New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) is a

Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

theological institute A Bible college, sometimes referred to as a Bible institute or theological institute or theological seminary, is an evangelical Christian or Restoration Movement Christian institution of higher education which prepares students for Christian minis ...

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

. It is affiliated with the

Southern Baptist Convention The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), alternatively the Great Commission Baptists (GCB), is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist organization, the largest Protestant, and the second-largest Chr ...

. Missions and evangelism are core focuses of the seminary. NOBTS offers doctoral, master, bachelor, and associate degrees. The seminary has 13 graduate centers in 5 states, 11 undergraduate centers in 5 states, and 13 on-campus research centers. The main campus is situated on over 70 acres with more than 70 buildings.

History

The

founded the institution as the Baptist Bible Institute during the 1917 convention meeting in New Orleans. New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, or NOBTS for short, was the first institution created as a direct act of the Southern Baptist Convention. The institutes's purpose was centered on missionary work, and initially established as gateway to Central America. The Seminary started as the Baptist Bible Institute in the Garden District and later relocated to the current location in the heart of Gentilly. On May 17, 1946, the SBC revised the institutes' charter to enable it to become a seminary, and the name was changed to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Missions and evangelism have remained the core focus of the seminary. In 1953, it relocated from Washington Avenue in the Garden District to a more spacious campus in the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans. The school purchased a pecan orchard and transformed it into what is now a bustling campus over 100 buildings, including academic buildings, faculty and staff housing, and student housing. The new campus was designed by noted Louisiana architect A. Hays Town. In 1995, a campus was established at the

Louisiana State Penitentiary The Louisiana State Penitentiary (known as Angola, and nicknamed the "Alcatraz of the South", "The Angola Plantation" and "The Farm"Sutton, Keith "Catfish".Out There: Angola angling. ''ESPN Outdoors''. May 31, 2006. Retrieved on August 25, 2010. ...

following an invitation from the prison warden, Burl Cain. The school has contributed to a significant reduction in the rate of violence in the prison. By 2022, it had opened six campuses in prisons in different states. For the year 2021-2022, it had 2,004 students.

Presidents

NOBTS has had nine presidents since its founding:

Academics

Accreditation

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary is

accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

by the Commission on Colleges of the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is a regional educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. As of 2022, the organization oversees ap ...

to award associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. The graduate programs are also accredited by the

Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) is an organization of seminaries and other graduate schools of theology. ATS has its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. History The ATS was found ...

. NOBTS is also an accredited institutional member of the

National Association of Schools of Music The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) is an association of post-secondary music schools in the United States and the principal U.S. accreditor for higher education in music. It was founded on October 20, 1924, and is based in Resto ...

and has authorization to operate in the State of Florida.

Extension centers

Archaeology

Timnah

Between 1977 and 1979,

George L. Kelm George L. Kelm (1931–2019) was Professor Emeritus of Archaeology and Biblical Backgrounds at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas. While serving there and at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, he and Amihai Mazar un ...

was serving as professor of Biblical Backgrounds and Archaeology at NOBTS when he and

Amihai Mazar Amihai "Ami" Mazar (; born November 19, 1942) is an Israeli archaeologist. Born in Haifa, Israel (then the British Mandate of Palestine), he has been since 1994 a professor at the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, h ...

uncovered biblical

Timnah Timnath or Timnah was a Philistine city in Canaan that is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible in and in connection with Samson. Modern archaeologists identify the ancient site with a tell lying on a flat, alluvial plain, located in the Sorek Valley ...

Tel Batash Timnath or Timnah was a Philistines, Philistine city in Canaan that is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible in and in connection with Samson. Modern archaeologists identify the ancient site with a Tell (archaeology), tell lying on a flat, alluvial pla ...

in the

Sorek Valley Naḥal Sorek (; ), also Soreq, is one of the largest, most important drainage basins in the Judean Hills. It is mentioned in the Book of Judges 16:4 of the Bible as the border between the ancient Philistines and the Tribe of Dan of the ancient ...

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

Gezer

In 2010 a team from NOBTS launched an effort to clear a

Canaan CanaanThe current scholarly edition of the Septuagint, Greek Old Testament spells the word without any accents, cf. Septuaginta : id est Vetus Testamentum graece iuxta LXX interprets. 2. ed. / recogn. et emendavit Robert Hanhart. Stuttgart : D ...

ite Water Shaft at Tel

Gezer Gezer, or Tel Gezer (), in – Tell Jezar or Tell el-Jezari is an archaeological site in the foothills of the Judaean Mountains at the border of the Shfela region roughly midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It is now an List of national parks ...

in Israel in cooperation with the Israeli Nature and Parks Authority and the

Israeli Antiquities Authority The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA, ; , before 1990, the Israel Department of Antiquities) is an independent Israeli governmental authority responsible for enforcing the 1978 Law of Antiquities. The IAA regulates excavation and conservatio ...

. Gezer was first explored by R.A. Stewart Macalister over a hundred years earlier, but he did not complete a study of the water system because a freak storm refilled the system with debris and Macalister abandoned the effort.
The NOBTS excavation has been chronicled in multiple sources including the

Biblical Archaeology Review ''Biblical Archaeology Review'' is a magazine appearing every three months and sometimes referred to as ''BAR'' that seeks to connect the academic study of archaeology to a broad general audience seeking to understand the world of the Bible, the ...

and the

Baptist Press Baptist Press (BP) is the official news service of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Baptist Press is a ministry assignment of the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention. Baptist P ...

. In 2011 Dennis Cole, Dan Warner and Jim Parker from NOBTS led another team in an attempt to finish the effort.

Notable alumni

William Leon Clark William Leon Clark (March 21, 1911 – March 19, 2005) was Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force. He was born in Scott County, Mississippi on March 21, 1911 and grew up in Hattiesburg and Petal. He attended Pearl River Communi ...

deputy chief of chaplains of the United States Air Force The Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force is the second senior-most Military chaplain, chaplain in the United States Air Force]Chaplain Corps holding the rank of brigadier general, and acting as principal deputy to the Chief of ...

1966-1968. * Grady C. Cothen, author, university and seminary president, pastor, state convention executive secretary-director of the Southern Baptist Convention * Raleigh Kirby Godsey, president of

Mercer University Mercer University is a Private university, private Research university, research university in Macon, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining university status in 1837, it is the oldest private university in the s ...

(1979–2006) * G. Earl Guinn (1912-2004), president

Louisiana College Louisiana Christian University (LC) is a private Baptist university in Pineville, Louisiana. It enrolls 1,100 to 1,200 students. It is affiliated with the Louisiana Baptist Convention (Southern Baptist Convention). Louisiana Christian Univer ...

from 1951 to 1975 *

Richard Land Richard D. Land (born 1946) was the president of Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina, a post he held from July 2013 until his retirement in 2021. Formerly he served as president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission ...

, president of

Southern Evangelical Seminary Southern Evangelical Seminary is a Christian college and seminary that started in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1992, United States. In April of 2025, the schools moved to Rock Hill, SC. History The seminary was established in 1992 by Norman Gei ...

outside

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...

Russell D. Moore Russell D. Moore (born 9 October 1971) is an American Theology, theologian, Christian ethics, ethicist, and preacher. In June 2021, he became the director of the Public Theology Project at ''Christianity Today'', and on August 4, 2022, was announ ...

, president of the

Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) is the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, the second-largest Christian Christianity in the United States#Major denominational families, denomination in the United States. Bren ...

of the

* J. Randall O'Brien, president of Carson-Newman College in

Jefferson City, Tennessee Jefferson City (originally named Mossy Creek) is a city in Jefferson County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Morristown Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the population was 8,419. Histor ...

Paige Patterson L. Paige Patterson (born October 19, 1942) is a Baptist former administrator from the United States. He served as president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina, from 1992 to 2003, as president of the Souther ...

, former president of

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is a Baptist theological institute in Fort Worth, Texas. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. It was established in 1908 and in 2005 was one of the largest seminaries in the wor ...

David Platt David Andrew Platt (born 10 June 1966) is an English retired football coach and player who played as a midfielder. Born in Chadderton, Lancashire, Platt began his career as an apprentice at Manchester United before moving to Crewe Alexandra, wh ...

, president of the

International Mission Board The International Mission Board (or IMB, formerly the Foreign Mission Board) is a Baptist Christian missionary society affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). The headquarters is in Richmond, Virginia. History Thousands of sma ...

(2014-); pastor-teacher of McLean Bible Church (2017-); pastor of The Church at Brook Hills (2006-2014); author of ''

Radical Radical (from Latin: ', root) may refer to: Politics and ideology Politics *Classical radicalism, the Radical Movement that began in late 18th century Britain and spread to continental Europe and Latin America in the 19th century *Radical politics ...

'' *

Adrian Rogers Adrian Pierce Rogers (September 12, 1931 – November 15, 2005) was an American Baptist pastor and conservative author. He served three terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention (1979–1980 and 1986–1988). Early life and educatio ...

, president of the

(1979–1980 and 1986–1988); pastor of

Bellevue Baptist Church Bellevue Baptist Church is a Baptist megachurch in the Cordova area of Memphis, Tennessee, United States. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Bellevue was once the largest church in the Memphis area. Bellevue's goals are to "Lo ...

(1972-2005); founder of

Love Worth Finding Love Worth Finding is an American radio and television ministry founded by Adrian Rogers, who was the president and CEO, as well as the chairman of the board of directors of it before his death. In 2003, it could be seen and heard worldwide on mo ...

Anis Shorrosh Anis Shorrosh (; January 6, 1933 – May 13, 2018) was a Palestinian Evangelical Christian author, speaker, and pastor who wrote many books and participated in debates with Muslim author Ahmad Deedat. Biography Born in Nazareth, he became a ref ...

(1933–2018), Palestinian Evangelical Christian author, speaker, and pastor *

Argile Smith Argile Asa Smith Jr. (born July 9, 1955) is an American clergyman and academic administrator who served as interim president of Louisiana Christian University from August 2014 to April 2015. Background Born in Poplarville, Mississippi, Smith rece ...

(born 1955), former J. D. Grey professor of preaching at NOBTS *

Jerry Vines Charles Jerry Vines (born September 1937) is an American preacher and former pastor of what was then the nation's third largest Southern Baptist church, the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida. Like his former co-pastor Homer G. Linds ...

, president of the

(1989–1990); pastor of

First Baptist Church of Jacksonville The First Baptist Church of Jacksonville is a Baptist megachurch in Downtown Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. As of 2023, First Baptist Church has 2,100 members and an average attendance of around ...

(1982-2006).

Politics

* Doug Collins, member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, chaplain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. *

Mike Keown Michael Huel Keown (born May 11, 1954) is an American and a Republican former member of the Georgia House of Representatives from District 173, first elected in 2004. In 2010, he did not seek reelection and was the Republican nominee in the 2 ...

, member of the

Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republican Party (United States), Repu ...

Stacey Pickering Stacey Eugene Pickering (born July 12, 1968) is from Laurel, Mississippi, United States. He has served as a Mississippi State Senator, as State Auditor of Mississippi, as executive director of the Mississippi Veterans Affairs Board, and in the M ...

(born 1968), former

state auditor of Mississippi The state auditor of Mississippi is an elected official in the executive branch of Government of Mississippi, Mississippi's state government. The duty of the state auditor is to ensure accountability in the use of funds appropriated by the state l ...

* David A. Sampson, former

United States deputy secretary of commerce The United States deputy secretary of commerce is a high-ranking position within the United States Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce. It was created on December 13, 1979, when President Jimmy Carter sent a letter to the United Sta ...

; president and CEO of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI). * Laurie Schlegel, member of the

Louisiana House of Representatives The Louisiana House of Representatives (; ) is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. This chamber is composed of 105 representatives, each of whom represents approximately 4 ...

* Jeremy Lee Yancey, former Mississippi state senator and unsuccessful candidate for

state treasurer In the state and territorial governments of the United States, 54 of the 56 states and territories have the executive position of treasurer. New York abolished the office of New York State Treasurer in 1926, in which the duties were transfer ...

of Mississippi.

Notable faculty

* John T. Christian, Baptist preacher, author and educator *

Benjamin Harlan Benjamin Harlan is a Professor of Church Music at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He became the second dean of the School of Church Music at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1995. He is an internationally known arranger and ...

, internationally-known arranger and composer of choral and keyboard works *

, discovered and excavated ancient

between 1977 and 1979 while at NOBTS *

Clark Pinnock Clark H. Pinnock (February 3, 1937 – August 15, 2010) was a Canadian theologian, apologist, and author. He was Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology at McMaster Divinity College. Education and career Pinnock was born in Toronto, Ontario, ...

, Christian theologian, apologist and author. He was Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology at McMaster Divinity College. * Frank Stagg, theologian

References

External links

* * {{authority control Universities and colleges in New Orleans Seminaries and theological colleges in Louisiana Universities and colleges established in 1917 Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Seminaries and theological colleges affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention Baptist organizations established in the 20th century 1917 establishments in Louisiana