Jan. 21, 2008 | By Paul F. South
Another campus organization has been revived at post-Katrina New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. The Student Theological Fellowship, a combination of scholarship and fellowship, will meet on Thursday, Jan. 24 in the Creole Room.
A group of on campus doctoral students met last month to discuss restarting the fellowship, which had lain dormant since 2005, newly-elected STF President Christopher Black said.
The brown bag/Dutch treat luncheon meetings will feature speakers. However, members will also be able to present papers on theological issues.
The initial impetus for the renewal of the fellowship was to bring together doctoral students scattered by hurricane Katrina. However, the scope of membership has been broadened to include masters and undergraduate students.
“The community of academia was totally shattered by Katrina,” Black said. “Re-establishing this community was the original goal. We just wanted to expand it a little bit more so that we would have meetings that incorporated other people in the seminary. The STF was already an established fellowship within the seminary system. We were excited to be able to step into that role.”
Black added, “We’re opening up to all faculty, staff and students, so Leavell College is included in that. It’s geared toward people who are interested in theological thought. It will be focused on some lectures, fellowship time, networking, figuring out how to interact with the community in theological ways, those types of things. The focus is on theology.”
Members will be able to present papers in a friendlier atmosphere than in more formal academic conclaves, which can be cost-prohibitive for students. Black will present a paper on the atonement at the Jan. 24 meeting.
Mentoring is another benefit of STF membership.
“One of the goals of the fellowship is to help promote the programs here at the school, to help get people who are undecided make a decision on whether or not to get involved in the PhD program. Mentoring is part of that,” Black said. “If someone is sitting on the fence, we can tell them what to expect.”
Page Brooks, an instructor in theology, was a member of the STF before Katrina. Four or five students came together at the encouragement of the faculty in 2001. The goal was simple:
“We wanted to bring together a group of students for fellowship who wanted to talk on theological topics and sharpen each other academically by presenting papers, having discussions and debates and fostering an appreciation for theology on campus,” Brooks said.
The organization also provided volunteer manpower for the Greer-Heard Point-Counterpoint Forum in its early days, as well as for other campus events. The group also sponsored a paper writing competition.
“Most of all, it provided a good forum to talk about theology, where you would normally not have it anyway,” Brooks said. “It was kind of a dedicated time where you could do things you might normally do in the coffee shop.”
Brooks hopes the revived STF will accomplish two goals.
“I hope that they will increase the love for theology in students. I hope people would see the way by which theology influences every area of study in seminary and in practical ministry, from philosophy to preaching,” Brooks said.
He added, "Student groups like the student theological fellowship allow students to gather and have a place to grow in spirit and truth. It is a place where 'iron can sharpen iron.'"
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