About

Thank you for your interest in RTS Jackson, the historic and original home of Reformed Theological Seminary. Also known as the Belcher Campus, RTS Jackson is a beautiful, peaceful oasis of learning and devotion in the state capital of Mississippi. If you want to study with professors committed to the Scriptures and sound theology, with extensive ministry experience and a commitment to give you the best possible preparation for ministry, alongside gifted, consecrated fellow students who are preparing to become pastors, church planters, missionaries, campus ministers, counselors, educators and more, then RTS Jackson is the place for you.

The campus features comfortable, modern classroom space, our beloved Grace Chapel, the historic “White House” (the very first building that housed RTS), a massive theological library, forty apartments for students and their families, an excellent bookstore, a student center, exercise facilities, a state of the art counseling center, and more, all of which contribute to an environment that is highly conducive to graduate theological education and ministry preparation.

But as beautiful as this place we call home is, it is the people that make it special: a place like no other. Here, you will meet a world-class faculty of pastor-scholars who deeply care about you: your heart, your life, your faith, your family, your education, and your future ministry. And alongside of them, staff who genuinely want the best for you. People who know that they are loved, learn more and better. That is the kind of environment the people of RTS create.

Because we have so many students and families right on campus, there is a strong sense of community at RTS Jackson. The Student Services Committee organizes monthly events that draw us together in fellowship. There are weekly on-campus sports activities throughout the year. Women’s Fellowship provides an avenue for female students and wives of students to develop a gospel-centered community through teaching, training, fellowship, and prayer. My wife, Anne — an RTS graduate of the Counseling program — is very involved with this ministry. The Reformed Informer is a weekly publication that informs our students of everything they need to know about Student Life.

The church life and ministry opportunities available to students in Jackson are another unique and wonderful feature of study here. Our Jackson students tend to get more preaching opportunities than students at any other seminary that I know because of the number of solid congregations within a reasonable drive of the campus, and because of what we call “the Circuit” – churches all over the region that depend upon RTS for pulpit supply. Numerous internships are open to our students through area churches as well.

I’ve taught here at RTS Jackson since 1990 (over half the time of RTS’s existence!). We were founded in 1966 to provide theological education based on the authority of Scripture and committed to Reformed theology for pastors and church leaders, particularly in Presbyterian and Reformed churches, but also serving the larger evangelical family. Because RTS is confessionally defined but not denominationally affiliated, it has allowed us to have influence in numerous denominational settings and in a variety of church traditions, and since our founders were connected to a global evangelical network, the seminary has had a worldwide reach from the beginning.

The best way to learn about RTS is to visit our campus. I will be happy to reserve a guest room for you so you can attend classes, worship with us in chapel, meet faculty members, and visit with students.  If you would like to schedule a visit, learn more about the application process or financial aid, or if you have further questions, please feel free to call us toll-free at 1-800-543-2703 or you can email us at admissions.jackson@rts.edu.

Ligon Duncan

President, RTS Jackson
John E. Richards Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology
Chancellor/CEO, Reformed Theological Seminary