“We are Family” A Report from the NOBTS Trustee Meeting (Dean Stewart)

Dean is pastor at Vaiden Baptist Church and a trustee at NOBTS.

I just completed attending the Fall trustee meeting for the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. The two weeks a year I am on the campus of NOBTS is pure delight. The faculty and staff, under Dr. Kelley’s leadership, is the finest anywhere at showing hospitality. If one has to serve in such a position for the convention then serving on a board where the seminary feeds gumbo, fried oysters and shrimp along with the best coffee in the south is the place you want to be using a shucking knife and serving.

Most of the meetings were composed of taking care of routine matters for the seminary. We check enrollment, finances, policies, sabbaticals, etc… Wednesday was a marathon session that had my eyes bleeding when it came to an end. I know many don’t believe in the rapture of the church but I was praying for the rapture about 1:00 pm Wednesday. By the way, if the return of the Lord is indeed a localized event will some of you loan me some money to buy an airplane ticket so I can go see Jesus?

In the midst of our ordinary business I heard something that blessed my heart and I want to share it with you. NOBTS is offering 10 housing units we have on campus for IMB missionaries who take the VRI. These missionaries will be given the title missionary-in-residence at NOBTS. The missionaries who receive the VRI will still be eligible to receive the scholarships that NOBTS offers IMB missionaries. Dr. David Platt, a NOBTS alumnus, will be preaching in chapel on November 3rd and an offering will be received for the IMB from the faculty, staff and students of NOBTS at that service.

The six seminaries compete for SBC students and CP dollars. Sometimes there is tension between our seminary presidents and other entity heads as each seeks the best for the entity they serve. However, I see time and again the tension is handled appropriately by Godly men. This week the leadership of NOBTS reminded me that we are all family. We are the family of God and we are the brothers and sisters that compose the SBC. Together we serve for one cause, the cause of our Lord.