In a recognition of achievements that advance God’s Kingdom, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary concluded the spring semester by celebrating the academic contributions of students and faculty.
“We are here today, not to recognize one as better than another, but to celebrate what many of us have done with their gifts and their abilities for the glory of God,” said Chuck Kelley, NOBTS President.
Drawing from Titus 3:7-8, Kelley said the annual Celebration of Excellence chapel service honors the accomplishments of students and faculty that serve to benefit all believers.
“As we celebrate excellence, we celebrate that which is excellent and profitable to everyone,” Kelley said.
Faculty awards included three Marvin Jones Awards for Excellence, given in honor of Louisiana minister of education, church planter and former faculty member Marvin Jones. Recipients included Dr. Loretta Rivers, professor of social work, as Outstanding Classroom Teacher; Dr. Robert Stewart, professor of philosophy and theology, as Outstanding Research Professor; and Dr. Bill Warren, professor of New Testament and Greek, as Outstanding Faculty Churchman.
Published works by faculty members this academic year include: In Defense of Doctrine: Evangelicalism, Theology, and Scripture by Dr. Rhyne Putman, assistant professor of theology and culture; God and Cosmology: William Lane Craig and Sean Carroll in Dialogue by Dr. Robert Stewart; and Acts: A New Vision of the People of God by Dr. Gerald Stevens, professor of New Testament and Greek.
Three faculty members received Ola Farmer Lenaz grants for research and writing: Dr. Ian Jones, professor of psychology and counseling as a guest professorship at Morling College, Australia; Dr. Craig Price, professor of New Testament to study with preeminent textual scholar Stanley E. Porter; and Dr. Gerald Stevens for continued research at the Asia Minor Research Center in Antalya, Turkey.
Recipients of the Outstanding Student in Degree Programs Awards were: Stephanie Cline, Master of Arts in Christian Education; Todd Joseph Kirk, Master of Divinity in Christian Education; Jordy Charles Rousse, Master of Music in Church Music; Russell K. Zwerner, Master of Divinity; and Alana Knight and DaSom Kim, Baccalaureate Program.
Other outstanding student award recipients included: Stephanie Cline, Baptist Association of Christian Educators Award in Christian Education; Vinh T. Nguyen, Zondervan Hebrew Award; Fabio Miguel Castellanos, Zondervan Greek Award and the Jack and Juanita Cunningham Scholarship; Ryan Ralston, C.C. Randall Award in Evangelism; Bryan M. Coble, David and Sue Meacham Award for Outstanding Church Planting Student; Sara Black, James A. Headrick Award for Excellence in Christian Counseling; Hyuna Choe Franklin; Zondervan Theology Award; Thomas Doughty, Jr., Daniel H. Holcomb Christian History Award; Kasia Ridgeway, Excellence in Missional Living Award; Michael Steinmetz, Broadman and Holman Seminarian Award; and Jessie J. Charpentier, Sr., LifeWay Pastoral Leadership Award.
Receiving the Robert S. Magee Doctoral Fellowship award for academic achievement and scholarly potential in the research doctoral program were Cory Barnes and Michael Ridgeway.
