fbpx
News Articles

New Orleans trustees elect 5 new faculty members


NEW ORLEANS (BP)–Thanks to enrollment growth at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, the board of trustees elected five new faculty members Oct. 13.

Trustees elected Jack Allen, Jeff Nave, Donna Peavey, Bob Hall and Trish Hawley to the faculty. Their teaching specialties range from church planting to women’s ministry.

“With our incredible enrollment increases over the past few years, we have expanded our faculty nearly 50 percent,” said New Orleans Seminary Provost Steve Lemke. “Each of these new faculty members meets a very specific need in our curriculum.”

“Not only do they have excellent academic preparation and teaching experience, but they bring decades of local Southern Baptist church experience to the classroom. One reason that NOBTS truly is ‘the Church Place’ is that we are so intentional about bringing in faculty members who have real world experience in ministry.”

The board elected Jack Allen to serve as assistant professor of church planting. He was approved by the North American Mission Board to serve as the seminary’s Nehemiah Project professor. In addition to his teaching duties, Allen will direct the Cecil B. Day Center for Church Planting.

Allen is teaching what he knows — church planting. He comes to NOBTS from Cottonwood Church in Albuquerque, N.M. — a church he planted and has served as pastor from its beginning. The church, launched in 1997, led the state of New Mexico in baptisms per capita in 1999, 2000 and 2001.

A scholar as well as a minister, Allen holds a journalism degree from the University of Texas, a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctor of philosophy in ethics degree from Southwestern.

Trustees elected Jeff Nave, who has directed the seminary’s testing and counseling office since 1999, as associate professor of psychology and counseling. A licensed professional counselor, Nave completed his doctor of philosophy in psychology and counseling degree at New Orleans Seminary in 2002.

“In addition to serving as our director of testing and counseling at the seminary, Dr. Nave has served as a minister of counseling in a church setting for nearly a decade,” Lemke said. “He knows how to bring God into the counseling room. His teaching and supervision of counseling students will be enriched by his rich academic and experiential preparation.”

In addition to his teaching duties, Nave will continue to lead the testing and counseling office.

Donna Peavey was elected assistant professor of Christian education at Leavell College, the seminary’s undergraduate program. She is no stranger to New Orleans Seminary, having earned a master of religious education degree and a doctor of philosophy degree at the seminary. Since 2000, Peavey has served as a full-time adjunct and instructor at Leavell College.

“Dr. Donna Peavey brings to the classroom a love for the education ministry of the church, and particularly a love for ministry to preschoolers and children, as well as their families,” said Thomas Strong III, dean of Leavell College. “Her passion and joy are contagious as she teaches how to be effective in the church setting. The faculty of Leavell College is excited to welcome her as a part of our ministry to students.”

Trustees also elected Trish Hawley as a graduate instructor in women’s ministry. She is also serving as women’s ministry coordinator in the dean of students office. Hawley comes to New Orleans Seminary from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where she is completing a doctor of philosophy degree. At Southern, Hawley coordinated the work of FOCUS, the student organization for women’s ministry. She is completing her doctoral dissertation.

Hawley earned a bachelor’s degree from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., and a master of divinity degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. At Southeastern, she studied under Dorothy Patterson in the women’s studies program.

“We see women’s ministry emerging the way youth ministry did about 30 years ago,” Lemke said. “It started with volunteer ministry and has gradually moved toward a professional ministry. Trish Hawley will enhance the theological and biblical foundations of our graduate women’s ministry program.”

Trustees also approved Bob Hall as associate professor of discipleship in the ministry-based faculty. The ministry-based faculty category is a non-tenure track, trustee-elected faculty position designed for instructors involved in other ministries who are able to commit to teach in focused disciplines for which full-time faculty are not available.

Hall has directed the seminary’s Birmingham, Ala., extension center since 1996. From 1967 to 1996, Hall served on the faculty of Jefferson State Community College in Birmingham, teaching math and Bible courses. Hall is a former state representative and senator in Alabama.

“Bob has been a great promoter of our program and a good teacher in our Birmingham Center for a number of years, and we have seen tremendous growth there,” said Jimmy Dukes, dean of the seminary’s extension center system. “It is good to have Bob on board as a ministry-based faculty person. He will add much to our teaching staff.”

The board also elected Dan Parker to serve as senior professor of pastoral ministry at Leavell College. Last year, Parker retired as director of undergraduate extension centers. However, he has continued to teach at the North Georgia Campus on a part-time basis.

The senior professor rank honors the academic excellence of long-term faculty members who have officially retired. Senior professors can continue teaching at the seminary without the extra responsibilities other faculty members have.

“Dan taught for us more than 20 years as an adjunct teacher, then for about five years as a full-time faculty member,” Dukes said. “His service as a senior professor will be a third relationship with us and our students. He has been a very good teacher and counselor for our students. I am glad he will still be teaching for us and that he will have more time for his own pursuits as well.”

The following faculty-related announcements were also made during the meeting:

— Rick Morton, assistant professor of Christian education, was appointed as acting director of student enlistment.

— Harold Mosley, associate professor of Old Testament and Hebrew, was appointed as acting associate dean for the research doctoral program.
–30–