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TRUSTEES: New Orleans fills faculty posts


NEW ORLEANS (BP)–Amid news of enrollment growth at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, two faculty members were elected during the June 1 meeting of the trustee executive committee, while President Chuck Kelley announced the appointment of a third faculty member.

Trustees also approved two new certificate training sites in Florida.

Angie Bauman and Rhyne Putman were elected to the NOBTS faculty in Christian education and theology, respectively, while Kelley reported the appointment of Damian Emetuche as assistant professor of church planting.

Bauman, elected as assistant professor of Christian education, graduated from NOBTS with a doctor of philosophy degree in Christian education in May. An experienced youth minister, Bauman’s dissertation focused on the distinguishing characteristics of evangelistic youth ministry programs in the SBC.

A former high school teacher and coach, Bauman began serving as a part-time minister to students in 1996. In 2001, she was called to serve as a full-time student minister at Trinity Baptist Church in Nevils, Ga. Bauman continued serving in ministry as she earned a master of divinity with specialization in Christian education degree from NOBTS. She went on to complete the master of theology and Ph.D. degrees at NOBTS. In August 2008, Bauman began serving as instructor in Christian education and director of student services for the seminary’s North Georgia Hub (NGA).

Bauman remains actively involved in local church ministry at First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga. She also services as a women’s Bible study teacher with Barnabas Prison Ministry and regularly participates in mission trips to Ghent, Belgium, and Amman, Jordan.

“As an instructor at NGA for the past two years, Dr. Bauman has received outstanding evaluation scores from students for her excellence in the classroom,” said Steve Echols, regional associate dean for Alabama and Georgia extension centers. “She has been equally effective in handling student services and recruitment. We are grateful to have her as a vital part of the NGA team as we continue to seek to fulfill our mission of making the highest possible quality of theological education more available.”

Trustees elected Putman as an instructor in theology. A Baptist Center for Theology and Ministry fellow, Putman has worked as a graduate teaching assistant at NOBTS since 2006.

Putman holds two NOBTS degrees, a master of divinity with specialization in biblical languages and a master of theology, and is a current doctor of philosophy in systematic theology student at NOBTS. He is a frequent presenter at regional and national meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society.

In local church ministry, Putman serves as a seminar teacher and small group leader at Calvary Baptist Church in New Orleans. He has also served as an interim pastor and collegiate intern at churches in Arkansas.

“Rhyne Putman is a very bright young man with wonderful gifts, knowledge of theology, teaching skills and a passion for ministry that will make him a cornerstone for our program of theology for many years to come,” Kelley said.

Church planting professor Damian Emetuche comes to NOBTS as part of the ongoing North American Mission Board Nehemiah Project. The church planting initiative places a NAMB-approved professor at each of the six Southern Baptist seminaries.

Though born in Nigeria, Emetuche has served as a NAMB church planter in Ohio and Washington. Before coming to the United States, he served as a pastor in Nigeria and a missionary/church planter in Ivory Coast. He speaks English, French and Igbo.

Emetuche earned a bachelor of theology and master of theology degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary’s Nigerian campus and then completed a doctor of philosophy degree in missions and culture anthropology from Southern Seminary.

“It is one of the greatest blessings of my life to be able to play a role in preparing the next generation of church planters for the mission field and I am very excited that God has brought Dr. Emetuche to this role,” said Ken Weathersby, vice president of NAMB’s church planting group. “Our partnership with NOBTS has never been stronger, and I know Dr. Emetuche will only build and improve on the solid partnership and cooperation that already exists.

“His personal background and his Ph.D. in cultural anthropology have made him well-equipped for the challenges of church planting,” Weathersby said. “It helps him understand the diversity and complexity of our land and he knows that our church planting efforts must take on many forms and approaches, while always lifting up Christ as the one and only means to the salvation our land so desperately needs.”

The first African professor at NOBTS, Emetuche is part of a faculty that is becoming more and more international. The faculty now includes Korean-born Deok Jae Lee; Jake Roudkovski, born in Kazakhstan; and Cuban-born David Lema. Kelley said these men are bringing a “global voice” to the seminary’s faculty and provide a richer learning experience for students.

The trustees approved two new certificate training sites in Florida: First Baptist Church Sweetwater was approved to host certificate courses, while the Gulfstream Baptist Association in Plantation will serve as a training site for Spanish-speaking students.

Trustees also approved a faculty rank adjustment for Dan Warner, a ministry-based faculty member serving at the Orlando Hub. Warner was moved from assistant professor to associate professor of Old Testament and archaeology.
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Gary D. Myers is director of public relations at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.