Jamie Dew, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) and Leavell College, reminded more than 200 graduates of the “why” behind ministry during the school’s fall graduation ceremonies Friday, Dec. 13.
Dew began his remarks to the graduates by congratulating them and telling them of the hope they give to the seminary’s faculty.
“Graduates, we’re excited for you today and we celebrate you today,” he said.
“We are all here today to celebrate you, but also to do much more than that. We’re here to do more than just have a celebration. We’re here to do more than just simply acknowledge an Earthly achievement. We’re here today to think about eternity. We're here to think about the impact that a generation of you are going to make.
“I want you to know that you give myself and the team of people behind me great hope and great courage to think about the impact that you’ll make in people’s lives, not just in this day but for all of eternity.”
NOBTS conferred 145 degrees, while Leavell College graduates received 92 undergraduate degrees and certificates.
More than 40 of these degrees came via graduates of the seminary’s prison education program.
Preaching out of John 1, Dew reminded the graduates of the unique call they have chosen to pursue and the good reasons behind that pursuit.
“You came to this school because God put a call on your life,” Dew said.
“He did something unique in your life by redeeming you up, giving you life and transforming your whole existence. And then He put a call on your life. It’s a call that a lot of people might not understand. It’s a call that some people might not appreciate. It’s a call that some people, quite frankly, might despise. And yet, there is good reason for it.”
Dew identified four things from the passage as the reasons or the “why” of ministry.
“These will be the things that you preach and proclaim as you go, and it will also be the thing that keeps you going as you go,” Dew told the graduates.
One of those seminary’s graduates was Cody Moore, who serves the seminary as the assistant dean of students for spiritual formation.
The position assists the seminary’s office of spiritual formation and student life by helping to foster the spiritual growth and holistic development of students during their academic journey.
Moore, who graduated with a Master of Arts in discipleship, spoke to the valuable lessons he has learned during his time at New Orleans Seminary.
"The most impactful lesson that I've learned during my time at NOBTS is the importance and impact that mentor and discipleship relationships have on students and their walk with Christ,” Moore said.
“It's made a tremendous difference in my life personally and has shaped how I do ministry as I seek to pour into the lives of young men on campus."
Dew closed the ceremony by reminding graduates of the infinite grace of God which has compelled them to ministry and will sustain them in ministry.
“When God is gracious to you, and when God is gracious to me, it’s not this one-time thing that you can cash in here and there so spend it wisely,” Dew said. “It’s the idea of grace that continues to go on with you.
“So, there’s going to be times that you fall down, get up because His grace is there. There’s going to be times that you run weary, get up because His grace is still there. There’s going to be times that you sin. There’s still times that you think things that you shouldn’t think, do things you shouldn’t do, want things you shouldn’t want; get up because His grace is there forevermore.
“It does not give up. It does not stop. It does not grow weary. It is there forevermore, only in Christ.”
Graduation ceremonies for NOBTS and Leavell College can be viewed here.
