NOBTS receives positive accreditation update
By Timothy Cockes/NOBTS
NEW ORLEANS – New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College recently received a positive update in their on-going process for reaffirmation of their academic accreditation.
The seminary was visited by an On-Site Reaffirmation Committee from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in early March.
SACSCOC is a major institutional accreditor that oversees more than 700 institutions of higher education across 11 Southern states and Latin America.
As a result of the committee’s recent visit, NOBTS received zero recommendations from this committee in their preliminary assessment, which the seminary received April 13.
Final action from the SACSCOC committee will take place this December, and the seminary anticipates receiving reaffirmation of their accreditation for another 10 years.
Jamie Dew, President of NOBTS and Leavell College, spoke to this recent accreditation update.
“NOBTS and Leavell College have always sought to serve our students and the churches of the convention well,” Dew said.
“The recent SACSCOC site visit team came to campus and spent time interviewing our students, faculty, staff, and administration. The visiting team left campus affirming the work of every facet of the institution and gave us zero recommendations. A reaffirmation report with zero recommendations is a rare occurrence. We are grateful for the work of the visiting committee.
“As a reminder, the findings of this visiting committee represent a preliminary assessment of the institution at this time, final action on the report rests with the SACSCOC Board of Trustees, who will review and act on the committee report when they convene for their December 2026 meeting.”
NOBTS Provost Norris Grubbs praised the work of the seminary’s faculty and staff throughout THE accreditation process.
“The on-site visit is the culmination of the opportunity for peer evaluators to ensure the quality of our programs and the stability of the institution,” Grubbs said.
“The positive report the seminary received after this visit reflects the work we put into this process and the excellent state of NOBTS and Leavell College.”
Sandy Vandercook, professor of English and education, has helped lead the seminary’s effort in preparing for the accreditation process.
Among her various roles with NOBTS, Vandercook serves as associate vice-president for accreditation and assessment as well as the seminary’s SACSCOC institution accreditation liaison.
She detailed the full significance of this visit and update from SACSCOC.
“New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College recently completed the second stage of its 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation by the Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC),” Vandercook explained.
“Following visits to five of our off-campus instructional sites and culminating with a visit to the main campus in New Orleans March 9-12, the SACSCOC On-Site Reaffirmation Committee, composed of ten peer evaluators from member schools, issued no recommendations to NOBTS.
“It is very uncommon for a college or university to receive zero recommendations. This is the best possible outcome from a SASCSCOC review and visit and is a testament to NOBTS’s continued commitment to academic excellence, institutional effectiveness, and overall institutional health. Moreover, it speaks to our solid and extensive preparation for both the offsite review and the visit.”
MBTS, Spurgeon College host largest Preview Day in their history
By Jonathan Lumley/MBTS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Spurgeon College welcomed more than 300 students and guests April 24 for the highest-attended Preview Day in the institution’s history.
Preview Day offered attendees an immersive look into campus life, including opportunities to tour the campus, connect with faculty and current students, sit in on a classroom lecture, and participate in the seminary’s weekly chapel service. The day concluded with a shared outing to a Kansas City Royals baseball game, allowing guests to experience community beyond the classroom and campus.
“Preview Day is always a rich and clarifying day for us as an institution,” said President Jason Allen. “We are grateful for the opportunity to welcome prospective students and their families to campus, to give them a glimpse of life at Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College, and to encourage them as they consider how the Lord may be leading them in their calling.”
The day began with a welcome session led by Hayden Summerhill, vice president of enrollment management, who emphasized the theme of stewardship drawn from 1 Peter 4:10-11. Summerhill encouraged prospective students and their families to consider how God has entrusted them with the Gospel, spiritual gifts, and time.
“Our hope for today is that God would use this time to clarify how you might steward what He has given you,” Summerhill said. “Whether in ministry, the marketplace, or further preparation, we want to help you think about how to use your life for the sake of Christ and His Church.”
Chapel service
Following the welcome, guests joined the campus community for a special chapel service featuring worship led by the North Oak Collective and a message from Allen.
Preaching from Acts 9:20-31, Allen outlined four marks of a faithful Christian witness, drawing from the early ministry of the Apostle Paul following his conversion. He encouraged listeners to embrace their identity in Christ with clarity and boldness as faithful witnesses.
“From the beginning, Christianity was intended to be a global movement,” Allen said. “God has a plan, and you are part of that plan. We who name the name of Christ are called to be His witnesses wherever He places us.”
Allen highlighted the importance of “owning” one’s identity as a follower and witness of Christ, noting Paul’s immediate proclamation of the gospel after his conversion. He urged students to live with a clear and public commitment to Christ in every context.
“None of us aspire to unfaithfulness, and none of us should settle for unfaithfulness,” Allen said. “We are to boldly own our identity as Christ’s ambassadors and to be consciously and intentionally identified as His followers and representatives.”
He also underscored the role of discipleship in shaping a faithful life, pointing to the formative season of preparation Paul experienced in the years following his conversion. Allen described college and seminary as a critical time for spiritual growth, theological formation, and vocational clarity.
“This is a season of strengthening,” Allen said. “It’s a season of worldview formation, deepening one’s sense of direction and calling, developing as men and women in Christ, and it’s a season of discipleship – a season that every young man and woman needs.”
Allen further encouraged attendees to remain steadfast through hardship and to rely on the support of the local church and Christian community. Reflecting on Paul’s early challenges, he reminded listeners that faithfulness often involves sacrifice but is always worthwhile. “Whatever you are considering giving up to follow Christ, He is worth it,” Allen said.
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