Journal: Journal for Baptist Theology & Ministry
Volume: JBTM 17:2 (Fall 2020)
Article: Theological Education Delivered To You: The Extension Centers And Online Learning
Author: Norris C. Grubbs

JBTM 17:2 (Fall 2020) p. 315

Theological Education Delivered To You:
The Extension Centers And Online Learning

Norris Grubbs

Norris Grubbs is provost and professor of New Testament and Greek at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary was one of the pioneers of theological education through extension centers and online learning. Extension center education partners with the local churches to offer accredited theological training to equip leaders where they are called to serve. Many extension centers are located in a local church setting. Extension center education allows students who feel called to further their theological training the opportunity to do so without having to move to New Orleans.

Extensions Center Beginnings

NOBTS began extension center education during Dr. Landrum P. Leavell II’s presidency. The first extension center work was in partnership with the Home Mission Board and the Florida Baptist Convention. In 1979, the seminary helped begin an “ethnic center” for training in South Florida, reaching Hispanic and Haitian pastors. Not long after that, Dr. John Sullivan, pastor of Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana, encouraged the seminary to start a center for training in Shreveport. A series of undergraduate off-campus centers began in 1979 under the leadership of Dr. Jerry Breazeale, the dean of the School of Christian Training (later called Leavell College). The first extension centers offered a portion of the Associate of Divinity degree and included Boaz, Alabama; Tampa, Florida; Shreveport, Louisiana; and North Georgia. One goal of extension work was to give opportunities for theological training to those who were already serving in a local church but did not feel called to leave their ministries. Dr. Jimmy Dukes, former dean of the extension centers, remarked, “We were able in the early years to reach out particularly to pastors who had not gotten theological training and were not considering theological training because it was so far away. They had families and responsibilities and could not ‘pull up stakes’ and

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move to campus. So, we reached out to those kinds of people in the five southeastern states.” Starting an extension close to where the students were serving in ministry allowed them to gain quality theological training without relocating to New Orleans.

Dukes began to work with the undergraduate extensions in 1983 and helped expand the program. The seminary knew that traditionally 40% of Southern Baptist pastors had no higher education or theological training, so the need for theological training was great, specifically with the undergraduate program. Dukes commented, “I remembe...