The board of trustees for New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College heard a of variety of positive reports and approved new faculty and curriculum updates during their spring meeting April 15-16.
Jamie Dew, president of NOBTS and Leavell College, welcomed the trustees on Tuesday (April 15) with an update about the overall spirit of the school.
“It’s been a sweet season the last few months,” Dew told the trustees. “There’s been a lot of joy and a lot of high spiritual morale on campus."
Dew explained the seminary is now entering “phase two” of his administration after successfully implementing his strategic initiatives for the first five years of his presidency, which he outlined during his address at the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting.
Dew stated this next phase is concerned with stewarding NOBTS for future generations by continuing to increase enrollment and grow the institution’s financial viability.
“Think about President 10 and his cabinet and trustees,” Dew said. “We want with one hand to serve and steward NOBTS today, and with the other hand try to set NOBTS up tomorrow for strength and health.”
Dew told the trustees the institution is well-positioned to continue to build for the future.
“In my mind, we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing as an institution if we are getting stronger financially, structurally and procedurally,” Dew explained. “And if we’re having fun doing it, then I think that’s a win. I think all those things are being done right now, so I’m very grateful.”
Faculty appointments/updates
During the rest of the two-day meeting, trustees heard additional reports from Dew, the seminary’s vice presidents and the various committees of the board.
Among the updates reported were several faculty appointments.
Dew informed the board about three presidentially appointed faculty members.
These faculty will serve a two-year period under this presidential appointment and then be eligible for election by the trustees.
Those presidentially appointed faculty are:
Other faculty updates heard by the trustees include the upcoming retirement of Ken Taylor, professor of urban missions, and the election of Mark Johnson, assistant professor of evangelism and pastoral ministry, as the new President of Louisiana Christian University.
Additionally, trustees elected two new faculty members who recently finished serving their two-year presidentially appointed period.
Those elected faculty members were:
Curriculum updates, reports and other business
Other updates heard by the board include an overview of the upcoming year’s budget and a current 3 percent increase in head count for the academic year to date.
Additionally, trustees approved recommendations from the board’s committees, including a change allowing students to earn a Master of Theology (ThM) degree while pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree and other curriculum updates.
Trustees finishing terms
At the end of the meeting, the board honored the group of trustees finishing their terms as trustees. Those trustees were:
One of these trustees, David Um, shared a heartfelt message to the board about his time of service.
“10 years ago when I began as a trustee, only God knew how much of my heart would become dyed NOBTS purple and gold,” Um said. “The mission of NOBTS won me over.”
Um said the greatest thing he was a part of as a trustee was to play a role in selecting Jamie Dew to lead the seminary and seeing the fruit that has come about from that decision.
“In 2018, I was given the honor of joining the search committee for the next president of NOBTS,” he explained.
“I had a first-row seat to witness God at work in choosing Dr. Dew and Dr. Tara to build a team to lead the seminary through the treacherous times ahead. Through NOBTS, I am better equipped to serve the Lord, my church, and the lost in Boston. As I leave NOBTS, I commit to live out our motto: Prepare here, serve anywhere.”
The fall meeting of the board of trustees will take place Oct. 6-8.
