NEW ORLEANS (BP)–New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary trustees elected four new faculty members during their April 13 meeting. The board also granted tenure to eight professors and gave promotions for 13 faculty members.
“The heart and soul of a seminary is its faculty,” NOBTS President Chuck Kelley said. “It is the faculty, and not the administration, that makes the deepest impact on the lives of students.
“Those we have elected today add to the New Orleans tradition of bright scholars deeply immersed in the life of Southern Baptist churches, who have a passion to raise up a generation of leaders that can change the course of history through the transforming power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” Kelley said.
Dean of students Craig Price was elected as a professor in the division of biblical studies, while David Platt will serve as a professor in the pastoral ministries division along with a two-year appointment as dean of the chapel. Kristyn Carver and Kathy Steele were selected to serve on the faculty in the seminary’s psychology and counseling program.
Price, appointed as dean of students in December 2004, was elected as assistant professor of New Testament and Greek. He has 25 years of pastoral experience serving churches in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and Texas. He came to NOBTS after serving six years as pastor of Hot Springs (Ark.) Baptist Church.
Price earned a master of divinity in 1984 and a doctor of philosophy degree specializing in New Testament studies in 1989, both from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. In addition to his five pastorates, Price served as assistant professor of religion at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas.
“The love for people that arises out of Dr. Price’s rich pastoral experience will serve our institution and students well,” NOBTS Provost Steve Lemke said. “In addition, his expertise in how to use New Testament exegesis in sermon proclamation is an added plus to our emphasis on expository preaching.”
Trustees elected David Platt, who completed the doctor of philosophy degree at NOBTS in December 2004, to serve as assistant professor of expository preaching and apologetics. Platt also will serve a two-year appointment as dean of the chapel. During the 2004-05 school year, Platt served as instructor in evangelism and associate director of supervised ministry at NOBTS.
Platt serves as staff evangelist at Edgewater Baptist Church in New Orleans, a position he has held since 2002. He regularly preaches and teaches at churches and conferences throughout the country and leads frequent international mission trips for his church and for NOBTS. As dean of the chapel, Platt will preach in chapel each Thursday and will be responsible for scheduling other chapel speakers.
“Through his preaching at events such as Glorieta Student Week, MissionLab and revivals across the country, Dr. Platt has quickly come to be recognized as one of the most effective young communicators of the Gospel in this generation, Lemke said. “We look forward to his presentation of God’s Word to us, both in chapel and in the classroom.”
Joining the faculty of the seminary’s burgeoning counseling program, Kristyn Carver was selected to serve as assistant professor of psychology and counseling in Leavell College, the seminary’s undergraduate college, while Kathy Steele was elected to the graduate faculty as assistant professor of psychology and counseling.
“We are delighted with the additions of Dr. Kristyn Carver and Dr. Kathy Steele to our teaching faculty,” said Asa Sphar III, professor of psychology and counseling and director of the seminary’s clinic training program. “Each of these individuals brings with them a rich history of counseling experience and are both effective and popular instructors. In addition to their distinguished levels of professional training and expertise, each shares a passion to make Christ and scriptural principles the center of the counseling experience.”
Carver, who has served as a fulltime adjunct faculty member at Leavell College since 2002, is an active member at First Baptist Church in New Orleans.
She completed her undergraduate studies at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. At NOBTS, she earned the master of arts degree in marriage and family counseling and completed the doctor of philosophy degree in December 2003.
A licensed professional counselor, Carver has served as a counselor with Counseling Services of New Orleans since 2004.
“Dr. Carver’s research in the area of forgiveness studies, her contributions to women’s ministries and her background in couples work and marriage enrichment are vital additions to our programs,” Sphar said
Newly-elected counseling professor Kathy Steele is former International Mission Board missionary, having served 17 years alongside her husband Ed Steele, now a music faculty member in Leavell College, in mission assignments in El Paso, Texas, Nicaragua and Panama.
Like Platt and Carver, Steele earned the doctor of philosophy degree from NOBTS in December 2003. Her dissertation detailed the positive impact that mothers praying scriptural prayers for their children had on the emotional life of the children. She has served as an adjunct professor at NOBTS since 2001.
Committed to local church ministry, Steele serves as minister of Christian education at Parkview Baptist Church in Metairie, La.
Steele is a licensed Louisiana marriage and family therapist and Louisiana licensed professional counselor.
“Dr. Steele’s background as a missionary, her empirical research on the effectiveness of prayer and her proficiencies in child therapy bring critical skills, experiences and strengths to our program,” Sphar said.
Kelley also announced that Steve Echols was being appointed to the Nelson Price Chair of Leadership at the North Georgia campus of the seminary. Echols directs the master of divinity and doctor of ministry specializations in leadership.
The board granted tenure to Echols and seven other faculty members: Eddie Campbell, assistant professor of English in Leavell College; Scott Drumm, assistant professor of theological and historical studies in Leavell College; Norris Grubbs, assistant professor in New Testament and Greek in Leavell College; Lloyd Harsch, assistant professor of church history; Ken Keathley, associate professor of theology; Steve Ortiz, assistant professor of biblical archaeology; and Laurie Watts, assistant professor of education technology.
In other action, the board considered faculty rank promotions for 13 professors. Trustees voted to approve rank promotions, which take effect Aug. 1, for Rick Byargeon, from associate professor to professor in Hebrew and wisdom literature; Scott Drumm, from assistant professor to associate professor of theological and historical studies in Leavell College; Darryl Ferrington, from associate professor to professor of music education; Lloyd Harsch, from assistant professor to associate professor of church history; Allen Jackson, from associate professor to professor of youth education; Endel Lee, from assistant professor to associate professor of preaching and pastoral ministry in Leavell College; Harold Mosley, from associate professor to professor of Old Testament and Hebrew; Steve Ortiz, from assistant professor to associate professor of biblical archaeology; Philip Pinckard, from associate professor to professor of missions; Joe Sherrer from associate professor to professor of adult education; Robert Stewart, from assistant professor to associate professor of philosophy and theology; Ken Taylor, from associate professor to professor of urban missions; and Laurie Watts, from assistant professor to associate professor of educational technology.
The trustees also approved a new master of divinity specialization in philosophy and ethics, and two new graduate certificates in evangelistic church growth and in church planting.
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