Jeanine Cannon Bozeman, a beloved New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary professor whose life and teaching impacted the lives of countless students preparing for ministry, passed away Oct. 18 at the age of 93.
Jamie Dew, NOBTS president, noted, “We as a seminary family are grateful for the decades of service that Dr. Bozeman gave to NOBTS and her students. Jeanine has had a long-lasting impact on the ministry of so many who knew her and were taught by her.”
Bozeman, emeritus professor of social work, was first elected to the NOBTS faculty in 1987 as assistant professor of social work after earning her Ed. D. — later changed to a Ph.D. — at the age of 55.
During her tenure, Bozeman served many years as the chairperson of the Christian Education Ministries Division, making her, at the time, the first woman in a SBC seminary to hold a division chair position.
Prior to joining the NOBTS faculty, Bozeman devoted years to family therapy and to marriage and family counseling through her work as a social worker and counselor both in the public school system and in private practice.
Love for students, keen sense of humor
Known for her love for students and keen sense of humor, Bozeman often spent time with students over a meal or coffee. The seminary magazine “Vision” once dubbed her the “driving force” behind the development of the NOBTS master of social work degree program.
“Dr. Bozeman was one of the seminary’s favorite teachers,” said Norris Grubbs, NOBTS provost. “Everywhere I go, students talk about the difference she made in their lives.”
One class Bozeman taught stood out above all others, Grubbs noted. Her popular course “Death, Loss and Grief” was “legendary,” he said, and drew students from across many disciplines.
“Dr. Bozeman was not only excellent in the classroom and in her field of study, she demonstrated a Christ-like care and compassion to everyone she met,” Grubbs said.
Along with her doctoral degree, Bozeman earned the master of religious education degree (psychology and counseling) from NOBTS, master of social work degree (clinical social work) from Tulane University, and a bachelor’s from the University of Montevello in Alabama. Bozeman held multiple counseling and social work licenses and certifications including the BCD, LPC, Clinical AAMFT, BAS, ACSW and LCSW.
Bozeman, co-author of “Interpersonal Relationship Skills for Ministers,” was awarded the Marvin Jones Faculty Award for Outstanding Classroom Teacher in 2003, and was a sought-after speaker for conferences and events.
Bozeman is preceded in death by her husband, Welby Bozeman, a pastor who served numerous churches in Alabama and Louisiana and a long-time professor of New Testament and Religious Education at Louisiana College (now Louisiana Christian University) in Pineville, Louisiana.
