NOBTS President to Explore Christianity’s Eternal Relevance During Annual Spell Lecture at MC
Many people in American society no longer believe that Christianity has a place in the culture and consider the faith largely irrelevant to their lives.
One of the most engaging leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention will challenge Mississippi College faculty and students, local pastors, and church leaders to consider this reality and demonstrate the eternal relevance of Christianity.
James “Jamie” K. Dew Jr., president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, will present the annual Spell Lecture, “Is Christianity Still Relevant Today?” from 5-6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 9, upstairs in Provine Chapel. Sponsored by the Christian Studies Department, the lecture series focuses on the Bible and theology.
It is named after Dr. Howard E. Spell, a former professor of Bible and dean of the college who retired from MC in 1973 after 37 years of service.
Dew said he was interested in speaking at Mississippi College because the Christian University is a “great partner school” to the NOBTS.
“We are a great option for (Christian Studies students) to continue their education and to prepare here for the ministry in which God has called them,” Dew said. “We want them to prepare here so they can serve anywhere. That is our goal – it’s what the School of Providence and Prayer (at NOBTS) is all about.
“The Spell Lectures are fantastic and I am honored to be invited. I want those who come to the lecture to see that Christianity is relevant to them.”
According to Evan Lenow, associate professor and chair, director of church and minister relations, and director of the Clinton extension of NOBTS on the MC campus, Dew was the ideal candidate to deliver the lecture.
“The goal of the Spell Lecture Series is to expose the MC community to scholars and thought leaders in Biblical studies and theology so that we can be better prepared to defend our faith,” said Lenow, a classmate of Dew’s in the master’s and doctoral programs at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. “Dr. Dew is a young, energetic leader who will continue to shape the future of NOBTS and the SBC for years to come.
“It is an honor to have someone of Dr. Dew’s stature give the Spell lecture.”
He said Dew was selected to present the annual lecture for a number of reasons.
“The relationship between MC and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary continues to grow stronger year after year,” Lenow said. “MC has four freshmen this year who are children of NOBTS faculty and staff.
“Dr. Dew holds exceptional academic credentials, including two Ph.D.s. He has authored several books, including “Philosophy: A Christian Introduction,” co-authored with Paul Gould, and “Understanding Postmodernism: A Christian Perspective,” co-authored with Stewart E. Kelly.”
Dew was elected the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s ninth president on June 5, 2019, by a unanimous vote of the NOBTS Board of Trustees. In accepting the position, he said, “I’m humbled to the core of my being. I’m going to give you everything I have. I believe we’re going to have a fantastic time as we go forward together.”
He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in theological studies from SEBTS and a Doctor of Philosophy in philosophy from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. He obtained his Master of Divinity in pastoral ministry from SEBTS and his B.S. in Biblical studies from Toccoa Falls College, Georgia.
Before coming to NOBTS, Dew served as vice president of undergraduate studies and distance learning and associate professor of philosophy and the history of ideas at SEBTS. He served as senior pastor of Stony Hill Baptist Church in Wake Forest, North Carolina, for eight years and in a variety of church ministry positions, including minister to adults, youth minister, and interim pastor.
Dew and his wife, Tara, are the parents of two sets of twins: Natalie and Nathan, and Samantha and Samuel. Tara Dew earned her Doctor of Education degree focused on the preparedness of pastors’ wives at SEBTS.
For more information about the Spell Lecture at MC, email LaJune White at white19@mc.edu.
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