Larry Lyon, senior vice president for business administration for New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, has been named president of Truett McConnell University in Cleveland, Ga.
Lyon was unanimously elected as president in a special-called meeting of the Truett McConnell Board of Trustees on Monday, Feb. 2.
He will officially begin his duties as president of TMU on April 1.
Lyon has served at NOBTS since 2019, first as vice president of enrollment and later as senior vice president for business administration beginning in 2021.
Before coming to New Orleans, Lyon worked for Southeastern Seminary as director of enrollment, where he developed a close relationship with NOBTS President Jamie Dew.
Appointing Lyon as a vice president was Dew’s first official action as NOBTS president just weeks after his election by the Board of Trustees in June 2019.
“I chose Dr. Lyon for his role because he is a wonderful leader, a great innovator and he has the ability to handle organizational details,” Dew said. “Plus, it was helpful to me to have somebody that I trusted on a deeply personal level.
“The vice president for business administration is one of the most significant and critical roles within our institution. This person oversees all financial matters, everything related to facilities, insurance and so much more. Without a strong leader in this role, your institution will surely flounder. Dr. Lyon has given us great strength and stability at NOBTS and we have benefited greatly from his leadership.”
In his role as senior vice president of business administration, Lyon was a member of the president’s executive cabinet and served as the institution's chief financial and operating officer, providing executive leadership across business operations, enrollment, facilities, human resources and institutional administration.
Under his stewardship, student-generated revenue increased by more than $2.5 million, endowment investments grew by over $17 million and the seminary completed more than $30 million in campus renovations.
Lyon is the second NOBTS faculty member to be named president of a Southern Baptist college or university in the last 12 months after Mark Johnson was named president of Louisiana Baptist College in early 2025.
Dew said although he is sad to lose Lyon, he is also excited for the excellent leadership he will provide Truett McConnell.
“I’m thrilled that Dr. Lyon is going to be the new president of Truett McConnell University,” Dew said.
“He is a steady hand, a calm voice, a kind leader and a man of deep theological and moral conviction. In addition to that, I’ve watched him lead large groups of people in two separate institutions now. Everybody that works for Dr. Lyon absolutely loves him.
“We always hate to lose people, but we’re excited to see our folks take presidencies, especially in our partner Baptist universities. I think it is a great blessing and symbol of health that these schools have looked to our people for these leadership roles. The ethos and health of our institution at this moment serves our students very well, but now we have the opportunity to reach other institutions and provide strength for them.”
Lyon, a Georgia native, earned a Bachelor of Science in Christian Ministry from Shorter University in Rome, Ga., before earning both a Master of Divinity in Christian Apologetics and a Ph.D in Theological Studies with a specialization in Christian Ethics from Southeastern. His doctoral research focused on the public theology of Francis Schaeffer.
Lyon served as professor of ethics at NOBTS, teaching courses in Christian ethics, theology of sexuality and gender, and current ethical issues at both the graduate and doctoral levels.
He has been married to his wife Stephanie for 24 years and they have three daughters: Anna Kate (20), Abby (18) and Maggie (11).
Stephanie became close friends with Tara Dew, wife of Jamie, during their time serving in North Carolina. Stephanie assisted Tara with developing the seminary’s Prepare Her initiatives and continued serving women throughout the Lyons’ time at NOBTS.
Additionally, Stephanie served as director of missions and ministry to women at First Baptist Church New Orleans where the Lyons are members.
“Stephanie and I have been dear friends for over 13 years,” Tara Dew said. “We were fellow pastors’ wives in NC and so our dreams came true when our husbands both came to serve at NOBTS and we could equip the same women in the same place together.
“In 2020, Stephanie helped Dr. Emily Dean and I launch our Prepare Her initiatives for NOBTS women. Stephanie spearheaded our women’s life component, encouraging women of all stages of life to engage in campus life activities. Stephanie did a phenomenal job serving the women of NOBTS through these monthly gatherings of prayer, Bible study and service.
“We will miss having Larry and Stephanie with us at NOBTS, but we are thrilled with all that God is doing in their lives and the direction He is leading them. Truett-McConnell is getting some of our best, and we are cheering for them every step of the way.”
Lyon said serving at NOBTS has been one of the highlights of his life.
“Being a part of what God is doing at NOBTS and Leavell College has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life and career,” Lyon said.
“While serving under the leadership of Dr. Jamie Dew, NOBTS has seen significant strengthening in all aspects of institutional health. Being included among those serving here at the seminary has been a privilege, and I will deeply miss the relationships and the people of this great School of Providence and Prayer. NOBTS is genuinely a place where you can prepare to serve anywhere.”
Lyon added that Jamie Dew has been much more than a president to him.
“Jamie Dew is a mentor and an unbelievably good friend,” Lyon said.
“Serving with him has taught me many things about leadership and what it means to be a godly man while serving God's Kingdom in theological education. Jamie's passion for Gospel ministry is an ever-equipping tool for those who serve with him, and I have benefited from it greatly.”
Lyon is thrilled to step into this new role to help serve Georgia Baptists, who hold a special place in his heart.
“TMU has an incredibly bright future,” Lyon said.
“Building on the legacy of faith and the Word of God, TMU is poised to continue to make an impact for God's kingdom in Georgia and to the ends of the earth. I am excited to join the TMU family and begin building relationships with the people that have made TMU an amazing place to study and serve.
"My wife and I are excited to come back home to Georgia where we were baptized by Georgia Baptists, discipled by Georgia Baptists and educated at a Georgia Baptist university. I am looking forward to serving Georgia Baptists and playing a part in raising up the next generation of leaders in our communities and in our churches. Go Bears!"
