Ribbon cutting celebrates God’s faithfulness, reaffirms seminary mission
JACKSON, Miss. — Reformed Theological Seminary’s board of trustees, senior administration, faculty, staff, and students, as well as community members and leaders, gathered at the Jackson campus on the morning of October 6 to dedicate the new facilities to God’s glory and the service of the church.
RTS Chancellor and CEO Dr. Ligon Duncan and Board Chairman Richard Ridgway offered remarks on the occasion, noting how God has been faithful to RTS for nearly 60 years and renewing the seminary’s mission to serve the church by preparing its leaders. Prayer, Scripture reading, and singing highlighted the program in Alumni Chapel.
“Our sole purpose in life is the church of Jesus Christ—that she may know him and be prepared for his return and sanctified by the Word,” said Ridgway, commenting on RTS’ purpose statement. “But also note that the terminology here is that we are servants. Yesterday, in our board meeting, we looked at our financial statements and we talked about where we were in this year. And the comment kept coming up that it’s not about the fiscal matters. That’s significant, but the question is, ‘What is our goal—our purpose? What are we doing?’ We’re serving the church.”
The relocation of RTS Jackson from its original campus was announced in summer 2022 after an extended period of assessment and planning by the board and senior administration. RTS acquired a new property in the hub of the city out of a desire for the institution to be able to serve students, local churches, and the entire region more effectively.
To date, the move is the single largest capital investment in RTS’ history. A three-month phased transition to the completely renovated new location began in April 2023 with several administrative offices. Summer and fall terms both began as scheduled.
Dr. Duncan offered devotional comments on Psalm 90:1-2 at the dedication before cutting the ribbon alongside Ridgway and board members George Fair and Biff Bracy.
“We want to trust the Lord,” he said. “We want to be good stewards. We want to recognize the importance of the means that God has provided. But, as has already been prayed, we want to look through the gifts back to the giver, and care about the giver more than anything else. The Lord is our refuge.”