Some people spend years trying to find a job they love. Then, there are people like Dr. Jim Parker, who has multiple positions that feed into his passions. 十多年来，帕克在宝盈集团bbin和利维尔学院产生了巨大的影响, both in the classroom and behind the scenes.

A trained theologian and archaeologist, 帕克是圣经解释教授，也是莫斯科考古研究所的执行主任. In those roles, 你可能会发现他在帮助宝盈APP登录解决棘手的圣经问题，或者带领一个团队在学校位于特尔哈迪德的挖掘现场进行夏季挖掘, Israel.

But Parker is a trained engineer, as well. 他多年来监督建筑项目的经验使他成为一所学校的优秀资产，因为学校的基础设施不断增长，经常站在强风暴的路径上. 这也是他兼任学校设施主管的原因.

无论他是在教室里教书，还是在考虑让教室保持舒适的空调, Jim Parker loves what he’s doing.

帕克说:“我每天仍在使用大学里学到的东西。. “我一直在使用数学和各种化学和物理知识, along with the engineering. 所以我很高兴能回到这些事情上，因为我一直很享受.

“我也觉得上帝给了我帮助大会和教会的天赋, so I get to do that too. It’s the best of both worlds.”

Parker grew up in the small mining town of Blocton, Alabama, before enrolling in the University of West Alabama at the age of 16. 两年后，他离开美国，在美国钢铁公司找到了一份工作，并在那里完成了他的学位. 十年后，他接受了休斯顿一家总承包商的职位. 这为他第一次体验新奥尔良市和NOBTS打开了大门.

“In 1985, 我的公司派我去新奥尔良做一个多功能建筑的项目经理,” he explained. “It was called the Galleria, 它仍然矗立在10号州际公路和铜锣大道的交汇处. 当我们在这里的时候，我们参与了肯纳第一浸信会. 通过我们与教会的关系以及上帝在我们生命中的作为, we felt a distinct call to go to seminary.”

In response to that call, Parker enrolled in NOBTS. Taking advantage of early morning and evening classes, 在被召回休斯顿之前，他完成了大约一半的神学硕士学位要求. 他最终通过西南神学院在当地的分校获得了学位，并继续获得了博士学位.D. from Mid-America Seminary.

“Coming out of seminary, I first taught at Beeson Divinity School, which is part of Samford University in Birmingham,” Parker said. “然后，我开始在他们在伯明翰的推广中心为新奥尔良教书. 从2002年到2007年，我一直在那里教书，之后我全职来到了主校区.”

一到新奥尔良，他就开始着手教学和设施管理工作. 这所学校仍在努力从两年前卡特里娜飓风的破坏性影响中恢复过来. 他的首要职责之一是完成校园的重建工作.

In 2019, Dr. 帕克试图在阿拉巴马州过他所谓的“半退休”生活. But within a year, he found himself back in New Orleans.

“我将继续与(Tel Hadid)挖掘和教学工作, 但我打算在伯明翰做，因为我们在那里还有家,” he explained. “In November 2020, though, they invited me to come back. Since then, we’ve dealt with two more hurricanes. First, Zeta hit in late October 2020, right before I got back. Then, of course, Ida was another big one this fall.”

“所以，我从2007年就开始研究飓风造成的破坏，一直持续到今天.”

飓风并不是NOBTS和利维尔学院设施的唯一威胁. 随着建筑开始老化，时间总是会制造问题. 帕克指出，“延期维护”使一些较小的项目被搁置, 但他和他的团队正在努力把这些从学校的“待办事项”清单上划掉.

The lack of capital delays some projects, 因为帕克对课堂和校园都有独特的把握, 他认识到捐助者在满足各级需要方面发挥的宝贵作用.

“When I first came in 2007, 我们从合作项目中得到了900多万美元. Now, that number is right at $6 million,” Dr. Parker shared. “这不是任何人的错，但当你这样做了十年左右，那是一大笔钱. So, even with good fundraising, it isn’t easy to overcome. So, 任何没有限制的捐赠——可以进入一般基金的非指定捐赠——都是优秀的.”

“When we raise money, we try to emphasize that the whole institution needs it, not just one area,” Parker added. “例如，我知道一些捐赠者想提供奖学金，这很好. But at the end of the day, if possible, 捐款最好是作为未指定的礼物，这样我们就可以用不同的方式来指导他们.”

帕克还意识到，向宝盈集团bbin和利维尔学院捐赠的投资回报比许多人想象的要大得多. Donations do more than fix a roof or reduce tuition. 当每一代新一代的基督徒领袖完成他们荣耀神的呼召时，他们就会为国度带来改变.

“我们的业务是为来到这里的宝盈APP登录提供神学教育,” Parker pointed out. 神呼召他们作牧师、同工、宣教士和宗派工作者. 这种投资的回报是灵魂，这是一件很棒的事情.”

For his part, Parker is not planning to slow down anytime soon. Admittedly, 他对新加入的年轻教授的素质感到兴奋, but he also wants to contribute as long as the Lord allows. The direction he sees NOBTS and Leavell College moving, along with some wisdom from a former boss, fuels his enthusiasm about the future.

A former seminary president once said, “When nothing is certain, everything is possible,” Parker recalled. “As we meet the challenges of today, that’s never been more true. But when nothing is certain, everything is possible.”

帕克找到了一种方法，从学校的过去中学习，专注于未来. 他真诚地相信NOBTS和level College的好日子还在后面.

That’s why he’s going to enjoy every moment, no matter which of his jobs he happens to be doing at the time.