Bold, humble trust in God undergirds an exciting and decisive move for RTS Jackson. A great commitment to the mission and future of RTS spurs it on. For 56 years now, the Belcher campus of Reformed Theological Seminary, located in West Jackson, Mississippi, on 60 beautiful acres of green grass and tall trees, has been the home and headquarters of the entire RTS system.
The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of RTS announced at the various Presbyterian General Assemblies and Synods this summer that they had purchased a new property. The seminary is planning to open a new Belcher campus for RTS Jackson that is centrally located in the heart of the city in the summer of 2023. This location will usher the incoming students of that academic class into a new, beautiful, state-of-the-art home.
The move is a major upgrade at a time when most theological seminaries in North America are in decline and when residential theological education is experiencing significant duress. Indeed, in a recent article in Christianity Today, Kirsten Sanders, commenting on the trend of closing and downsizing seminaries, says, “There is no good news coming from freestanding seminaries, and there hasn’t been for some time.” But, by God’s grace, Reformed Theological Seminary is a bright and almost singular exception to this trend. RTS has grown over 12% in the last several years and teaches more residential credit hours than ever before. We have set records the last two years, even in the wake of the pandemic, for residential instruction.
Why is this the case? How is RTS growing? And why is the RTS Board of Trustees prepared to make such a significant and strategic investment in Jackson at this time? Those are questions our trustees have carefully and prayerfully considered for the last several years. The answers are manifold, but we will highlight a few of the most important factors.
The Extraordinary and Encouraging Growth of RTS
Why is RTS growing, and particularly in residential students, when other seminaries are declining? As best as we can discern, this is due to the Lord’s blessing on several features that are unique to RTS. Our system of regional campuses puts us close to more students and more healthy churches.
Consequently, no other seminary provides more seminary internships and church membership and ministry opportunities with more local churches. RTS is the most affordable seminary among our accredited peer institutions and yields the best “return on investment.” We give more than $5.5
million in scholarships each year—far more than any other confessional Reformed seminary. Our degree cost is lower than many of our sister institutions, and the cost of living at our residential campuses is advantageous. This means that our students graduate with little to no debt (which has become a major problem at other institutions).
Furthermore, the faculty, curriculum, ethos, and theological fidelity of RTS have combined to make it more attractive to students than ever before, especially in the current climate. RTS is one of the most trusted institutions in the evangelical world because of our commitment to the plenary verbal inspiration, infallibility, inerrancy, and sole final authority of Scripture.The quality and quantity of RTS’ faculty are unparalleled in graduate theological education. RTS has the largest, most widely regarded, and prolific confessional Reformed faculty in the world. And while other seminaries have been dramatically reducing course requirements and credit hours, RTS has upheld our standards while keeping student cost low. We think that the RTS Master of Divinity (MDiv) is the best bargain in all of graduate theological education. At the same time, RTS is one of the most trusted institutions in the evangelical world because of our commitment to the plenary verbal inspiration, infallibility, inerrancy, and sole final authority of Scripture, and to the Reformed theology of the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms. Every class at RTS is taught from this perspective. Biblical fidelity and confessional integrity have been hallmarks of our institution and its public reputation from the beginning. The trust that people from a wide diversity of personal and denominational backgrounds have in us, because of this, allows us to commend the Reformed faith, not only in confessional circles but beyond. Students who come to RTS can trust that what they will hear taught in every class is faithful to the Scriptures.
The RTS ethos is also unique and attractive to students. It combines things that are rare intheological education in our time: we love and care about truth, doctrine, and theology. We also care about producing godly, loving people who will serve the Lord and his church in such a way to commend the faith with their lips and lives, their conviction and character. Some seminaries are winsome, but not Reformed. Others are Reformed, but not winsome. We want to be both. We want to model and commend embodied truth, love, and mission. We want to graduate students who have a theological backbone, tender hearts, and a disposition of service.
Expanding Our Roots with a New Jackson Campus
Each RTS campus is embedded in vibrant communities across the nation. The campuses are distinct and located in dynamic and growing regions around the country. The city of Jackson, Mississippi, is no exception. It is a scenic center of the American South, located in a region where historical events and people still mark the city’s identity and culture. Jackson’s heritage is a story of tragedy and struggle. It is a place of inspiring sacrifice and courageous action in a state where change and opportunity now shape the future possibilities for industry, commerce, and education.
RTS began its work here. Churches throughout the entire region supported the seminary in its infancy. Thousands of faithful Christians invested their time and earthly treasure to build a place that would serve the church by preparing her leaders. From this city, they built a future for RTS that would grow into an educational enterprise that is recognized across the world as one of the unique models for teaching, learning, and research among all institutions of higher education.From this city, believers built a future for RTS that would grow into an educational enterprise that is recognized across the world as one of the unique models for teaching, learning, and research among all institutions of higher education.
We are relocating and upgrading the campus out of a sense of mission for the future. From the bucolic environs of our historic campus to a residential campus in the growth corridor of the city, the future of RTS Jackson lies in positioning a residential campus known for its affordability, community, and opportunity. The future capacity for the Jackson campus will grow as a result of this investment in this new facility. Indeed, we believe that this move will be a great encouragement and blessing to the city of Jackson. We will be located in the heart of a thriving commercial and retail hub, nestled between The District and Highland Village, just minutes from downtown and other popular Jackson neighborhoods. This puts us closer and more convenient to our partner churches and supporters, who can benefit from proximity to the seminary in ways they have never before been able to utilize. I’ve lost count of the number of people who have told me they want to audit courses, come to chapel services, visit the bookstore and library, and enjoy a new level of connection and accessibility to RTS Jackson.
We also think the relocation will serve the entire RTS system well. It will provide an upgraded infrastructure that will help every RTS campus and will bring operational cost efficiencies that enhance our overall stewardship of resources.
State-of-the-art classrooms will be equipped with the latest education technology tools that will serve the faculty and students for years to come. Affordable housing options will enable students to provide and care for their families in a location hospitable for their time as RTS students. The RTS Jackson library is one of the top-tier theological research resources in the world. Its collections serve the entire RTS system, and the new climate-controlled library facility will house, preserve, and provide these books, documents, and other research tools for decades of service to RTS faculty and students. The RTS administrative headquarters remains central to the overall operation of Reformed Theological Seminary. It will be closer to the airport and the major transportation corridors.The relocation will provide an upgraded infrastructure that will help every RTS campus and will bring operational cost efficiencies that enhance our overall stewardship of resources. The new Jackson facility will also upgrade the information technology equipment and increase the ability of the Office of Business and Financial Services to better serveall RTS campuses more effectively. The entire relocation effort will result in a strategic advance for RTS Jackson and the entire RTS system.
Bold trust has characterized the leadership of RTS over the years. From Sam Patterson’s question to Erskine Wells, “How big is your God?” to making a new investment in residential theological education when everyone else is downsizing, the RTS Board of Trustees has been willing to walk by faith and not by sight.
The call for us at this time in the history of RTS is for a great commitment from us as stewards of what has been given to us. We move forward together trusting in the merciful providence of God to direct our steps, strengthen the work of our hands, and prepare us for service in the coming days as RTS continues to prepare leaders to serve the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
