OBU Presents Hobbs Award to Dew at SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans June 14

OBU President, Dr. Heath A. Thomas presented the Herschel H. Hobbs Award for Distinguished Denominational Service to Dr. James "Jamie" K. Dew June 14 during the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Dew serves as president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College.

“OBU is delighted to honor President Jamie Dew for his incredible leadership at New Orleans Seminary,” Thomas said. “He continues to lead effective revitalization at this strategic seminary. OBU and New Orleans have a strong relationship through our B.A. to M.DIV. partnership, our shared passion for gospel advance, and our unity as institutions committed to equip the next generation of future shapers to live all of life, all for Jesus. It is fitting that we honor Dr. Dew with the Herschel H. Hobbs Award for Distinguished Denominational Service. We pray God’s continued blessings on his ministry.”

OBU’s Hobbs School partners with select seminaries, including NOBTS, to provide advanced tracks from OBU bachelor’s degrees to a Master of Divinity degree. Students can earn up to 25% of their M.Div. degree through their bachelor’s degrees at OBU, which equals up to 27 hours or one year of M.Div. work.

Students who complete a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical and Theological Studies, Christian Ministry, Cross-Cultural Ministry, or Global Marketplace Engagement from OBU will have advanced standing for M.Div. degrees from the six Southern Baptist seminaries, as well as other leading seminaries in the US. Bachelor’s degrees in philosophy or philosophy/apologetics will have classes counted towards an M.Div. as well in this partnership.

Before his calling to New Orleans, Dew served as the vice president of undergraduate studies and distance learning at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

He holds a Master of Divinity and doctorate in theological studies from SEBTS, as well as a doctorate in philosophy of mind and philosophy of religion from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom.

Dew has published a variety of academic works, made presentations at multiple conferences, and participated in academic administration for more than 20 years, the past four as president of NOBTS and Leavell College. Dew has also served in the local church as staff member, interim pastor, and pastor.

He and wife Tara are the parents of two sets of twins, Natalie and Nathan, and Samantha and Samuel.

The Hobbs Award is named to honor the noteworthy Southern Baptist denominational service of Dr. Herschel H. Hobbs, a prolific author, preacher and radio program host. Hobbs was pastor of the First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City from 1949 until 1972. He died in 1995. He is also the namesake of OBU’s Herschel H. Hobbs School of Theology and Ministry.

Previous winners and their positions of service at the time they received the Hobbs Award include Dr. Jonathan Jarboe, president and CEO of The Baptist Foundation of California; Dr. David Manner, executive director for the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists; K. Marshall Williams Sr., senior pastor of Nazarene Baptist Church of Philadelphia; Dr. Juan Sanchez, senior pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin, Texas; Dr. Anthony Jordan, executive director-treasurer of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma; Dr. Jeff Iorg, president of Gateway Seminary; Dr. Rebekah Naylor, former IMB missionary; Dr. Tom Elliff, former president of the IMB; Robert Kellogg, president and CEO of the Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma; Dr. David S. Dockery, former president of Union University and chancellor of Trinity International University; Dr. O.S. Hawkins, president of GuideStone Financial Resources; and Dr. Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.