The board of trustees for New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College approved a new degree pathway, observed the official opening of the seminary's new Center for Worship Studies, heard other positive updates and conducted business during their fall meeting Oct. 6-7.
Jamie Dew, president of NOBTS and Leavell College, welcomed the trustees via his presidential report on Tuesday morning (Oct. 6) and recognized the group during the morning's chapel.
"What I love about this group is that they are so faithful to you as students and to us as faculty, staff and administration," Dew said to the audience at Leavell Chapel. "They do their part of our equation with great excellence and faithfulness."
Tuesday marked the seminary's 109th anniversary since its founding in 1917. Dew noted the significance of the occasion and said today's NOBTS community shares in the school's story.
"Today we are celebrating God's faithfulness not just in the past, but to us right now," Dew said. "As of this October, we are officially beginning our 109th year of existence and faithful Gospel ministry.
"Looking back on our history is remarkable. We can think about men and women who were once sitting right here where we are today. They were faithful to train and prepare for ministry, and most importantly to go into the hardest and darkest places in the world to proclaim Christ.
"Each of you is more than just a student, faculty member or trustee; you are a part of this great legacy of faithful people. What an honor to be a part of this, and to be numbered with them and to be numbered with you."
Dew became emotional reflecting on the grace of the Lord.
"I stand here today and I'm grateful for the kindness of our God, his faithfulness in every second of our lives and for the people we get to do this with," he said.
New degree pathway, other business updates
The board of trustees heard a variety of updates from seminary administration and approved several recommendations from various committees of the board during the two-day meeting.
One significant recommendation approved by trustees is a new Leavell College degree pathway that includes a brand-new Bachelor of Science degree and a new major within the Bachelor of Arts degree.
Known as the “Tentmaker Degree Pathway,” the new program is designed to prepare students called to ministry by providing both theological education and vocational training.
Dew explained this new degree pathway was created to help train the next generation of students for a bi-vocational or co-vocational ministry context. He said the new degree pathway answers a specific request he constantly gets in conversations with churches, local associations and state conventions.
It allows students to take newly offered business and leadership classes at the seminary or transfer up to 45 credit hours of accredited vocational study.
Approved by NOBTS trustees Oct. 7, the pathway includes:
Trustees also approved a new Bachelor of Arts in Music and Worship, which combines two previously existing Leavell College degrees.
Following Tuesday's chapel, trustees attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for the seminary's new Center for Worship Studies.
The Center for Worship Studies is located in the remodeled Sanders building on campus. The remodeled building contains a state-of-the-art recording studio and fellowship space to be used by Crescent City Worship.
The studio contains a variety of high-quality instruments and recording equipment, all of which was generously financed by donors.
Trustees later elected Johann Acuña as assistant professor of music and ministry. Acuña is a ministry-based faculty member who serves as worship pastor at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Madison, Mississippi.
He recently finished serving his two-year presidential appointment period.
Based upon recommendations from the executive committee, trustees approved responses to three motions made at the 2026 SBC Annual Meeting which were referred to the seminary.
Trustees also approved an audit for the 2025-2026 financial year.
Dew informed trustees of two new presidentially-appointed faculty members.
These faculty members will serve a two-year period under this presidential appointment and then be eligible for election by the trustee board.
Dew delivered various updates to the trustees including:
Trustees also heard positive updates from various seminary vice presidents about their area of leadership. Updates came from the areas of academic administration, spiritual formation and student life, business administration and institutional advancement.
Nine new trustees were welcomed to the board. New trustees at the meeting signed the NOBTS Articles of Religious Belief and the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 to signify the beginning of their service. Trustee John Thurman was absent for the signing.
The articles were written by the seminary's founding faculty in 1917 to serve as a document outlining their theological beliefs before the penning of the 1925 Baptist Faith and Message.
The new trustees added to the board were:
The next meeting of the board of trustees is scheduled for April 13-14, 2027.
