications Division, category “Video: Event Coverage—More than 3 Minutes,” for his film coverage of the dedication of the Fred Luter Jr. Student Center at NOBTS and Leavell College.
To receive your free copy of Vision, email development@nobts.edu.
he imago Dei – humans created in the image of God – is a biblical teaching that might be easier to affirm than it is to define.
Rich and complex, the teaching referred to as imago Dei means more than simply the human ability to create, to think, or to be in relationship with others. It is a scriptural teaching that sets the Christian faith and worldview apart from secular belief systems and energizes believers’ responses to other humans.
John Kilner, author of Dignity and Destiny: Humanity in the Image of God explained it this way: being made in God’s image “is about humanity’s special connection with God which God intends to result in people’s reflection of God in many ways.”
Connection and reflection — being made in God’s image is both deep and mysterious, beautiful and thought-provoking. This connection with God satisfies the human heart’s deepest longings and calls believers to live in ways that reflect who He is and the purity of His character.
“I’m convinced that what people really want in life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control,” said Jeff Riley, Professor of Ethics. “Does that sound familiar? That is imaging God.”
Imagine a world where all of humanity reflects the God who is just, merciful, and loving. It would be a world in which people flourish, and what a world that would be.
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” Connection and reflection— being made in God’s image is both deep and mysterious, beautiful and thought-provoking.
In her former days as a music teacher, Brooke Osborn, Associate Professor of Psychology and Counseling, thought she needed to mimic others’ style in how they teach.
Then, it hit her.
“I had to realize that being created in the image of God meant that He made me, my personality, my strengths, my weaknesses, for a purpose,” Osborn said. “It’s not really about me trying to be a teacher like somebody else. It’s me trying to be myself, and be a teacher and a counselor.”
Osborn had always wanted to help others but as a teacher, she met so many children with struggles and needs who felt like they didn’t belong. She left her career in teaching music to become a counselor in order to help others find their footing and sort through the hardness of life.
From her journey’s beginning, Osborn saw clearly that the imago Dei is the grounding needed to grant dignity to others and give purpose in life.
“Part of being a counselor is having that opportunity to walk with people as they’re trying to figure out who they are,” Osborn said. “Many had experienced so much adversity in life, abuse or neglect. Some just never knew anyone cared about them. I think for many of them it’s the first time they’ve ever felt that somebody really loved them when they’re able to grasp that God loves them and created them for a purpose.”
The imago Dei grounds more than Osborn’s reason for helping others. It energized Osborn and her husband’s motivation for adoption. The couple sees that the biblical truth of imago Dei shines in the story of their adopted son from China, Lex.
Because adoption is illegal in China, children are often found abandoned in a public setting in hopes someone else will
care for the child, Osborn said. As a baby, Lex was discovered in a secluded area during triple-digit heat in August one year by a Chinese couple who happened by. Later, Brooke and Patton talked to police officers who remembered finding Lex and it became clear that God had His hand on Lex’s life.
Lex’s purpose in life is more than just some plan or accomplishment in the future, but rather comes down to a day-to-day impact, Osborn said. Osborn recalled an incident where Lex’s bright personality and sense of humor lifted the spirits of an individual feeling down.
“That was Lex’s purpose for that day,” Osborn said. “I think we don’t look enough at our ‘purpose for the day.’ We tend to look too far into the future to find a purpose when we should start with a purpose for today.”
Scripture overwhelmingly describes God’s nature as compassionate, but as a counselor, Osborn recognizes that human compassion — a reflection of His nature — can be “hidden” in those experiencing pain or abuse.
A child Osborn once counseled had suffered abuse in an orphanage at the hands of another boy, to the extent that the young client had feared for his life. As they worked together to process the pain, Osborn watched compassion rise in the child’s heart for the perpetrator who had hurt him.
The mark of imago Dei on every life points to a Creator and is a road sign to the cross where God the Father provided a way for His hurting and prodigal children to come home.
“In counseling, people often want to know if there is more to life than hardship and feeling like a failure,” Osborn said. “I tell them that God never leaves. He’s the one person who never leaves. He’s strong enough to stay with them in the midst of their pain.”
EVERY ASPECT. EVERY LIFE.
Cory Barnes, Associate Professor of Old Testament, sees that the imago Dei answers the questions of meaning and purpose that every person asks.
“What does it matter that I go to work today and build houses? Why does it matter that I go to work today as a nurse? Why does it matter that I’m raising my children today? Why does it matter that I’m being a good spouse today?” Barnes said. “The image of God answers all of these questions.”
The doctrine of imago Dei set the Hebrew people apart from every other Old Testament time period and culture, Barnes said. While other cultures told stories of humans as slaves to the gods, or gave dignity to priests and kings alone, God’s people stood out in stark contrast, Barnes said.
“The imago Dei is the most different possible conception of human life,” Barnes said. “The Old Testament tells us, ‘No, you’re actually all princes and princesses because you are royal image bearers. You’re the representatives of God and rulers of creation.’”
Every life is made in God’s image, Barnes said. Every believer is responsible for promoting “human flourishing and the wise rulership of creation.”
When the bright light of the imago Dei grows dim within a culture and no longer guides society’s basic values, dangerous ideas seep in.
As John Kilner writes in his introduction to Dignity and Destiny, wrong ideas about what it means to be made in God’s image have brought about “some of the worst oppression in history”— treating some humans as superior to others — and robbed the church of the opportunity to be inspired by the richness of imago Dei for fruitful engagement with the culture.
Larry Lyon, Associate Professor of Ethics, points to what has been lost in today’s culture as it has drifted from seeing each life as having a special connection to God to embracing the idea that humans are simply material beings.
“What the imago Dei does for us is that our whole selves are valuable, our whole selves are purposeful, that nothing is accidental,” Lyon said. “And so with great design and intent, this amazingly significant imago Dei that is placed upon us creates for us this whole self that is valued, precious, and beautiful.”
When the body is seen as a mere material substance, a person’s worth is measured by appearance, function, or their contribution to others’ lives, Lyon explained. If value is based upon appearance, function or ability, then a “comparison culture” takes hold, Lyon noted. As a father of three daughters, Lyon recognizes the importance of communicating this truth to them.
“Regardless of what the world says, God has made them who they are,” Lyon said. “God has said something very specific and very beautiful about who they are and that He made them the way they are … They have a beauty and a value because God has given them a beauty and a value.”
Today’s technological culture has contributed to the idea that the essence of a human is material, rather than material and spiritual, Lyon said. This devaluation gives rise to the idea that gender is a matter of perception rather than human genetics or physiology, Lyon explained. Lyon tells his daughters that their purpose and identity is grounded in God’s design and that they have a special connection with Him because they are made in His image.
“He made them purposefully, for His purposes, and that is such a sweet gift,” Lyon said. He tells them, “So guard that gift. Protect that gift and use those gifts in the ways God has intended and you’ll flourish. That’s where human flourishing is found.”
When the imago Dei is considered thoughtfully, its light can shine bright in a dark world.
When Cory and Kayla Barnes first began their journey into foster care, they did so with their biological daughters, Zoe, now aged 10, and Noelle, 8, understanding their reasons for doing so. Together as a family, they committed to welcoming any child into their home.
Over the next two years, the family welcomed seven infants into their home, then watched as each left, at times returning to less-than-ideal family circumstances.
Finding themselves emotionally “raw,” the family decided to step back briefly, but when Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022 the couple knew it would impact foster care and adoption. As they prayed for God’s guidance, the agency called asking them to take a 10-month-old girl for the weekend.
One weekend stretched into months until it became clear that little Remi was the answer to their prayers. In October 2023, Remi’s adoption was finalized.
“The truths that come from the imago Dei really did compel Kayla and me in adopting Remi,” Barnes said.
Being made in God’s image means that every person is connected to God in a special way. This calls Christians to respond differently to this world, Barnes explained.
“This calls Christians into the fray,” Barnes said. “It does not mean that all of us are called to be foster parents or adoptive parents, but it does mean we can’t just be armchair theologians and political commentators. The Lord is calling us to care well for our fellow image-bearers and that has lots of applications. For us, it was foster care and adoption.”
As the couple watches their family grow, Barnes said he recognizes that his daughters “instinctively and naturally” understand the implications of imago Dei.
“They have a resolve to work for God’s purposes in a broken world,” Barnes said. “They see the brokenness. They’ve come face-to-face with the brokenness. And they saw the Lord working through our family.”
As Barnes’ daughters dream of what they want to be as they grow up, they talk of careers that help others flourish or that show an understanding of stewarding God’s creation, Barnes said.
In other words, they want to live out the beauty of the imago Dei.
ommy Doughty, Assistant Professor of Theology and Worldview, often uses two analogies to show how being made in God’s image is both a special connection to God and a responsibility humans must live out.
Doughty pointed out that in biblical times, the king’s image imprinted on a ring, seal or coin represented the king’s power and authority and carried great weight, even when the king was not physically present.
“That seal says this decree, this letter, is directly from the king,” Doughty said. “It’s his word.”
A second analogy, Doughty explained, points to the imagebearer as an ambassador, the one who represents and communicates the interests of the king.
“In the same way that we have political ambassadors today, they had ambassadors in the Ancient Near East where this language comes from,” Doughty said. “Image-bearers represent the king. They’re there to communicate, ‘This is what we are about and what we want.’ They represent him.”
The imago Dei extends to the New Testament as well, Doughty pointed out, in that Christ’s followers are called to be His ambassadors to plead with the world to be reconciled to Him (2 Corinthians 5:20).
Historically, theologians have understood the imago Dei in three broad perspectives, Doughty explained. The substantive view sees there is some part of the human being that is like God in some way, and that ontologically, humans possess characteristics like Him. The second view, the functional view, says the human capacity to think, create or reason reflects God’s nature, though to a lesser extent. The relational view, the third perspective, sees the unique human
capacity for relationship with God and fellow humans as the marker of the imago Dei, Doughty said.
Yet, rather than ‘one controlling theological metaphor’ to define imago Dei, Doughty believes a more proper understanding is one that draws from each view.
“We are His in the way He puts His seal on us, so we represent Him,” Doughty said. “It’s in what we are—substantive; it’s in how we act—functionally; it’s in what we do—relationally. We just are God’s way of working in the world, His way of speaking in the world. We represent Him.”
Robert Stewart, Professor of Philosophy and Theology, wrote in Created in the Image of God: Applications and Implications for our Cultural Confusion (David Dockery, editor) the following:
God does endow us with certain inherent characteristics and abilities because he made us in his image. Yet I also believe that an understanding of the image of God is complex rather than monistic in nature. Simply put, to some degree we do all these things because we bear God’s image. We have the capacity to reason because we are made in the image of a rational God. We can have relationships with God and others because we bear the image of a God who is inherently relational. We can represent God because we bear his stamp. We are creative because we are made in the image of our Creator God. Despite the fact that we do not do any of these things in the same way as God does, we can do them, nonetheless. Human beings are inherently different from animals; we don’t simply function differently than animals. The source of human uniqueness is our being made substantively in the image of our Creator. (In the chapter, “Apologetic Approaches for Our Cultural Confusion: The Christian Worldview and the Imago Dei,” p. 214.)
“We are made in His image, but we don’t share His likeness when we are sinful. We reflect Him well or we reflect Him poorly, but we’re making a statement by our existence that God is there, God is powerful, and He has a plan.”
- Tommy Doughty, Assistant Professor of Theology and Worldview“Broadly, imago Dei refers to the original harmony of our natures, which would have included the concord between body and soul, as well as the will, mind and affections, and so forth. In the wake of human rebellion against God, our natures have lost this original harmony and suffered the damaging effects of sin. In this sense, the narrow meaning of the image of God has been lost: our bodies and souls no longer
work together the way they should, and we see this most clearly in the fact that our affections, will, and mind are more often than not on different pages (Romans 7:15-20). But we are still humans, and we have not lost the image of God in the broad sense of our natures as body-soul wholes. The loss of that original harmony affects our nature, but does not remove it.”
- Tyler Wittman, Associate Professor of Theology
In today’s cultural moment, ideas such as consumerism, the ongoing sexual revolution, Social Marxism and radical feminism have contributed to a cultural shift that no longer looks to a Creator to understand what it means to be human, said Jeff Riley. Making one’s own “image” is idolatry, Riley said, and is a rejection of God’s creation of humankind in His image.
The result is brokenness in individual lives, cultures, and societies.
“It’s a cocktail of ideas that have served up the postmodern drinks that led to the moral and theological drunkenness that we’re seeing in the world,” Riley said.
In consumerism, image is defined by what a person owns; sexual desires define who one is in the sexual revolution; Social Marxism defines a person by the group to which he or she belongs (the oppressed or the oppressor), Riley explained.
But when movements and social ideas fail to deliver on what they have promised, the opportunity for the gospel to offer healing and bring dignity can abound, Riley said.
“We have to show them what the divine image is. We find that in Christ Jesus Himself,” Riley said. “Jesus said, ‘They will know you are my disciples by how you love one another.’ That’s one place where we show the beauty of the image of God.”
Because people want acceptance, love, and to feel that they have some sense of maturity, believers can invite them to see that these desires are what it means to be created in God’s image.
“That’s where Jesus invites us, that’s where he restores us,” Riley said. “When he restores us then we begin in maturity and sanctification to image Him properly and in doing so we experience not only all the beauty of who God is but we experience the beauty of who we can and ought to be. And that’s where the joy comes in, and the contentment.”
A crown represents King Jesus, but also humans as princes and princesses because of the imago Dei and the value that gives each person.
It is only by the cross that we have been reconciled with the Father and are continually being sanctified to better reflect God. The colors represent God’s royalty flowing down the cross
The background colors descend from a royal purple to sky blue with purple trickling down throughout. The purple signifies the holiness of our God. The greens and blues signify the earth and seas. Throughout His creation He has trickled glimpses of Himself into the design of the world.
Lux is the measuring unit for illuminance. This illustration is entitled Lux because of the light that shines through the window and reflects intensely on another surface just as Christ should shine through us.
illustration
The rays at the top lay on a rich gold that represents the majesty of King Jesus. The rays of blues and greens at the bottom represent us, as his creation, reflecting him in the Imago Dei.
An by Madelynn Dukeobert Stewart said that in the late 1970s, the culture asked, “Is Christianity true?” Twenty years later, as postmodernism shaped cultural thinking regarding truth, the question took on a bit sharper edge and became, “Isn’t it arrogant to claim that your faith is the only true religion?”
Today, traditional Christians are labeled bigots for holding to biblical teaching on marriage or for defining gender according to biology rather than basing it on personal feelings and psychological leanings. The question has become “Is Christianity good?” Stewart explained.
Understanding and communicating well the meaning of imago Dei may help re-introduce the gospel to a doubting and hurting world.
Larry Lyon noted that the culture is hungry for community, a hunger driven by today’s technology that has robbed the culture of personal interaction and deep and meaningful connections.
Recapturing the beauty of the human being as created by God can help stem the damage from destructive ideas and movements, Lyon said.
“We have to be the sort of people that offer the community people are looking for because other worldviews are brutal and demand absolute allegiance,” Lyon said. “We can offer something better.”
Jeff Riley said that people often respond when asked what they most want in life that they are longing for acceptance,
love, or some sense of maturity.
“If people really search into the depth of who they are, they will begin to realize that this is exactly what it means to be created in the image of God,” Riley said.
Asking questions such as What brings you joy? How do you define beauty? What do you really want in life? can open doors for meaningful conversations that lead to the gospel, Riley said.
Today’s hot-topic cultural issues—abortion, gender, and marriage—all revolve around the question of what it means to be a human person, Stewart said. They are issues of the heart as well as the mind, he added.
Unbelievers often reject the gospel because they are offered a gospel that is “too thin,” Stewart said. Believers must show the gospel to be a story of grace that confers dignity, value and worth to every individual.
At the heart of this gospel is the imago Dei.
“Christianity is unique among the world’s religions in that Christianity teaches that humanity’s key problem is not a lack of knowledge or a lack of ritual obedience, but rather a broken relationship with the Creator,” Stewart wrote in Created in the Image of God. “Christianity also declares that though God was the wronged party, he took it upon himself to repair the relationship, and in so doing to set fallen creation right, including fallen humans made in his image.”
As Dr. Paul Chitwood, President of the International Mission Board, says, “The greatest problem in the world is summed up with one word: lostness.” While our seminary mission begins @3939, it does not stay there. Our mission extends to local churches, to parachurch organizations, church plants, international mission fields, unreached people groups, and others. Our mission’s target: people. Our motivation: Christ and His kingdom. Our scope: Beyond the Gates.
usty Hyatt was overjoyed when his dying father prayed to receive Christ, but he experienced a second blessing when his father’s doctor committed her life to Christ as well.
Hyatt, a student at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and recipient of the Caskey Scholarship had been praying for his alcoholic father’s salvation for more than 15 years. As his father lay in a hospital bed facing death, Hyatt spent as much time as possible with him, often engaging him in gospel conversations. Hyatt lovingly shared about Jesus and the forgiveness found in Him.
As Hyatt read the Bible to his father and answered questions, he noticed the doctor (Dr. Telia) often stood at the door listening. He could tell she was interested in hearing more. After reading 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 to his father, Hyatt noticed that the doctor had been listening too. She was crying and seemed ready to ask a question.
“I asked her if she wanted to ask or know more about what I just read, and she said no and left,” Hyatt recalled. “My dad was also in tears, and at this time, he was begging God to forgive him for all his past sins. It was one of the most spiritual moments of my life.”
Hyatt spent the next week helping his father understand his new-found faith. Sadly, less than a week after his confession of faith, his father died. Seeing how Hyatt’s father faced death with hope, Dr. Telia mustered the courage to ask an important question.
“Dr. Telia walked in and said, ‘Do you think your God allowed your father into heaven?’” Hyatt said. “I began to talk to her about how sufficient Jesus’ blood is and how His blood saved us from hell.”
“She was in tears and said that she wanted to know more about our God,” Hyatt said. “I stopped her there and said, He is also your God. She asked, ‘Do you think He would have me?’”
Sharing from John 3, Hyatt told Dr. Telia of God’s love for her. She prayed to accept Christ as her savior and told Hyatt she was headed home to throw away idols that she worshipped before coming to Christ. Hyatt left her with a meaningful gift— his father’s Bible.
“She wanted to know the best place to get a Bible, and I gave her my dad’s,” Hyatt said. “I told her she would get better use out of it than me. She was so proud of that Bible.”
When Hyatt followed up with Dr. Telia to introduce her to a pastor who had experience discipling converts from other religions, she told him she had already read the book of John twice.
Hyatt’s gospel conversations with his father and Dr. Telia were only a few of the more than 75,682 gospel conversations initiated by Caskey students since the Caskey Center for Church Excellence launch in 2014. In just ten years, those gospel conversations have resulted in 9,050 professions of faith.
Blake Newsom, Director of the Caskey Center, expressed astonishment at the number of gospel conversations during the center’s first decade. However, he is not surprised that people are responding to the gospel. When believers are faithful to share, God moves, he said.
The Caskey Center represented the dream of an anonymous donor family to see Louisiana churches re-engage in the task of evangelism. Named in memory of Steve Caskey, an evangelistic Louisiana pastor, the center provides resources and training for pastors and ministry staff members through scholarships, conferences and research. One of the most notable ways the center helps pastors is through a full-tuition scholarship program for undergraduate and graduate students at NOBTS and Leavell College.
The scholarship program has since expanded beyond Louisiana to include pastors and ministers in Alabama, Indiana, and Mississippi. To qualify for the scholarship, students must serve as paid or bi-vocational pastors or staff members in a church with an average attendance of 250 or less (Louisiana) or in churches with an average attendance of 150 or less (Alabama, Indiana, and Mississippi). Many of the 279 yearly scholarship recipients serve as lead or senior pastors.
Since the donors wanted evangelism to be a top priority of the program, consistent gospel witness became a requirement for recipients. To help students achieve consistency, Mark Tolbert, who served as Director of the Caskey Center from 2014 until 2022, required students to report at least one gospel conversation per week. Newsom, who became the director in 2022 when Tolbert retired, continued to emphasize the requirement.
“One of the most important things for someone learning to share the gospel and actually getting engaged in sharing is accountability,” Newsom said. “We provide accountability— which is a biblical concept—and it makes a difference.”
Newsom said that many students begin the program with fears about initiating gospel conversation. Over time, the fears subside, and students start looking forward to sharing each week. Like Hyatt, many students end up sharing with a lost parent or family member. By the end of their first semester, Newsom said many students begin reporting more than one gospel conversation each week.
“When students get past their fears and begin sharing, they get excited,” said Blake Newsom. “As a result, the church members also get excited about sharing the gospel.”
Newsom added that evangelistic pastors who consistently talk about evangelism naturally inspire the churches they lead to become more evangelistic.
Newsom expressed his amazement at what God had accomplished through the dream of a donor family. Their desire to see renewed evangelistic enthusiasm led to the 75,682 gospel conversations. As a result, 9,050 people (almost 12 percent of those who heard the gospel) trusted Christ for salvation.
Hyatt’s story and countless others encourage Newsom and his team. He applauded the students for embracing evangelism and accountability. Newsom remains hopeful that these Caskey students can inspire local churches to re-engage in consistent evangelism as well.
‘Women of Prayer,’ the theme of Abide 2024, drew more than 1,200 women from 190 churches and nine states to Leavell Chapel, Feb. 23-24, as women were challenged to embrace prayer as the calling of every believer.
“We chose the theme ‘Women of Prayer’ because prayer is a vital discipline in the life of the believer,” said Tara Dew, wife of President Jamie Dew, adjunct professor and Director of the NOBTS ministry wives certificate program, Thrive. “If we are to truly abide with Christ, then we will be women who pray.”
Keynote speakers were Donna Gaines, founder and director of the non-profit ARISE2Read and wife of Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist, Memphis; Andrea Lennon, author, speaker and Arkansas Baptist Convention Women’s Specialist; Heather Johnson, educator, women’s ministry leader, and Thrive assistant director; and Tara Dew.
Worship was led by Nate Jernigan, Leavell College assistant professor of music and worship, with guest vocalist Meredith Andrews, a Dove Award-winning Christian music artist and worship leader.
The Lord’s Prayer as recorded in Matthew 6:9-13 was the focus of the keynote addresses.
Tara Dew, in the opening plenary, pointed to the “remarkable, earth-shattering truth” that believers have access to God and stand in relationship to Him as children. Dew cautioned also that only when believers understand God’s holy character will they be capable of asking that God’s will is done in their lives
“Jesus did not say ‘my father’ but ‘our father,’” Dew said. “We now have a relationship with the almighty God. We now have access as children.”
Donna Gaines, in the second Friday night plenary, urged listeners to focus on the day’s needs, and not worry about tomorrow. “As I meditated on [verse 11], I realized I had enough grace for today,” Gaines said. “I will not dwell on the ‘what ifs,’ but on the ‘what is’ … one being, God will never leave me nor forsake me.”
SERVE DAY
SEPTEMBER 28, 2023
MISSIONS WEEK
MARCH 4-8, 2024
EVANGELICAL THEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
NOVEMBER 14-16, 2023
SOUTH AFRICA MISSION TRIP
JANUARY 4-14, 2024
PRESIDENT VISITS SOUTH KOREA
MARCH 6-13, 2024
NORTH AFRICA MISSION TRIP
MARCH 9-16, 2024
SERVE DAY APRIL 18, 2024
God’s people are called to be a light to the nations, “to open blind eyes,” and bring those in darkness into the light (Isaiah 42:5-7). The beauty of our art and the works of our hands can help point others to a God of beauty and grace.
Erin Marsh Eternity in the Human Heart, 2022 Photography
Nick Peters 2023 Reflection
Allison Daw
Jeremiah the Blue and Gold Macaw, 2023
Graphite on Herbarium Paper
This is what God the LORD says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
Isaiah 42:5-7
Brook Lynn Madrassas in North Africa, 2022
Photography
Brooke Williamson Distant Storm, 2023
Photography
Megan Holcomb
The City of Fields, 2021
Digital Illustration
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On the Bench or Off, Justice Jay McCallum Sees Life Grounded in Grace
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Celebration of Excellence Service Honors Students And Faculty
Student and faculty accomplishments of the 2023-24 school year were highlighted in the end-of-the year Celebration of Excellence service marking academic and missional achievements.
NOBTS Alumni Luncheon Highlights Service for the Gospel’s Sake an NOBTS Legacy
Jamie Dew, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College president, greeted a record-breaking 1,350 alumni and friends in attendance at the alumni luncheon, June 14, 2023.
Dew Reminds Graduates of Kingdom Values
Jamie Dew, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College, exhorted the schools’ May 2024 graduates to remember what has “real, significant value,” in the Kingdom of God.
Kristyn Carver: Making a Difference in The Classroom and for At-Risk Children
Dr. Kristyn Carver’s life-long desire to help children experiencing “trauma and chaos” at home moved her from a public school classroom to NOBTS and a counseling program grounded in scripture.
Prisoner to Pastor: Radical Grace in an Unlikely Place
Robert Hyde and Paul Will took a downward spiral into violent crime that landed them in the Louisiana State Penitentiary. But there they found NOBTS, and God’s radical grace changed everything.
The Master of Divinity at NOBTS is the best combination of educational rigor and practical relevance with 22 different options for specializations.
“I BELIEVE THAT THE VERY BEST DEGREE YOU CAN EARN WHILE YOU ARE IN SEMINARY IS THE MASTER OF DIVINITY DEGREE. OUR MDIV IS CUSTOM-TUNED TO GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO DO MINISTRY IN THE 21ST CENTURY.”
- DR. JAMIE DEW PRESIDENT OF NOBTS & LEAVELL COLLEGE
MISSIONLAB IS A LIFECHANGING, ACTIONPACKED WEEK WHERE YOUR CHURCH GROUP WILL GROW SPIRITUALLY , DO HANDSON MINISTRY , AND LIVE ON MISSION ALONGSIDE LEADERS FROM NEW ORLEANS BAPTIST
THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN THE REMARKABLE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS.
SERVE HERE. SERVE NOW.
“WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE AROUND HERE IF WE SPENT 20 PERCENT OF THIS YEAR PRAYING FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS?”
That was one of five questions I posed to First Baptist New Orleans the day we entered a Year of Prayer focus on praying missionally together. The full picture was a challenge to use a five-point prayer structure: 1) God 2) Family 3) Neighborhood 4) New Orleans, and 5) Nations. If just over 300 members said “yes” to praying for five minutes a day, we would collectively pray enough to fill every minute of every day of 2024.
If I had known earlier in my ministry what I know now, I would have led the two previous churches I served to engage in missional praying, both in corporate worship and personally throughout the week.
Nothing we’ve done has shaped the culture of the church towards missional engagement like praying together using this five-point template.
HERE’S HOW WE USE IT:
GOD – Each month we have a verse of Scripture we pray together, asking God to align our hearts with His heart and purpose for sending His Son. This month we are praying (and in the course, memorizing) Acts 13:47, “For this is what the Lord has commanded us: I have made you a light for the Gentiles to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” We pray like this, “God, this is what you have commanded us: you have made us a light for the Gentiles to bring your salvation to the ends of the earth. Please align our hearts with yours for the reason you sent your Son to save us.”
FAMILY – Family has a dual meaning for us who are in Christ. We have an immediate family and we have a spiritual family. We all have members of our immediate family who are far from God. We pray each day for those family members that God would be gracious to them and cause His face to shine upon them in Christ, that His ways may be known on earth and His salvation among all people (Psalm 67:1-2). In Christ, we are now part of the spiritual family of God, and so we pray
for one another to be bold with the Gospel that more people may know God as Father (Ephesians 6:19).
NEIGHBORHOODS – New Orleans is uniquely a city of neighborhoods. Gentilly, Lakeview, Mid-City, Uptown, Garden District, Warehouse District, East New Orleans, 9th Ward, 7th Ward, Metairie, Old Metairie, Gretna, Algiers, West Bank, Westwego, and I could name more. We want to pray, by name, for every person on our block and pray for (and prayer walk) the neighborhoods we call home.
As a personal testimony of the impact of praying for my neighbors each day by name, the Lord has graciously allowed me three opportunities this year to have meaningful spiritual conversations in my neighborhood, one in which I was able to fully share the Gospel. What opened the door was my ability, with integrity, to say, “I just want you to know that I pray for you every day, just as I do for the rest of our neighbors.” These three conversations were with full-grown, New Orleans born-and-raised men who deeply appreciated knowing I was praying for them and they immediately opened up about a situation they appreciated prayer over.
NEW ORLEANS – Each month we highlight a strategic ministry partner in our city with whom we partner for the sake of the Gospel. This month we have been praying for Urban Impact Ministries. Every Wednesday adults and youth from First Baptist travel into Central City to spend time playing sports and cultivating relationships with some of the most amazing kids and young adults in our city. The blessing of these relationships goes both ways and the Gospel unites us in the most significant way we can be made One. This past Sunday we had John Gerhart from Urban Impact share in our Sunday morning worship service, followed by prayer for this important ministry. We also used this moment as a time to bless Urban Impact with a financial gift made possible through the normal giving of the church.
NATIONS – First Baptist enjoys a deep partnership with International Mission Board missionaries in North Africa, Central Asia, the United Kingdom, Central America, and soon Eastern Europe. Every month we highlight and focus on one of these partnerships and creatively engage the church in prayer. We are reminded often that over 4 billion people in the world today have little to no access to the Gospel, so the need to partner and labor together to get the Gospel to the ends of the earth remains, and is urgent.
The testimonies I am hearing from members about the change praying missionally has had in their lives is remarkable. May God receive all the glory as He answers each prayer.
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Clay Carroll has served NOBTS and Leavell College alumni with devotion and grace, and in a manner that honors the Lord.
As an alum serving as the Director of Alumni Engagement, Clay proved time and again his love for the seminary as he often went the extra mile to help an alum. NOBTS and Leavell College thank him for his contribution to the seminary’s mission and to God’s Kingdom.
“I am grateful for the work Clay Carroll did as our Director of Alumni Engagement, and am appreciative of the work he will continue to do for the alumni Office,” said Chris Shaffer, Chief of Staff, Office of the President. “He did a great job continuing to engage our alumni community.”
Shaffer expressed his excitement about new director Christian Townson as he steps into the role.
“Christian is going to do an exemplary job moving us forward in serving our alumni,” Shaffer said.
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NOBTS and Leavell College welcome Christian Townson, current Ph.D. student in Christian Leadership, as the new Director of Alumni Engagement. Townsom’s work will focus on helping alums stay informed and engaged with resources available to them wherever they may serve.
“I am thrilled to step into the role of Director of Alumni Engagement and I am dedicated to strengthening our relationships by meeting our alumni where they are,” Townson said. “My wife Danyel and I are committed to this role because we believe in the exceptional work being done at NOBTS and Leavell College, and we want all our alumni to share in this pride. We eagerly anticipate seeing what God will accomplish in and through us, the school, and our alumni.”
Rhonda Kelley, wife of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary President Emeritus Chuck Kelley and a pioneer in women’s ministry, passed away Feb. 17, 2024 after a long battle with cancer. She was 72.
Author, speaker and a mentor to many, Kelley was known for her vibrant spirit and dedication in serving women in the local church, in the seminary classroom, and at the state and denominational level.
“Rhonda loved God’s Word and encouraged others to do the same,” said Tara Dew, wife of NOBTS President Jamie Dew and adjunct professor of ministry to women. “Her life and legacy continue to impact many women through the scholarships and endowments in her name and the books she authored.”
Kelley’s passion for women’s ministry fueled the start of a new and innovative program at NOBTS the women’s ministry certificate program that brought together theological grounding and pragmatic training for women. Launched in 1997, the program was the first of its kind among the six Southern Baptist seminaries.
Through the years, the NOBTS women’s ministry program expanded to include women’s ministry specializations and training at every academic level as women serve women in lay ministry, on church staffs, in academia, and other avenues of ministry.
Emily Dean, Assistant Professor of Ministry to Women and Director of Ministry to Women Academic programs, expressed her appreciation for Kelley’s leadership and service.
“Dr. Rhonda’s life was a beautiful example of faithful service to Jesus,” Dean said. “She was passionate about ensuring that women had opportunities for training in theological education and she blazed a trail in the field of women’s ministry where countless women have benefited from her visionary leadership. She left a legacy upon which many women will continue to stand on her shoulders.”
Prior to taking on the role of President’s Wife in 1996, Rhonda’s doctorate in speech pathology led to a highly successful, 15year career as the Director of Speech Pathology for New Orleans’ Ochsner Medical System. Her love for and easy way with children put her in high demand as she helped them overcome speech impediments and difficulties
During Chuck Kelley’s 23-year tenure as president, Rhonda directed the women’s ministry certificate program, taught as an adjunct professor, spoke on international and national platforms, hosted the “Word for Women” television broadcast, authored or co-authored numerous books and contributed to countless publications, and held various state and convention positions of service.
As a writer and editor, Rhonda Kelley’s contribution as managing editor of the bestselling “Woman’s Study Bible,” published in 1995 by Thomas Nelson, helped produce a work that to date has sold more than two million copies.
Kelley served also as managing editor for “The Study Bible for Women,” published by Holman Bible Publishers in 2015, as well as managing editor for the companion titles “Women’s Evangelical Commentary” for the Old Testament and the New Testament, and other works.
The Dr. Rhonda Kelley Ph.D. Fellowship in Women’s Leadership, established in 2019 in Kelley’s honor, encourages academic excellence and service among women students.
Jimmy Dukes, a visionary and innovator who served New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College as a faculty member and administrator for more than four decades, died December 4, 2023 at the age of 81.
Dukes was integral to the founding and establishment of Leavell College, the ground-breaking and highly successful NOBTS prison theological education system, and the NOBTS extension center system that made theological education accessible to pastors without resources for education.
“Dr. Dukes gave over 40 years of his life and ministry to this school,” President Jamie Dew said. “He served with great integrity, humility, and servanthood devotion. He was absolutely beloved by everyone on this campus.”
Elected to the faculty in 1985, Dukes taught New Testament and Greek, but kept the local church and the small church pastor always at heart. Dukes led the way for the establishment of new delivery systems that included compressed interactive video and internet classes, as well as in-classroom distance learning through NOBTS extension centers that brought theological education to pastors already serving on the field.
Dukes’ many leadership roles during his tenure included his service as dean of Leavell College (then the School of Christian Training), dean of the extension center system, dean of the NOBTS North Georgia campus, and director of accreditation and assessment. He retired in 2012 as senior professor of New Testament and Greek but continued to teach and to provide guidance in accreditation.
Well known in the accrediting agency community, Dukes was respected in that community for his expertise, innovative ideas for theological education, and a capacity to help others navigate the detail-oriented accrediting process. At NOBTS, his guidance was integral in establishing Leavell College and the prison theological education system, as well as in leading NOBTS through numerous accrediting cycles.
At the national level, Dukes served on the Commission on Accrediting at the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), one of the seminary’s accrediting agencies, and served at one time as chairman of the Commission on Accrediting.
Serving always from a pastor’s heart, Dukes led New Orleans’ Elysian Fields Baptist Church early in his tenure at NOBTS, and devoted his ministry as pastor or interim pastor to churches across Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia.
Friends and loved ones who have gone on to be with the Lord leave to us a legacy of faith and an example of service.
their names and class dates.
The 15th annual Defend apologetics conference at NOBTS and Leavell College, Jan. 2-5, 2024 drew a record attendance of 465 college and church registrants from 20 states to hear biblical responses to pressing questions from culture.
Fifteen plenary speakers and more than 100 breakout sessions addressed issues in brain science, quantum physics, modern film, counter-Christian belief systems, evidence for the resurrection, transhumanism, sexuality and culture, and other topics.
Robert Stewart, Director and Professor of Philosophy and Theology, urged participants to remember, first and foremost, that Christ must be “sanctified” in their hearts (1 Peter 3:15).
“The degree to which you are effective in evangelism, missions, apologetics, and in ministry in general will in large part be equal to the degree to which you are committed to Jesus Christ, the degree to which you have submitted to the Lordship of Christ,” Stewart said.
Other plenary speakers included Jamie Dew, NOBTS president; David Calhoun, Gonzaga University; Robert Bowman, Institute for Religious Research; Tim McGrew, Western Michigan University; Craig Hazen, Biola University; Jana Harmon, C.S. Lewis Institute; James Walker, Watchman Fellowship; Shane Pruitt, NAMB’s National Next Gen Director; and others.
Several speakers addressed the intersection of faith and science and the theological implications of artificial intelligence (AI).
Michael Strauss, physics professor, University of Oklahoma, and experimental particle physics researcher at the CERN laboratory, Geneva, Switzerland, said known science regarding the universe provides “abundant evidence” for a divine creator.
Sharon Dirckx, brain imaging scientist and adjunct lecturer for the Oxford Centre for Apologetics, Oxford, England, said that being made in God’s image means humans are uniquely able to think and reason, function as God’s ambassadors, and are deeply relational.
“No matter how efficient and sophisticated AI technology may become, these [imago Dei characteristics] remain vital and irreplaceable qualities of human life,” Dirckx said. “… Jesus took on human flesh in order to save us … In the age of AI, this tells us all we need to know about human significance.”
Stewart was honored at the week’s close as he retires from his full-time faculty position. Dr. Tawa Anderson directs next year’s Defend, Jan. 6-10, 2025.
“MAKE A DEFENSE TO ANYONE WHO ASKS YOU FOR A REASON FOR THE HOPE THAT IS IN YOU” 1 PETER 3:15
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