The NOBTS Global Mission Center (GMC) has launched a new lecture series focused on the topic of missiology.

The first ever “Freeman-Bigler Missions Lecture,” named after the first known NOBTS students to serve as foreign missionaries, was held Oct. 29 and featured the IMB’s Zane Pratt speaking about ecclesiology and its connection to the missionary task.

Pratt serves as the theologian-in-residence and senior ambassador for seminary partnerships for the International Mission Board.

The GMC is planning to host presentations from notable missions experts as part of this regular lecture series either annually or bi-annually from now on.

Greg Mathias, director of the Global Mission Center and associate professor of global missions, is excited about offering the lecture series to local ministry leaders.

“We wanted to have a venue where not only our students can benefit from us, but we can be a resource to local churches and pastors as well as even our faculty,” Mathias said.

“The topic of missions is connected to rich theology. When it comes to missions, we need to exercise our minds in addition to our hearts and feet. I think this lecture helps pull these things together.”

Mathias wanted the lecture series to serve as a way for the GMC to showcase its offerings and resources as an academic Center.

In addition to Pratt’s lecture, the GMC provided other missions materials for those that attended the event.

“One of the areas I think we can step up more is providing resources that can be helpful and interesting to our faculty, local churches and pastors,” he said. “Hopefully all of these resources are helpful to them as they continue to take next steps at their church in terms of missions.”

The name of the new lecture series connects back to the rich missions history of the seminary.

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary was originally founded in 1917 as the Baptist Bible Institute (BBI) by direct action of the Southern Baptist Convention to reach the city and prepare missionary candidates for service in the Americas.

Paul Freeman and Pearl Amelia Bigler were among the first students from the BBI to serve as missionaries overseas.

Freeman began attending the BBI in 1920 after serving in various ministry roles as a pastor and teacher. Freeman and his wife Clara were appointed by the Foreign Mission Board (now the IMB) in 1921. They served churches in southern Brazil until Paul’s death in 1953 after 32 years of service.

Bigler was the first known graduate of the BBI to serve as an international missionary. She graduated from the BBI in 1921 with a Bachelor of Christian Training.

Bigler applied for service with the FMB but was denied due to lack of funding. She was later financially supported through her childhood church, Tabernacle Baptist Church in Macon, Ga., and left for missionary service in Brazil in 1926.

She returned to Georgia in 1965 after 40 years of service on the field and died four years later.

Mathias said naming the lecture series after the two missionaries is a sign of respect but is also meant to inspire future missionaries by looking back to the past.

“We named the lecture series after these two people to celebrate our seminary’s rich missions history,” he said.

“They had a lifetime of going to be on the mission field. We want to continue the conversation about missions and hopefully inspire a new generation to go and serve as missionaries.

Pratt’s full lecture can be viewed here.