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” unless the state controlled or accredited that “School.” Nevertheless, later on, the “working name” for the school still became the “NY Divinity School.”

The Collaboration between the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and NYDS

At about the same time as the legal incorporation, a surprising, providential meeting of the a new Academic Dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary [SBTS] and Dr. Paul deVries turned into a 3-hour intense discussion of the Spiritual needs and opportunities of NYC and how an excellent Godly, Bible-based, Christ-centered, Spirit-filled seminary could make a huge difference. What happened was truly a God-encounter. The new Academic Dean of SBTS, Dr. Aiken, wondered why his seminary’s extension courses drew no more than 10-12 students at a time. Dr. Paul deVries was glad to carefully articulate to him 10 reasons for those failures and what could be done about correcting them. Dr. Paul’s deVries’ knowledge base included decades of leadership in Christian higher education at Wheaton College where he was an assistant dean from 1983-1989, at The King’s College where he held an endowed chair for ethics and business 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 (before the Seminary of the East ran out of money and closed the NYC extension). In addition. Dr deVries published studies of more than 100 Bible Institutes in and around NYC based upon research he completed in 1996-1998.

Somewhat “overwhelmed,” Dr. Aiken asked Dr. deVries to please write a detailed memo outlining those 10 important points, 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 he was flying back to Louisville, Kentucky, and Dr. deVries was flying back to NYC.

Dr. deVries was a very close friend of the 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 Ecation 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. Aiken, the new Academic Dean of SBTS and he had discussed together for three 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. Aiken 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. Aiken 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.

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-centered, 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 seeing young Paul’s spiritual maturity had given to him several CT issues. And now to meet that awesome writer’s family and to receive 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 Dr. Paul deVries’ 10-point memo. Among the many changes that he immediately supported were:

The NY extension of SBTS was allowed to promote the seminary training to Evangelical prospective student 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, Presbyterian, Charismatic, 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 a 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. 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 honestly 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 school year at SBTS in Louisville, KY.
With 50% of the students were Southern Baptists, with 120 students that would be 60 Southern Baptist students – six times as many that there ever was before.
And some other very sensible changes were included.

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 75, to 95, to 120! By the Spring of 2001, there were 120 students enrolled in one or more NYC extension classes and sponsored by the NY Evangelical Seminary Fund. Of the students at the NYC extension of SBTS, 50% were Southern Baptists and 50% were other Baptists as well as representatives from several other denominations. Each student had been endorsed by his or her own pastor.

Also, at that time, the NYC extension of SBTS now had become the largest SBTS extension ever. It was even larger than all the other several 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-centered, 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 now.

The Academic Dean and his team were awesome in many ways! They understood the “battle” and stood with us. And 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 counseling centers 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 and coordinated by Dr. Paul deVries and his office team. No other professional crises counseling training from the 8 months after 9/11 compared at all.

The Academic Dean Dr. Aiken and his team were exemplary.

However, the president, Dr. Albert Mohler, seemed to be in another “world.” For example, when Dr. Mohler heard that Dr. Paul was planning in May 2001 to honor Dr. Carl Henry and his awesome lifetime of suburb 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. Dr. Mohler demanded that Dr. deVries cancel that fromat 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, 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. It would have been totally unthinkable for Dr. deVries to have disinvited Dr. Carl F. H. Henry.

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.

More disappointing were Dr. Mohler’s unbiblical rejections of women in ministry – including his requirement that all the faculty agree with him on rejecting women in ministry, without question. [See Dr. deVries’ www.womeninministry.net.] His favorite “proof texts” do not say what he wants them to say. Besides,

More than 30% of all Southern Baptist missionaries are single women.

Charlotte “Lottie” Moon, (1840-1912) is still the most celebrated Southern Baptist missionary of all time. She grew up in Scottsville, Virginia, and was a baptized member of the very same church where Dr. Paul deVries decades later was the Senior Pastor (1970-1975). He was reminded of that precious heritage every Sunday, because the platform furniture in the church sanctuary came from Lottie Moon’s own Scottsville home, “Viewmont.”

And in Lottie Moon’s name, half of the entire missionary budget from Southern Baptists is raised every year. Thankfully, repeatably in the month of December, all Southern Baptists are honoring at least one, very courageous, Bible-based, Christ-centered, Spirit-led woman in ministry: Lottie Moon herself. May there be even more called and courageous women in missions and other kinds of Gospel ministry. All thanks to the Living LORD-GOD, who still calls and equips outstanding women and men in His service.

All Biblical exemplars of women in Godly ministry are inspiring. For example, the Apostle Paul especially commends 25 church leaders in the last chapter of his Letter to the Romans. Twelve of those leaders whom Paul selects (about half) are women! And Paul additionally comments that four of his especially recognized leaders are also “hard workers.” And all of those “hard working” leaders in Paul’s writing to the Roman Church are all women. See Romans 16:6 and 16:12 for such deeply inspiring women!

In addition Dr. Mohler also urges people to reject the “gifts of the Holy Spirit.” In his office in Louisville he tried to argue with Dr. deVries – but Dr. Paul deVries just resorted to his Godly testimonies, and also the crucial question: Since God is sovereign and since the Holy Spirit is fully God, why not let the Holy Spirit sovereignly choose the awesome spiritual gifts to give to each person? Such good Biblical theology definitely should make tremendous difference.

In his personal life and ministry walk, Dr. deVries has experienced many giftings of the Holy Spirit. Dr. Paul deVries is thrilled that he is a Walking Temple for the Holy Spirit, wherever he is in service to GOD, and whatever he is doing for the LORD. And the gifts from the Holy Spirit are consistently welcomed – and bring him unmatched joy. For example,

As a teenager, Paul deVries was personally called by the Holy Spirit to memorize the whole New Testament and substantial portions of the Old Testament. While maintaining A’s in every class, achieving the top honors in math, science, and public speaking, and graduating as salutatorian in a high school class of 200, Paul deVries sustained on average two hours a day in Bible study and Bible memorization for five years. Those victories were made possible by some marvelous Holy Spirit gifting to Paul deVries as a teenager.

In his first pastoral appointment, and with a Southern Baptist ordination, Rev. Paul deVries accepted the calling to Scottsville Baptist Church [SBC], in Virgina, a church of 300 people. It was a large church for that region of Virginia. Since there was no welcoming party among the local pastors, within a month he himself invited all the pastors in that area to the Parsonage for breakfast, getting acquainted, and prayer. Half of the pastors were Black, and half where White. Soon the monthly pastoral meetings at Rev. deVries’ Parsonage were attended by most Black pastors and boycotted by most White pastors.

By the way, the Parsonage was merely 2,000 feet from the KKK headquarters for a three-county area – where many white racists gathered frequently in an old southern plantation mansion to pump-up their evil lies and schemes. Nevertheless, the pastors bonded through Christ’s grace and gifts or the Holy Spirit. For example, only Scottsville Baptist Church had a Daily Vacation Bible School [DVBS], and with 65 children in attendance. But when the monthly pastors’ prayer group in Rev. deVries Parsonage chose to minister together for the next summer’s DVBS at SBC, there were 265 children in attendance, including 135 from his church then and each year following. His church alone had doubled the children that attended, and the total attendance had more than quadrupled. Imagine that – more than 4-times the number of Bible verses memorized; more than 4-times the number of Bible stories leaned, more than 4-times the number of worship songs learned and sung with holy joy, and much more! God the Holy Spirit was gifting the pastors, the teachers, the children, the parents, the community, and more. There were threats of violence from KKK members, but God the Holy Spirit was active. The Spirit surrounding the Scottsville joint DVBS through his pressions protections.

Alongside victorious battles for Godly ministry in the Scottsville area, Dr. deVries received many joys of the Holy Spirit’s gifting for him for the many battles he had to endure in the PhD in Philosophy program at the University of Virgina, just 20 miles away. Most or the Philosophy faculty were anti-Bible, while at least two were practicing witchcrafts. They were stunned when they found out that a devoted Christian minister was in their classes. Nevertheless, Dr. deVries completed his research and writing in record time. He loves to tell his testimonies of the Holy Spirit’s giftings for his doctoral successes. They are Godly stunners.

We should add another aspect of Dr. deVries’ ministry life – being an underground missionary in places where religious freedom does not exist, such as in East Berlin in 1965 and Rumania in 1986. So much Divine wisdom and courage is needed to cope with all the risks, dangers, and opportunities every day in those places. Truly, the Holy Spirit is a necessary companion. Objecting to the gifting of the Holy Spirit is truly senseless and un-Biblical.

Sometimes the gifts of the Holy Spirit are interwoven with each other. For example, Paul deVries was arrested while ministering in East Berlin. While the police were arguing about him, the Holy Spirit helped him to be completely calm through reciting from memory the entire Gospel of Mark. Shortly after that recitation was complete, the band of policemen showed him to go out the Police station door.

Although he is a life-long Baptist, Dr. deVries has also been a full member of the social service and counselling board – the Beth-Hark Board – at the Bethel Gospel Assembly in Harlem, ever since 1990. And he still is. Bethel is a leading Bible-based, Christ-centered, Spirit-led church in NYC.

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 his amazing Divine help.

Nevertheless, the problems with the President of SBTS, Dr. Abert Mohler, continued. His opposition to women in ministry and his opposition to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit hurt attitudes from Faculty, and Students, and Financial Supporters. Meanwhile, course choices were reduced, so that student enrolment fell to a little below 100.

Then, suddenly a one-line email was sent to Dr. deVries on Good Friday afternoon, 2003, from an assistant to SBTS’s President Dr. Mohler, 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. Aiken, the academic dean of SBTS, resigned to be the president of another seminary. As a result, nothing remained of the 1998 reforms. NYDS opened in the Fall of 2003, in Times Square, in the Lamb’s Church, with a small enrollment.

The forward history on the NYDS can be written now in segments partly defined by the location of the main offices of NYDS – and the cooptative ministries that were built up.

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 organizations were able to maximize their own footprint. Cooperative organizations 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 utilized some spare office spaces in Lower Manhatton.

Excellent classrooms space was given by churches, and they 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 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 Manhatton, 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 attached.
Dr. deVries’ favorite subject in seminary was Hebrew because, as a dyslectic, he naturally read from right to left. 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 NY 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] cared deeply about Jewish people, and [3] other rabbis should meet Dr. deVries.

Soon there was a “RoundTable” of 8 Rabbis and 8 Evangelical Leaders meeting at 5th Ave Synagogue, listening to each other. The beginning group of Evangelical Leaders was very multicultural, similar to the Evangelical Leaders who started NYDS.

The second meeting was at Calvary Baptist Church – just a half mile from 5th Ave Synagogue! Meeting have continued since 2010, generally alternating between Evangelical Churches and Synagogues, leaders always listening to each other, and there no drumming down our differences. Jesus always shows up, and he is represented well.

The Jewish-Evangelical RoundTable has joint projects that unify our purposes. For example, when Evangelical people were martyred in Pakistan, Jewish and Evangel leaders together made a friendly visit to the Pakistani Embassy at the UN.

Outreaches from Newark, and joining with World Impact [2012—2022]

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 Don Davis’s World Impact Building in Newark along with a urban Christian elementary school, and other ministries.

Based at that office in Newark, NYDS was able to continue to offer NYDS classes in Manhatton, 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 Brooklinn, and more in a very nicely designed library room at the Children’s Bible Fellowship Camp just outside of Carmal, NY – about an hour north of NYC. The Library at the camp is for staff and for pastors on retreats. Pastors’ retreats might be enhanced with brief NYDS courses available through continuing NYDS education.

Outreaches through Zoom & CVU.edu [2022—2025]

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 Collage

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 Counseling; 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 whom 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-centered, Spirit-led teaching of the highly-trained and committed NYDS faculty.