Journal: Journal for Baptist Theology & Ministry
Volume: JBTM 22:2 (Fall 2025)
Article: Byron H. Dement And The Baptist Bible Institute On The Word Of God
Author: James K. Dew

Byron H. Dement And The Baptist Bible Institute On The Word Of God

James K. Dew

and

Chris Shaffer

Jamie Dew serves as the ninth President and as Professor of Christian Philosophy New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Chris Shaffer serves as Chief of Staff and Assistant Professor of Theology at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

In 1917, at their annual meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, Southern Baptists created a yet to be named theological institution—the first one created by direct action of the Southern Baptist Convention. Upon creation, the first Board of Directors set about finding a president to lead the charge, and they quickly determined that Byron, Hoover DeMent, then pastor of First Baptist Church of Greenwood, South Carolina was the best choice. Previously, DeMent had served on the theological faculty of Baylor University and as a member of the faculty at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. DeMent had also faithfully served as a pastor of several churches including Twenty-Second and Walnut Street Baptist Church in Louisville in Kentucky and the First Baptist Church of Waco in Texas. The Board of Directors unanimously agreed that this pastor and academician was the right man for the job as president of the fledgling institution.

DeMent was elected President of the Baptist Bible Institute (BBI) in the summer of 1917, officially beginning his position on October 1, 1917. He capably led the new institution, setting her on a path for health and longevity that continues 108 years later. Among many of his contributions to the institution, one of the most important was his commitment to sound doctrine.

From her founding, the institution has been centered on the study of God’s Word and the preparation of men and women for the work that God has called them to do wherever He might lead. At the 1918 Southern Baptist Convention, Dr. DeMent and the BBI Board of Directors submitted a report that noted the “institution shall center around the study of the Bible as the Word of God . . . to secure training for service by training through service . . . [and] to strive to inspire [students] with a passion for souls and a willingness to yield themselves in sacrificial service to

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Jesus Christ as Lord in the evangelization and upbuilding of the world of today.”1

In April 1918, a committee of the Board of Directors was appointed to compose a statement of principles for the new institution. The resulting document, The Articles of Religious Belief, was approved by the trustees in May 1918 and has been the accepted statement of faith for the school since that time. Every person ...