2022 Spring Report

Reformed Baptist Seminary will complete 17 years of ministry this spring. Since our founding in May 2005, we’ve had the privilege of helping dozens of local congregations train gospel laborers. Our online format allows students to remain in their local church under the oversight and mentorship of their own pastor. As a result, the student can serve in his local church as he pursues theological training. Additionally, the online classes provide the student with a more flexible format and affordable education than a traditional seminary. While the traditional residential module may better fit the needs of some, we believe RBS fills an important niche. Of course, none of his would be possible without the prayers and support of individuals and churches that view church-based theological training as an important part of the church’s Great Commission. Thanks for your partnership!

Student Enrollment & Graduates

We started the 2022 spring semester with 119 students, which is our highest enrollment to-date. Halfway into the semester, six students have already graduated, and we anticipate at least another five will graduate by the end of the semester. That will bring the total number of graduates since 2005 to 120 students. The breakdown of degrees conferred is as follows:

27 Diploma of Theological Studies
1 Associate of Arts in Theological Studies
4 Bachelor of Divinity
74 Master of Theological Studies
1 Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling
25 Master of Divinity

Recent & Upcoming Modules

We launched the Certificate of Reformed Baptist Studies program in the fall. At the heart of that program are five systematic theology courses that employ the Second London Baptist Confession as a teaching template. In December, Brian Borgman, Robert Briggs, and Bob Gonzales lectured on “Christian Life and Worship,” which features expositions of such topics as “the Law of God,” “Religious Worship,” and the “Civil Magistrate” from chapters 19 through 25 of the Confession. Over 60 were in attendance for this weekend module.

On the third week of February, RBS invited Mark Chanski to update his lectures on Hermeneutics. Over the space of four days, Mark surveyed the history of biblical interpretation from Ezra to the modern period, offering a special critique of the hermeneutics of critical theory. He then expounded the grammatical, historical, and theological principles that should guide a sound interpretation of Scripture, providing plenty of helpful illustrations along the way. Finally, he focused on such issues as parables, typology, and prophecy. See his brief video intro to the course here. We had close to 20 in attendance for this module. For those interested, the video and audio lectures are now available on our auditors’ campus.

We have four additional modules planned for the rest of 2022. First, we’ve scheduled a three-day module on Pastoral Theology for the last week of April. The Reformed Baptist Church of Riverside will host the module and the lecturers include Robert Elliott, Jamie Howell, and Jeffrey Johnson. Then, May 13 and 14, Jeff Smith will teach a two-day module on the topic of “Salvation Applied,” which includes an exposition of chapters 10 through 18 of the Baptist Confession. On the first week of August, Jamie Howell will offer a three-day “Introduction to Biblical Counseling” course the first week of August, hosted by Grace Baptist Church of Taylors. Finally, Steve Meister and Robert Briggs will teach a two-day module entitled “The Church and Last Things.” The lectures for this module will address the teaching of chapters 26 through 32 of the Baptist Confession.

Dean’s Sabbatical

Last summer, the seminary board decided to grant the dean, Bob Gonzales, a four-month sabbatical for over sixteen years of serving the seminary. Dr. Gonzales begins the sabbatical in April. He hopes not only to rest, recreate, and visit family, but also to work on some lecture and writing projects. These include a popular exposition of Genesis 12 through 50 entitled Faults of Our Fathers: The Sins of the Patriarchs and the Grace of God, a thematic commentary on Psalm 119, and maybe one or two theological articles. Additionally, he’s editing the first volume of The 1689 Theology Project, which is a theological and practical commentary on the Second London Confession of Faith. He would appreciate your prayers for God’s blessing, as would Vadim Chepurny and Robert Briggs who will cover for him during the sabbatical.

Support RBS?

How can RBS offer a ministerial education at such a reduced cost? Part of the reason lies in the fact that we are an online school. We do not need to charge the student to maintain the overhead expenses of building facilities and a resident faculty. Another part of the reason lies in the fact that RBS is partially supported by the generosity of local churches and Christians in local churches who see training gospel ministers as a vital component of the Great Commission. If you are interested in knowing more about our financial needs, please contact the seminary dean (dean@rbseminary.org). RBS is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. When donating, please indicate what fund you would like to contribute towards. For more information click here.