New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary hosted a Send Network One Day event on Friday, March 27, highlighting the institution’s consistent partnership with the North American Mission Board.
The event gathered more than 100 church planters, students, pastors and church leaders for a full day of worship, teaching, break-out sessions, prayer and much more.
Send Network’s One Day events are local events designed to encourage, equip and challenge church leaders towards the end of planting churches throughout North America.
Friday’s One Day event featured notable speakers including:
Rice said the event provided an incredible opportunity for attendees.
“The Send Network One Day in New Orleans gave mission-minded believers the opportunity to be equipped for the mission of engaging the city, making disciples and planting churches,” Rice said.
“The mission of making disciples gets hard at times, but this One Day event sought to breathe encouragement into the lungs of those serving on the front lines of the mission in difficult places.
“Attendees took away not only encouragement, but also practical plans and ways to engage their local context, make disciples where they serve and help their churches take steps to get involved in planting churches.”
Some of the event took place in the seminary’s NAMB Center located in the Luter Student Center. The One Day event is one of many Send Network events hosted throughout the year on campus.
Rice said the cooperation between Send Network and the seminary makes an event like this possible and is a deep encouragement.
“The partnership between NOBTS and Send Network is one rooted in the mission of God to advance His kingdom,” Rice said.
“As NOBTS strives to equip students to prepare here and serve anywhere, it is a great compliment to Send Network’s vision of planting churches everywhere for everyone. The NAMB/NOBTS ministry center serves as hub to see these visions collide.
“We often hear the grim news of the state of the Church, baptisms and evangelism in America. However, the efforts of Southern Baptist cooperating together to plant churches in North America to reach people with the Gospel shines a light on the power of cooperation for the Gospel. This One Day event shows that it is Jesus who is the hero and He is simply using two organizations to show his love and grace to those who would attend.”
Lane Corley, Send Network Louisiana Director, helped facilitate the One Day event.
“Church planting and replanting is one of the most important and challenging assignments in the kingdom,” Corley said.
“Events like the Send Network One Day remind planters, pastors and leaders that they’re not alone. It creates space to realign around the Great Commission, to be encouraged, and to be sent again with fresh clarity and conviction.
“Hosting this event and having the NAMB Center on campus offers students the opportunity to gain clarity in their calling and next steps both during and after seminary. Our NAMB-NOBTS partnership gives students opportunities to practice missions right here in New Orleans as they learn. The One Day and other NAMB events give them the opportunity to hear from and personally meet practitioners around the country that may become mentors and partners on the field.”
George Ross, NOBTS assistant professor of church planting and evangelism and Send Network South Regional Director, echoed the sentiment about the partnership between Send Network and NOBTS.
“There is a reason to host an event like this at NOBTS, and that reason is simple: we are better together,” Ross said.
“The partnership between NOBTS and Send Network reflects a rich heritage of Gospel impact that Southern Baptists have built over generations — through students trained and sent, churches planted in cities, suburbs, and rural communities alike, and lives changed by the faithful witness of those who chose to cooperate rather than go it alone.
“Unity around the mission of reaching North America is a beautiful thing, and this event is a testimony of that unity.”
