New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (Charter, 1917)

On October 8, 1917, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary was chartered in New Orleans, marking a decisive commitment to train servants for the church and the nations. The seminary’s founding vision was simple and weighty: to prepare gospel workers who could rightly handle Scripture, shepherd congregations, and endure hardship with joy.

Key to this beginning was the steady leadership of P. I. Lipsey, a respected Baptist statesman in Louisiana whose persistence helped turn conviction into an institution. His work reflected a quiet kind of heroism—patient organizing, persuasive counsel, and faithful follow-through when results were not immediate. In an era when many good efforts stalled, Lipsey and his fellow leaders pressed forward, believing that Christ strengthens His church by equipping called men and women for lifelong ministry.

The chartering also signaled confidence in the ordinary means God uses to build His people: disciplined study, accountable community, and reverent submission to biblical authority. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, correctly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

First Classes (September 1918)

When the seminary opened its first classes in September 1918, the nation faced strain and uncertainty. World War I pressed heavily on families and churches, and the influenza pandemic soon tested public life and pastoral courage. Beginning in such a season underscored a lasting truth: the call of Christ is not suspended by crisis. The church still needs trained hands and humbled hearts, especially when fear and grief threaten to scatter the flock.

Students and faculty learned early that ministry is more than the classroom. Hard times demand prayerfulness, moral steadiness, compassion for the suffering, and courage to speak hope without pretense. The seminary’s earliest years encouraged a faith that works—love expressed in service, truth spoken with clarity, and endurance grounded in the promises of God.

Enduring Mission

From its New Orleans roots, the seminary’s purpose has pointed outward: strengthening congregations and carrying the Word to the ends of the earth. “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).