Hurricane Katrina was the major topic of conversation at the annual New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) Alumni Dinner held at Whitesburg Baptist Church, Huntsville.
“The good news is that the bad news is behind us,” said Reggie Ogea, director of doctor of ministry program at NOBTS.
“Many of you saw what we couldn’t see,” Ogea said. “We were in a black hole for two weeks and had no communication. There are pictures that I still haven’t seen, that I don’t want to see.”
Ogea showed a presentation that included headlines of news stories and pictures of the destruction.
Headlines began with the day of the flooding — “Levee failure engulfs city of New Orleans with flood waters” — and included “Seminary begins recovery effort,” “Southern Baptists respond with outpouring of support for seminary families” and “Trustees keep seminary in New Orleans,” ending with “Restoration work continues on campus.”
Alumni were visibly moved at the photos of destruction on the NOBTS campus.
Ogea reported that three weeks after the floods the light in the steeple of the chapel was shining. It is still shining, one of the few lights visible to many parts of New Orleans.
In addition to serving as a beacon to the darkened city, there is an added benefit to having electricity.
Police protection
“New York State Police came in to protect the city,” he explained. “Because we are one of the few areas in the city with power and water, they are staying on our campus and have protected it from looting.”
Ogea chronicled other blessings, which included a freeze by the Cooperative Program of the enrollment numbers.
“The formula for funding is based on current enrollment,” he said. “The Cooperative Program froze the numbers for three years. That’s huge. It will enable us to recover.”
The school was also well insured, which should provide the funds to rebuild.
According to Ogea, a lot of the demolition has been completed, although the debris has not been removed yet. The seminary will need many volunteers for the next year to help meet a range of needs.
“Please engage and schedule groups from your church,” he urged. “We can handle 500 people per week on campus. Even though we will get money from the insurance company, missions teams can save us the labor.”
Ogea suggested that those wanting to help should contact Bob and Linda Jackson, a missionary couple who are coordinating the volunteer efforts. The Jacksons can be reached by e-mail at bob@missionlab.com or 404-284-1458.
NOBTS plans to have a limited spring semester starting January 2006. Because student housing will not be ready, classes will be held only two days per week and limited to those students who are able to commute.
By the fall of 2006, the school should be able to expand its on-campus offerings.
Expressing hope and optimism about the future of the seminary, Ogea said, “Baptists have not been in the majority in New Orleans for a long time but something is going on. God is moving. We will be much more of a light than we ever were b
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