Adam Hughes appointed director of NOBTS doctor of ministry program
By Timothy Cockes/NOBTS
NEW ORLEANS — Adam Hughes, an experienced ministry leader and associate professor of expository preaching, has been named director of the doctor of ministry program at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS).
Hughes, who has served as a ministry-based associate professor at NOBTS since June 2022, holds a doctorate in expository preaching from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and has extensive pastoral ministry experience.
Before transitioning to ministry-based faculty, Hughes served in a variety of full-time faculty positions at NOBTS, including assistant professor and dean of the church ministries division. He was most recently serving as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Bolivar, Mo.
“Dr. Adam Hughes is a perfect fit as director of the doctor of ministry program,” said NOBTS Provost Norris Grubbs.
“The doctor of ministry program is designed with a focus on practical ministry to equip those who are actively serving in ministry, so it is important to study with those who have pastoral experience. Not only is he one of the best preaching professors in the convention, but he also has a wealth of experience as a senior pastor, a love for sharing the gospel and a heart for the local church.
“Adam has taught in the DMin program in the past and has a heart for mentoring others. We see the Lord’s hand in bringing him back to fill this vital position for NOBTS.”
NOBTS President Jamie Dew spoke to the importance of the seminary’s DMin program and Hughes’ new role in leading it.
“The doctor of ministry program at NOBTS is an important opportunity for church leaders, especially our pastors, to continue to study and prepare for their ministry work,” Dew said.
“I am grateful for Dr. Adam Hughes and his willingness to take up the leadership of this program and to continue to teach at every level of our institution. I am excited for his return to campus and the work he will be doing to continue to grow and invest in this vital program.”
Hughes said he is incredibly grateful to be returning to NOBTS in a full-time capacity.
“I could not be more thrilled about my return to serve the churches, pastors and ministers of the SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) through NOBTS,” Hughes said.
“I think getting to direct the DMin at NOBTS is a position for which God has uniquely equipped and called me for this moment in time. I genuinely believe it is the best job on campus. Getting to teach, enhance and mentor those who as students are concurrently on the frontlines of ministry is extremely humbling.
“You can go your entire lifetime without an opportunity such as this. To have the privilege of joining the faculty full-time for a second time is hard to believe. I am eternally thankful for what the Lord has done and how He is directing my family during this season.”
MBTS faculty members teach on authority of Scripture in the Netherlands
By MBTS Staff
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — This summer, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS) faculty members John Meade and Peter Gurry traveled to the Netherlands to serve pastors and ministry leaders from around the globe by teaching on the authority of Scripture. The two were invited to speak at the fifth annual Preachers and Leaders Conference hosted by Tyndale Theological Seminary in Amsterdam, as well as to co-teach an intensive course titled “The History of the Bible.”
“John Meade and Peter Gurry are a gift to the modern church,” said MBTS President Jason Allen. “The trustworthiness and authority of the Bible are constantly under attack in our day. That is why I am thankful for the work of John and Peter. They have given a large part of their academic ministry to defending the Word of God. I am thankful for their recent trip to the Netherlands to strengthen and equip ministers, and I pray that their work will bear lasting fruit.”
Lasting more than two weeks, the trip was an opportunity for Meade and Gurry to help strengthen the church by giving its leaders greater confidence in the trustworthiness and authority of the Bible.
Reflecting on the importance of their topic, Gurry said, “The apostles and prophets (Ephesians 2:20) are the foundation of the church, and their teaching is only found in the Scriptures. With ongoing skepticism about the Bible — now widely spread through YouTube and social media — we want to provide responsible, historically grounded answers for Christians as they teach and preach from the Word.”
At the two-day conference, Meade and Gurry each delivered three sessions to a group of local and international ministry leaders. Meade addressed the topics of the canon of Scripture, the transmission of the Old Testament text and Israel’s scribal history. Gurry focused on the legacy of William Tyndale, the apocryphal gospels and the New Testament text’s transmission.
“In one of my sessions,” Gurry shared, “I spoke on the life and legacy of William Tyndale, the first to translate the Bible from its original languages. I explained what motivated Tyndale to suffer persecution and ultimately death in order to get the Bible into the hands of God’s people. I reminded the conference attendees that we as Christians must cherish the Bible and hand it on faithfully to the next generation.”
Following the conference, the professors taught a 10-day intensive course for seminary students at Tyndale. Their course explored the formation and preservation of the Bible, with added focus on textual issues and theological implications. Students represented a diverse group from Holland, Japan, Nigeria and Ethiopia.
“Tyndale Seminary serves the global church as well as the Dutch church,” said Meade. “Not only were these students conversing with us about the English Bible they used but also the Bibles from their countries. That situation vividly reminded me that the Bible has a very broad history, and that God’s Word has been active around the world for centuries in many different languages and countries.”
