Alumni and friends to gather at RTS Jackson for special worship service and fellowship
JACKSON, Miss. — This spring, the Reformed Theological Seminary family will celebrate God’s blessings on the grounds of the historic Jackson campus. “How Firm a Foundation: A Testimony to God’s Faithfulness” will take place on April 26, 2023.
The event will bring together generations of RTS students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends for the final RTS Jackson chapel service in Grace Chapel as well as an outdoor fellowship meal and commemorative walkthroughs of the campus.
Chapel services have been a fixture of community life at the Jackson campus for almost its entire history. Each week during the semester, students gather to sing, pray, and hear God’s Word together. Grace Chapel, dedicated in 1971, has long been regarded as one the seminary’s most iconic buildings.
Dr. Ligon Duncan, Chancellor and CEO of RTS, will preach on John 17:17 at the final service in a sermon entitled, “Thy Word is Still Truth.” Dr. Duncan has also served as president of the Jackson campus since 2020.
“It was here on this historic campus in Jackson, Mississippi that a recovery and resurgence of the gospel took place through the courageous vision of the founders of this institution,” said Dr. Duncan. “Reformed Theological Seminary has stood for more than half a century as a servant of our Lord Jesus Christ and his church.
“The commitment of RTS to prepare pastors and other church leaders here and around the world remains undaunted. I am looking forward to seeing many alumni and friends who will join us as we remember and renew our resolve to remain faithful as we step forward into a new season of RTS’ life and service.”
RTS Jackson alumni attending the event will have a chance to relive their favorite campus memories. Besides attending the special chapel service, alumni will be able to visit classrooms and other campus buildings and reconnect with professors and classmates.
The Rev. Caleb Cangelosi (MDiv ’03), senior pastor at Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church, said he looked forward to celebrating alongside friends and colleagues on the historic campus.
“What a joy it will be to gather together with my former classmates and fellow alumni to say goodbye to our former campus and to hear more of God’s providence in the new facility!” said Rev. Cangelosi. “As a pastor in the Jackson area, I can’t wait to see how this relocation will connect even more of the saints here to the ministry of RTS and spur on a new generation to pursue the Lord’s calling to gospel ministry.”
The strategic relocation of the campus from its original West Jackson property was announced in summer 2022. This summer, RTS Jackson will move all campus operations to a new site within one of Jackson’s major commercial and residential hubs at the intersection of Interstate 55 and Meadowbrook Road. Since its founding in 1966, RTS will have spent approximately 57 years at its first campus home.
All students, alumni, and other friends of the seminary are invited to the special worship service and celebration. Attendance is free, but online registration is recommended.
“This event on the original grounds represents a reintroduction and reconnection of the seminary to the greater Jackson community,” said Dr. Duncan. “We may be relocating geographically, but in a greater sense, we are not going anywhere. We are reinvesting in Jackson—a city that has been our home for almost six decades—and we want to be part of a renaissance here.”