(JACKSON, Miss.) – Dr. Elias Medeiros, Harriet Barbour Professor of Missions at RTS Jackson, will be retiring from teaching at Reformed Theological Seminary at the conclusion of the 2019-2020 academic year. As of June 1, he will receive the honorary title of Professor of Missions, Emeritus.
Dr. Medeiros will have served as a faculty member at RTS Jackson since 1993. For many of his 27 years at RTS, Dr. Medeiros has also led the Great Commission Society, a student group dedicated to cultivating a concern for making disciples of all nations, across the street and around the world. The Great Commission Society seeks to impress upon students the necessity of the work of missions among the peoples of the world who have no access to the gospel.
Dr. Miles Van Pelt, Academic Dean of the Jackson and Brazil campuses, said, “Elias has a passion for sharing the gospel like few others in the world! He understands that the next life is the real life and that the most powerful tool for recruiting people into the kingdom of God is the Word of God. Elias is not really retiring. He is just pointing his gospel work in another direction in this next season of life.”
In addition to having earned five degrees from RTS Jackson, (M.A., D.Min., Th.M, D.Miss., Ph.D.) and a Th.B from Seminario Presbiteriano do Norte, Dr. Medeiros has been an ordained minister of the gospel for 45 years. While in Brazil he worked in pioneer church planting in the Amazon region and in Recife (rural and urban). He is a member of the Lausanne Global Diaspora Network Advisory Board and of the Brazilian Evangelical Diaspora movement.
In addition to numerous articles and essays, Dr. Medeiros has written Teaching Them to Make Disciples of All Nations (D.Min), Missiology as an Academic Discipline in Theological Education (D.Miss), and The Reformers’ Commitment to the Propagation of the Gospel to all Nations from 1555 to 1654 (Ph.D). He has also published Evangelização e Ministério Pastoral (Evangelization and Pastoral Ministry).
“Those who are efficaciously and effectively called are also efficaciously and effectively sent,” Medeiros shared. “The One who predestined and saves is the One who also empowers and sends everywhere, to everyone, all the time. Therefore, followers of Jesus are called to be fishers of men across the street and around the world. If we are not fishing we are not following.”
Dr. Medeiros is deeply committed to evangelism through every member of the body of Christ. Dr. Medeiros’ ministry has truly blessed RTS Jackson for many years. He has instilled a passion for the gospel and evangelism in generation after generation of RTS students.
For more information about RTS Jackson, please visit rts.edu/campuses/jackson.