History : The New York Divinity School

The Beginning Vision and Motto

Following the “Beginning Vision and Motto” of the NY Evangelical Seminary Fund in 1996 and 1997, there were continued discussions and the formation of an ongoing Governing Board. A wonderful Godly person donated $200,000 to the future of excellent Bible-based, Christ-centered, Spirit-led leadership and ministry training for men and women. Many others donated lesser amounts. Acquiring tax-exempt status aided that part of the ministry development. The Evangelical leaders were joined by Evangelical business leaders to incorporate the New York Evangelical Seminary Fund. The New York State Government would not allow a corporation to use the term “School” in its corporation name unless the state controlled or accredited that “School.” Nevertheless, the “working name” for the school later became the “NY Divinity School.”

The Collaboration between the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and the NY Evangelical Seminary Fund

At about the same time as the legal incorporation, a surprising, providential meeting of the new Academic Dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary [SBTS] and Dr. Paul deVries turned into a 3-hour intense discussion of the urgent spiritual needs and opportunities of NYC — and how an excellent, Godly, Bible-based, Christ-centered, Spirit-led seminary cooperation could make a huge difference. The new Academic Dean of SBTS and Dr. deVries were both at a national conference for accredited seminaries.

What happened was truly a God-encounter. The new Academic Dean of SBTS, Dr. Akin, wondered why his seminary’s extension courses drew no more than 9-10 students at a time. Dr. Paul deVries was glad to carefully articulate to him some reasons for those failures and what could be done to serve the spiritual needs in NYC more effectively. Dr. Paul’s deVries’ knowledge base included several years of high-level leadership in Christian higher education at Wheaton College in Illinois where he was an assistant dean from 1983-1989 and also at The King’s College in NY where he held an Endowed Chair in Buseness Ethics from 1989-1994, and at the Seminary of the East where he was the Extension Dean for the NYC area from 1994-1996 where Dr. deVries grew the student body from 34 to 57 students in just two years. In addition, Dr deVries had published his studies of more than 100 Bible institutes in and around NYC, based upon research he completed in 1996-1998 for the Pew Foundation. He loved to talk about the realities and needs for quality Bible-based, Christ-centred, Spirit-led higher education for NYC, and Dr. Akin was an eager listener. It helped that two of Dr. deVries’ star students from Wheaton College had become academic deans at two seminaries, and they stopted praised Dr. deVries’ good reprutation at Wheaton.

At the end of more than two hours of deep discussion, Dr Akin asked Dr. deVries to please write a detailed memo outlining those 9-10 important points that they had discussed for hours, and to fax that memo to his Louisville SBTS office as soon as possible. The Academic Dean and Dr. deVries were attending a theological education conference that ended that evening. Early the next day, Dr. Akin was flying back to Louisville, Kentucky, and Dr. deVries was flying back to NYC.

Dr. deVries was a very close friend of the main leader of Southern Baptist Association for all the Metro NYC area, which included 250 churches, the Rev. Dr. David Dean. Dr. Paul had served on the Metro NY Baptist Association’s Ministry Education Committee. As soon as Dr. deVries returned home from the theological education conference, he called Dr. Dean to share with him the wonderful news that Dr. Akin, the new Academic Dean of SBTS and he had discussed together for hours of very God-blessed agreement and hope!

However, Dr. Dean did not believe Dr. deVries at all!! Even faxing to him a copy of the memo he had now written and faxed to Dr. Akin did not help! Dr. Dean said that he had argued some of the same points with his contacts at SBTS, but always with absolutely no positive results. Nevertheless, after a few days and some phone conversations with Dr. Akin and other SBTS officers, Rev. Dr. Dean was finally won over!

A new era for the NY Baptist Association – and for the NY Evangelical Fund’s path – had begun. The NYDS Board members could work as advisors and fund-raisers, while SBTS would certainly control policies. Dr. Paul deVries was authorized as one of the coordinators. Also, he was given a lovely office in the Metro New York Baptist Association Building and also a large adjacent room for starting a quality library – all without rent. Thank you, LORD.

For the designated library room, many hundreds of precious books were immediately added through generous gifts from the late Dr. Frank E Gaebelein’s personal library. For decades, Dr. Gaebelein had been a noted New York Evangelical theologian, a prolific writer of 70 books, the founding headmaster of Stonybrook Prep School, and a giftedly leader to found and co-edit with Dr. Carl Henry the journal Christianity Today (CT) from 1956-1968. Through Dr. Gaebelein, CT gave consistent, positive Evangelical support for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, and the Civil Rights Movement, and other very important Bible-based, Christ-centred, Spirit-led public causes. Years before, as a mere high school student, Dr. Paul deVries had been profoundly moved by Dr. Gaebelein’s articles in CT. A youth minister had given him several CT issues. And now, meeting that awesome writer’s family and receiving his personal library 35 years later was a very special encouragement from the LORD for the Evangelical Seminary project.

Meanwhile, the Academic Dean at SBTS immediately and wonderfully followed through with many of Dr. Paul deVries’ memo suggestions. Among the many changes that he immediately supported were:

The NY extension of SBTS was allowed to promote the seminary training to Evangelical prospective students outside the Southern Baptist Convention (and still prospective students’ pastors had to endorse any students, just as with Southern Baptists).
Advisors for the SBTS extension program could be any truly Evangelical Leaders (not only Southern Baptists, but other types of Baptists, Presbyterians, Charismatics, and other Evangelicals – as long as the standards were set by the SBTS leaders.
The NY extension classes could be held during weekday evenings (not just on Friday evenings and Saturdays). Friday evening and Saturday classes had been an accommodation for the SBTS regular faculty needing to fly from the Louisville campus to NYC and back to Louisville.
Weekday classes could be taught by NY-based, thoroughly qualified, degreed, scholar-teachers, and if they were also pastors, all the better. Blending scholarship and ministry should be a winning combination to attract and motivate many students to take courses.
NY classes could be taught in Spanish (and not just in English) by qualified professors who were also fluent in Spanish.
Faculty members did not have to be Southern Baptists or even Baptists of any sort. Nevertheless, each faculty member was required to agree to and to sign the SBTS’s own doctrinal statement annually.
NY students who wanted to earn degrees from SBTS could transfer 33% of their credits from another approved accredited seminary – such as NY’s Alliance Theological Seminary or NY Theological Seminary. Alternatively, those students would need to take a series of 5-day intensive courses or move for a full semester at SBTS in Louisville, KY.
With most of the students being Southern Baptists, 60 Southern Baptist students, at more than four times as many as there ever were before.

Starting in the Fall of 1998, these and other changes produced their remarkable effects. Enrollment grew each term from 10 to 25, to 48, to 65, to 81, to 90! By the Spring of 2001, there were 90 students enrolled in one or more NYC extension classes sponsored by the NY Evangelical Seminary Fund. Of the students at the NYC extension of SBTS, about 60% were Southern Baptists 40% were other Baptists as well as representatives from several other Evangelical denominations. Each student had been endorsed by his or her own pastor, as required. Each faculty member had to be endorsed by the SBTS administration, too.

Also, at that time, the NYC extension of SBTS had now become the largest SBTS extension ever. It was even larger than all the other extensions of SBTS added together in 2001! Leaders from non-Baptist Churches openly praised the quality of Biblical teaching that the NYC extension of SBTS demonstrated. Truly, praise the LORD!

This success proves that there is a large hunger in NYC for Gospel-oriented education. Bible-based, Christ-centred, Spirit-led ministry and leadership training was ready to serve the LORD and the City. There was such spiritual hunger in 2001, and even more so now.

In May 2001, Dr. Paul deVries was planning to honor Dr. Carl Henry and his awesome lifetime of superb Divine service at a formal luncheon, and to support Dr. Henry’s long-time vision of a vibrant Evangelical divinity school right in NYC, the beloved city of his birth. The president of SBTS demanded that Dr. deVries cancel that luncheon. Dr. Mohler wanted to “reserve” Dr. Henry for promotion of the Louisville campus of SBTS only! But he was not interested in knowing about Dr. deVries and Dr. Henry’ deep and long-standing admiration and friendship, and also Dr Henry’s vision of an Evangelical Seminary in NYC. And, besides, the descendants of Dr. Frank E Gaebelein, Dr. Carl Henry’s long-time colleague, played crucial parts in the planning and successes of the formal luncheon.

The formal luncheon honoring Dr. Carl Henry was an awesome and rewarding success. Both Dr. Carl Henry and Mrs. Helga Henry deeply loved it, and they both articulated wonderful praise to the LORD because of it.

When the terrorist attack of 9/11/2001 tragically transpired, Dr. Paul deVries and his team of both Louisville and NYC faculties were able and ready to spring into action, along with additional highly qualified volunteer teachers of trauma counseling drawn from the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) and other excellent trauma counselor teachers from First Baptist Church of Atlanta, GA (FBCA), and the Texas Baptist Men’s Victim Relief Ministry (VRM). While NYC set up trauma counselling centres all across the City, Mayor Rudy Giuliani would not allow Evangelical ministers in to counsel the hurting people, because he assumed that we Evangelicals were not well-trained. Quickly, the AACC, FBCA, and VRM leaders produced certificates to signify completed courses. The AACC, FBCA, and VRM courses drew hundreds of Evangelical ministers and lay leaders. More than 3,500 men and women participated in one or more kinds of quality crises counseling training coordinated by Dr. Paul deVries and his office team. NYDS’ professional crisis- counseling training during the four months after 9/11 exceeded all other NYC area educational institutions in content and benefit.

The Academic Dean of SBTS Dr. Akin and his team were exemplary. However, the President and some of the other leaders of SBTS were critical of Dr. deVries and his Board. Some leaders openly question why Baptist, Pentecostal, and Charismatic men and women can minister, work and study together. Dr. deVries openly was and continues to advocate evangelical cooperation. The president of SBTS shared that perseption and urged Dr. deVries to attend a meeting in his office in Louisville, KY. Dr. deVries spent hours in prayer before that meeting.

In his prayers, Dr. deVries understood that he should take the initiative and praise the SBTS President, the Academic Dean, and another vice president for the work and ministry that they were empowering in NYC. In the entire more than two-hour meeting, everybody was positive. Dr. deVries even pointed out that “we Baptists can afford to be more open to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.”

Dr. Paul deVries has never stopped encouraging Godly women – and men – who have a Divine calling on their lives. And he constantly helps people to receive more gifts from the amazing Holy Spirit, who is powerfully generous with assisting men and women to become all that they should be, with God’s amazing Divine help.

Nevertheless, the problems with the President of SBTS, Dr. Albert Mohler, continued. His opposition to women in ministry and his opposition to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit hurt attitudes from Faculty, Students, and Financial Supporters. Meanwhile, course choices were reduced by the SBTS leaders, so that student enrolments also fell.

Then, suddenly, a one-line email was sent to Dr. deVries on Good Friday afternoon, 2003, from an assistant to SBTS’s President saying that the SBTS cooperation with Dr. Paul deVries and his Board would end immediately. And since the Baptist Building on West 72^nd Street was “owned” by the Home Mission Board and not the local Southern Baptist Association, the NY Divinity School had to move all its library books, files, furniture, and other items very quickly. Tragically, the Home Mission Board stood with the President of SBTS in rejecting women in ministry and in rejecting the gifting of the Holy Spirit.

The local Southern Baptists were deeply disappointed and made that disappointment known at the next Metro New York Baptist Association Meeting. Dr Akin, the academic dean of SBTS, coincidentally resigned to become the president of another seminary. As a result, nothing remained of the 1998 reforms. NYDS opened in the Fall of 2003 in Times Square, at Lamb’s Church, with a smaller enrollment.

The forward history of the NYDS can be written now in segments partly defined by the locations of the main offices of NYDS, and the cooperative ministries that were built up as a result.

Outreaches from Times Square [2003 – 2007]

With the location at The LAMB’S CHURCH at Times Square, the classes were easy to find and cooperative organisations were able to maximise their own footprint. Cooperative organisations included the New York City Intercessors, Christian Actors Fellowship, Models for Christ, “Gigrapha” (a fellowship of Christian journalists), and more.

The NYDS curriculum was more oriented to urban concerns – both in the lives of students and faculty, and in engagement of more urban themes of the Bible, actively following Christ and His Church in the missions of grace, and gifted by the Holy Spirit to shine His Light wherever we are.

Truly, the experience of “Graduation” is not a distant thought, but appropriate at the end of every class period – when students and faculty immediately apply new Biblical wisdom, more leadership of Jesus the Christ, and more gifting of the Holy Spirit.

Also, the ethnic diversity of the faculty and the student body was true to the Heavenly Standard – “red and yellow, black and white.”

Outreaches from Lower Manhattan [2007—2009]

When the Lamb’s Church was sold, NYDS needed to store its precious library and find appropriate locations for classes – such as classrooms in cooperating churches. The NYDS offices utilised some spare office spaces in Lower Manhattan.

Excellent classroom space was provided by churches, and those churches were rewarded with scholarships for some of their members. Cooperating churches included Calvary Baptist Church on 57^th Street in Manhatton [partnering also with the NY School of the Bible], Faith Exchange in two locations in Lower Manhattan, Grace Tabernacle and Bethel Gospel Assembly in Harlem, Unity Temple Baptist Church in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Tabernacle, Crossroads Tabernacle, Bronx Baptist Church, Wake Eden Community Baptist Church, and Mt. Hermon Baptist Church in the Bronx, Gateway Church on Staten Island, and the World Impact Church in Newark, NJ. Twelve very helpful churches in total.

The model of partnering with host churches has had amazing benefits – both for the churches and NYDS – and especially for the students.

Outreaches from Turtle Bay, close to the United Nations. [2009—2012]

When spare office space ran out in Lower Manhattan, excellent space near the United Nations campus opened up. Most of the NYDS library remained in storage, but the partnership with churches continued to thrive through more classroom space and increased enrollment.

During this time, Dr. Paul deVries was explicitly led by the LORD to connect with the Jewish leadership in the NYC area:

For one thing, his namesake – the Apostle Paul – constantly spoke in synagogues. However, Dr. deVries and his family went to their neighborhood synagogue near where he lives to pray to the LORD, and also to encourage his Jewish neighbors, such as when Israel was attacked.
Dr. deVries’ favorite subject in seminary was Hebrew because, as a dyslectic, he naturally read from right to left, as in Hebrew readings and writings. Besides, reading the Hebrew Scriptures in the original text is more vibrant than even a good translation.
Jesus Christ himself was a Jew, and he was raised in an exemplary kosher family.
And so much more: All of the Bible was written by Jews, except for the two books written by Dr. Luke, the beloved physician.

When Dr. deVries contacted Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, the CEO of the New York Board of Rabbis, there were obstacles to even having a meeting. Nevertheless, after one hour of grilling Dr. deVries, Rabbi Potasnik said that he appreciated that Dr. deVries [1] clearly spoke what he personally believed and that [2] he cared deeply about Jewish people, and [3] other rabbis should meet Dr. deVries and other Evangelicals.

Soon there was a “RoundTable” of 8 Rabbis and 8 Evangelical Leaders meeting at 5th Ave Synagogue at 5 E 62 Street, listening to each other. This Round Table is committed to honesty of divergent faith commitments — and love of the Bible. The beginning group of Evangelical Leaders was also very multicultural, similar to the Evangelical Leaders who started NYDS.

The second meeting was at Calvary Baptist Church at 123 W 57th Street – a short distance from 5th Ave Synagogue! Meetings have continued since 2010, generally alternating between Evangelical Churches and Synagogues. Leaders are always listening to each other, and there is no dumbing down of our differences. And Jesus always shows up, and he is represented well in excellent Evangelical witness. From the first meeting, points of agreement and contrast were freely made.

For example, at the first meeting, the Rabbis had just led Yom Kippur services at their synagogues. One of the Evangelical leaders commented that the most important Day of Atonement was on a Friday, near Passover, 2000 years ago. This led to a lively conversation where Rabbis and Evangelical leaders had touching and very civil discussions.

The Jewish-Evangelical RoundTable has joint projects that unify our purposes. For example, when Evangelical people were martyred in Pakistan, Jewish and Evangelical leaders together made two friendly visits to the Pakistani Embassy at the UN, and others to Iraq, Egypt, and other embassies — jointly making strong points about Freedom of Faith in God. And there have been numerous other projects over the years.

Outreaches from NYC and Newark, and joining with World Impact [2012—2021]

The curriculum for NYDS had been a standard seminary curriculum. However, a very creative urban curriculum has been designed by Dr. Don Davis, PhD, a double graduate of Wheaton Collage [summa cum laude BA (1988) and summa cum laude MA (1989), and PhD from U. of Iowa School of Religion, where his dissertation made clear the Biblical foundation of Dr. Martin Luthar King, Jr.’s ministry and teachings.

By 2012, NYDS had adapted a modified version of Dr. Don Davis’s Urban Ministry Institute [TUMI] curriculum. And also, NYDS accepted a rent-free location to house and make available thousands of NYDS library books at Dr. Don Davis’s World Impact Building in Newark, along with an urban Christian elementary school, and other ministries. The rent for a library and a classroom in Newark was free.

Based at that office in Newark, NYDS was able to continue to offer NYDS classes in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Newark. However, in 2022, Dr. Don Davis and his World Impact Ministry and TUMI decided to close the elementary school, discontinue some other ministries, sell the building, and shift to building up some other parts of their World ministries.

In the meantime, large portions of the NYDS Library have been set up in the large balcony of Unity Baptist Church in Brooklyn, and more in a very nicely designed library room at the Children’s Bible Fellowship Camp just outside of Carmel, NY – about an hour north of NYC. The Library at the camp is for staff, pastors, and/or Christian leaders on retreats. Pastors’ retreats might be enhanced with NYDS courses available through continuing NYDS education.

Outreaches through Zoom & CVU.edu [2022—2026]

The closing of four very important, established, New York-based, Bible-focused institutions has caused major concern among Godly people in the last 2-3 years. This is very TRAGIC!! Even SHOCKING!!! Those venerable, now closed, New York institutions are:

The King’s College

Nyack University

Alliance Theological Seminary

Biblical Seminary — (also called NY Theological Seminary).

By far, most NYDS students take courses in a continuing-education mode more than a degree-seeking mode. Motivated people care about ‘continuing education’ for themselves and also for other leaders of their churches.

The new way is continuing education through NYDS classes in Fall, Winter, and Spring and then degree seeking students should contact City Vision University (CVU) to see how many more classed they can still transfer from NYDS to complete their desired CVU degree.

As a fully accredited Christian university, CVU offers 4 Associate’s, 4 Bachelor’s, & 4 Master’s Degrees.
- Associate’s Degrees: Addiction Counseling; Nonprofit Management; Business Administration; Ministry and Leadership. Up to 45 transfer credits allowed.
- Bachelor’s Degrees: Addiction Counseling; Nonprofit Management; Business Administration; Ministry and Leadership. Up to 90 transfer credits allowed.
- Master’s Degrees: Addiction Counselling; Nonprofit Management; MBA; Ministry and Leadership. Up to 30 transfer credits allowed.
CVU will gladly transfer any NYDS’ completed courses at 2-credits each.
2025 Tuition Rates with CVU are dramatically reduced for all who we confirm are NYDS students, at just $550 for 3 credits, instead of CVU’s $800 for a 3-credit course. Also, students who qualify for aid—such as Pell Grants & Veterans Benefits—can receive the complete CVU tuition plus spending money. Furthermore, NYDS-completed courses are transferable toward CVU-accredited degrees—Master’s, Bachelor’s, or Associate’s—according to each student’s own achievement levels.

Let us continue to pray for a bright future for NYDS as it serves men and women to grow in Godly knowledge, Christ-inspired ministry skill, and Spirit-filled wisdom, through the Bible-based, Christ-centred, Spirit-led teaching of our highly trained and committed NYDS faculty. Thank you, God!