NOBTS Church Training Institute graduates equipped to serve and lead in churches

DULUTH, Ga. — For the second year in a row, graduates of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s Church Training Institute in Georgia were celebrated at a commencement ceremony marked by dignity, gratitude, and gospel purpose. Held once again at Cross Pointe Church in Duluth, the event on Thursday, May 8, brought together families, faculty, and mission leaders to honor the hard work and calling of a diverse group of students equipped to serve the local church.

Dr. Robert Wilson, associate professor of Christian Ministry at Leavell College and director of the Certificate Program in Georgia and Alabama, presided over the ceremony. Wilson, who has helped establish certificate centers across the Southeast, welcomed graduates with warmth and poise.

Andy Childs, assistant executive director of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, delivered a greeting on behalf of Georgia Baptists and offered a prayer of commissioning. Speaking directly to the graduates and their families, he said, "On behalf of Thomas Hammond and the 3,200-plus Georgia Baptist churches, we celebrate with you and we recognize your diligence, your discipline. We also celebrate your commitment."

Childs emphasized that the moment marked not an end but a beginning. "Understanding that this completion today, these certificates you receive, is not the end of the task but really in some ways the beginning. As you step back into the local church, we know the local church is God's plan A and there's no plan B. Your Georgia Baptist Mission Board exists for one purpose, and that is to serve churches to advance the gospel."

The charge to the graduates was once again delivered by Dr. Chet Harvey, pastor of discipleship at Hebron Baptist Church in Dacula and director of the North Georgia extension center for NOBTS. In a message that was both practical and deeply spiritual, Harvey encouraged the graduates to celebrate the milestone but not to rest in it.

"You made it. I hope that you feel honored today because I know this was a long time coming for you. And you put in the work to get here today. So, we celebrate you. Obviously, more than anything, we want to glorify our Lord. But we do want to celebrate you," he said.

Harvey drew on a vivid sports analogy to frame his biblical charge. "My favorite sport is basketball... When you're on defense, you can take a charge. And that means to stand your ground. You have been equipped to stand your ground when it comes to knowing the Bible, when it comes to speaking your faith."

Yet, Harvey challenged the graduates to go further. "Jesus told his disciples... that the gates of hell would not stand. Now, we all know gates don't move. People move. So, we are called to charge the gates of hell."

Preaching from Philippians 3, Harvey reminded students not to put their confidence in credentials or accomplishments, but in Christ alone. "Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ... I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ, my Lord."

Harvey continued, "This is an incredible honor for you. But of course, this is not what makes you a Christ follower. This is not what gets you saved. This is what helps you to now equip others to pass on what you have been given... Wherever God takes you through in life, know that He is going before you and know that you can charge the gates of hell."

The New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s Church Training Institute offers eight one-hour courses across various ministry disciplines, leading to a certificate in Biblical Ministry and Biblical Teaching. The courses are designed to be accessible and affordable, with professors required to hold at least 18 graduate hours in their teaching subject.

Now with four in-person institutes across Georgia—in Duluth, Columbus, East Point, and Warner Robins—the program continues to grow, training lay leaders and church staff for faithful service in their congregations.

Childs closed his remarks with a prayer that summed up the spirit of the day: "We thank You that this moment is not the end, but it's a comma, not a period. That they might continue in ministry in the local church and that together we can do what we can never do apart, that You would get the glory through Your bride, your church."

The graduates left the ceremony with certificates in hand and a clear challenge: to apply what they have learned in service to their local churches and communities.