Last month, I wrote about my time with friends at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. The school has a unique place in the Great Commission Resurgence that is needed across my denomination and the church in general.

After Katrina hit, the school had its big chance to get out of what most people would consider a bad neighborhood (New Orleans' 9th Ward) and move to greener pastures (like their new "hubs" in Orlando and Atlanta). But, they didn't. They upgraded their centers, but their stayed in the city. And, I think it is great that they did.

Yes, New Orleans Seminary is not in a "nice" area... and isn't it good that Christians can go to places that are not nice? When I visited, I saw that the neighborhoods are still in disarray... but not the seminary. They are working hard, hosting volunteers to serve and reach the city, and being on mission in a hard place. And, I respect Chuck Kelley (and the trustees) for deciding to stay.

The Journal

For more about New Orleans and the ministry there, you really must read the latest issue of their journal. There is no theological journal in the world that can address the issue the issue of "dealing with distaster" in the same way-- they lived it. Many students and faculty lost their homes and possessions. The National Guard actually based out of their campus during the crisis.

So, I encourage you to read the most recent issue of the Baptist Center for Theology and Ministry Journal, Baptists Ministering in the Midst of Disaster. I serve as a "fellow" of the Baptist Center, and must say this is the best issue to date. (I think I am contributing to the next issue, so its quality will go way down... grin.)

Churches of Excellence

The Baptist Center also has a neat new initiative called "Churches of Excellence." They recognize churches that meet certain criteria, and the examples are worth a look. You can learn more about that project here. They have added missions giving to their list of qualification-- an important addition if you ask me.

The Leavell Center

New Orleans has several good "centers." That must be a seminary thing.

One of those is called the Leavell Center for Evangelism and Church Health. As I indicated earlier, they will soon be looking for a new director. They are the source of a stat I cite frequently: according to Bill Day, 89% of churches in my denomination are not growing through healthy evangelistic growth.

Their staff recently did a good job reporting on our recent church revitalization conference.

Upcoming Conference

One quick plug: come join us here.