Graduate Profile: Adam McClanahan, Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.)

In 1987 at age 10 my great grandma died and her funeral devastated me. I remember going home and balling my eyes out, getting on my knees before the Lord and making a profession of faith. At that time I still didn’t know what that meant or even looked like. Yet my loving mother still dragged me to church with her most Sundays up until High School. I entered college as a “non-professing Christian”. I did have a desire to go to church, as I had missed it during my high school years. Having no solid foundation on to which to build I was easily swept away by the allure of sinful pleasure which college offered.

In 1997 almost a decade later the Lord would reveal Himself again to me through His glorious Gospel. I was a sophomore in college at the time struggling with life, when an alumni basketball player had been transformed by the Gospel. I had heard of this rumor and one day he entered into the locker room and he was changed. I could see that the Lord had transformed him into a new creation.  He came next to me and my one question was simple, “How did you do it?” He responded, “I did nothing, God did it.” That blew me away and planted the seed for me to find out what that was all about.

All the while, my roommate that year was a believer in Christ and now a pastor was praying for me to be saved. Praise the Lord for answered prayers! I came to be known by God, repented, denied myself and submitted my life to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It was an overnight change and my life now was turned right side up. I shared with anyone and everyone. The Spirit was moving and a revival happened there on the small campus of Hastings College. Soon afterwards the Lord then blessed me with the meeting of my spouse. What an amazing gift she has been! I truly don’t deserve her.

Since my new life I have always longed to know more about the Word of God. I transferred to Grace University through the excel program based out of Grand Island, NE for my senior year. After that we moved to Maryland, then to Colorado and now back to Nebraska. Once back in Nebraska and three earthly children later, we came across the terms of Calvinism and Arminianism. We soon found out that we were Calvinists. We thought we just believed what the word of God taught.

This great debate then prompted me to learn more. My Pastor asked me if had I thought about seminary and that lead to a lengthy search. After the lengthy search and many hours of prayer, the Lord brought us to Reformed Baptist Seminary. We wanted a seminary that was solid on Reformed teachings and one that valued keeping you in your church. RBS offered both which is priceless. I am currently a lay elder at Grace Bible Fellowship, waiting for the Lord to open the next door. 

Adam McClanahan, Graduate
Reformed Baptist Seminary