Reformed Theological Seminary

Mars May 14, 2019 823

About

In June 1963, five ministers met in a Memphis hotel room to pray about the need to establish a new seminary. At that time there was no seminary in the southeastern United States holding to Reformed theology and committed to the Bible as God’s inerrant Word, the final authority for faith and life. When the meeting ended, the seed that would become Reformed Theological Seminary had been planted.

Through the Lord’s provision, the original Jackson campus property was acquired. The property consisted of 14 acres on which was located a two-story white colonial home used for offices and classrooms in those early years.

Chaplain Sam Patterson, USN. The founding evangelist of RTS

Chaplain Sam Patterson, USN.
The founding evangelist of RTS

In the fall of 1966, RTS opened its doors for resident studies in Jackson, Mississippi. Seventeen students enrolled. On September 6, Dr. C. Darby Fulton, former Executive Secretary of the Board of World Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, delivered the first convocation address entitled “The Relevancy of the Gospel.”

Since that time RTS has grown to nine degree-granting campuses: Jackson, MS; Orlando, FL; Charlotte, NC; Washington DC; Atlanta, GA; Houston, TX; Dallas, TX; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Global Education (U.S. and International). RTS has two partial degree campuses: Memphis, TN and New York, NY.

Purpose

Biblical fidelity, confessional integrity, academic excellence, and spiritual growth

The purpose of RTS is to serve the church in all branches of evangelical Christianity, especially the Presbyterian and Reformed family, by preparing its leaders, with a priority on pastors, and including missionaries, educators, counselors, and others through a program of theological education on the graduate level, based upon the authority of the inerrant Word of God, the sixty-six books of the Bible, and committed to the Reformed faith as set forth in the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms as accepted by the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America as its standard of doctrine at its first General Assembly in 1789.

This program shall be characterized by biblical fidelity, confessional integrity, and academic excellence, and committed to the promotion of the spiritual growth of the students. The breadth of this ministry will include multiple campuses and extensions as led by the Lord.

Mission

The mission of Reformed Theological Seminary is to serve the Church by preparing its leaders, through a program of graduate theological education, based upon the authority of the inerrant Word of God, and committed to the Reformed Faith.

Vision

Reformed Theological Seminary exists to glorify the Triune God and to serve His Church in all branches of evangelical Christianity, especially Presbyterian and Reformed churches, by providing Reformed graduate theological education that is globally accessible. RTS equips its students for ministry, primarily through pastoral preparation, to be servant leaders marked by “A Mind for Truth, A Heart for God.”

Core Values

Biblical Integrity

RTS submits to the authority of the sixty-six books of the Bible and is committed to a perceptive application of the Bible to all of life. This primary commitment of biblical integrity and its derivative worldview informs every part of our training program and the development of our students for ministry. RTS faculty understand and teach biblical truth from a Reformed perspective as set forth in the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms.

Christian Nurture

RTS seeks to foster spiritual growth among our students, faculty, and staff, our communities, and in our constituent churches. We endeavor to provide holistic preparation for church leadership. The priority for leadership development at RTS is pastoral training. In addition, RTS provides training for missionaries, educators, counselors, and other ministries for which the church may find need.

Faithfulness in All Things

RTS strives to be faithful to God in all we do by bringing forth our best effort to the glory of God in all areas of campus life: academic programs, spiritual development of our students, and the professional development of faculty and staff – as well as in our administrative organization, institutional relationships, and communications.

Missional Commitment

RTS equips leaders to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ into the whole world in the power of the Holy Spirit in order to proclaim that salvation is only by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone, and in order to disciple the nations into maturity in Christ. Our goal is that the world may worship the true God, serving him everywhere in his creation, and that the nations may enjoy his presence and restoration. In fulfilling our Missional Commitment, RTS rejoices in cooperating with multiple denominations and organizationally diverse ministries who share in the vision of advancing the Kingdom of God, and who celebrate the diversity of culture, language, and ethnicity.