Journal: Journal for Baptist Theology & Ministry
Volume: JBTM 17:2 (Fall 2020)
Article: Portraits Of The NOBTS Presidents
Author: Chuck Kelley

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Portraits Of The NOBTS Presidents

Chuck Kelley

Chuck Kelley is president emeritus and distinguished research professor of Evangelism at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Introduction

The first formal responsibility for a new faculty member at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary is participation in the New Faculty Orientation. At that orientation, the president gives a greeting, and the Provost leads the new faculty members through all the procedures and processes—the “hows and whys” of life as a professor at the seminary. One August, our Provost Dr. Steve Lemke asked me, “Why don’t you take the new faculty through the portraits of the NOBTS presidents in the DeMent Room?” Lining the walls of that conference room are portraits of each of the men who have served as President of the Seminary. That spontaneous suggestion has become a tradition that faculty have come to enjoy. Imagine you are the newest faculty member at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Let me introduce you to our history by introducing you to the men who have led this School of Providence and Prayer through the years.

Byron Hoover Dement (1917–1928)

In 1917, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) did something it had never done before; the Convention voted to create a Seminary from scratch. Two other seminaries existed, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Texas. Both schools were started independently and adopted by the Convention. This time the SBC wanted to create a school in the city of New Orleans. That vote was taken, and so the task began. How in the world, and why in the world, and what in the world do you do to start a school from scratch? The first task of the men assigned these responsibilities was to find a President for this new school. God led them to a man who was well-known in Southern Baptist life named Byron Hoover DeMent. He was a pastor who served churches in several different states, and he was an educator who taught in a variety of

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schools. DeMent was very well-educated by the standards of the day, in particular having a Th.D. from Southern Seminary. When the original trustees of the school shared their vision, he was quick to accept.

Two things stand out about Dr. DeMent: his deep love for the Bible and his passion for evangelism and missions. As a young man, DeMent had memorized the New Testament and was quite well-known for quoting lengthy passages of Scripture whenever he preached. An emphasis on evangelism was a priority in each place he served. After he was selected as the president of the seminary, he studied the models of other schools. One of his most inter...