Reformed Baptist Seminary is glad to partner with other like-minded ministerial training institutions. For the past several years, RBS has worked together with the Midwest Center of Theological Studies (MCTS). Both institutions share some of the same instructors and lecturers. Moreover, RBS and MCTS have jointly sponsored at least three theological modules. Finally, any of the credits students earn through MCTS are transferable to RBS’s Marrow and Divinity programs. Several RBS students have taken coursework through MCTS and transferred the credits to an RBS degree program.

Now we’re happy to announce another partnership: RBS is partnering with theFounders Study Center (FSC). Already, Dr. Tom Ascol, Executive Director of Founders Ministries and Editor of the Founders Journal, has agreed to serve as a visiting lecturer for our course on pastoral theology (coming January 2012). Additionally, a number of the courses offered through the FSC can be transferred for credit to an RBS degree program.¹ To better acquaint our students and readers with the FSC, I’ve asked Dr Kenneth Puls, Director of FSC, to provide a brief profile of the ministry as well as a little information about him and Dr. Ascol.

Founders Study Center

The Founders Study Center is the online ministerial training academy of Founders Ministries. Since offering our first course in the summer of 2003 we have served over 700 students from 44 states and 32 additional countries by providing biblically sound, in-depth courses of study.

The primary purpose of the Study Center is to provide resources for men in the field who are serving in the gospel ministry or pursuing the gospel ministry. We recognize that there are many who are not able to leave their places of ministry in order to pursue or continue ministerial training. Through the Study Center we hope to bring biblically sound, in-depth courses of study to those serving God faithfully in the local church and on the mission field.

Our desire is to serve the local church by providing:

• Training and mentoring for men who aspire to the pastoral office
• Further training and mentoring for men who are currently serving as pastors and elders
• Resources for pastors who wish to train and mentor other men who aspire to the ministry
• Resources for missionaries, teachers and other ministry leaders who wish to be better trained and equipped for service in the local church

The teaching offered by the Study Center reflects a commitment to the Doctrines of Grace and their experimental application to the local church, particularly in the areas of worship and witness. The Study Center takes as its theological framework the first recognized confession of faith that Southern Baptists produced, The Abstract of Principles. We desire to encourage the return to and promulgation of the biblical gospel that our Southern Baptist forefathers held dear.

Ken Puls serves as the Director of the Founders Study Center. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha (BM) and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MM, PhD). He also serves Founders Ministries as the Editorial Director of Founders Press. He is an elder and Director of Music Ministries at Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, Florida. He also teaches Fine Arts as an online instructor for Dallas Baptist University. He has composed over 50 hymns, including hymns in Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, the hymnal of the Southern Baptist Founders Conference. He and his wife, Celest, have 4 children.

Tom Ascol teaches the course on Pastoral Theology. He has been in pastoral ministry for 33 years, the last 25 at Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, FL. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University (BS) and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv, PhD). He is the Executive Director of Founders Ministries and Editor of the Founders Journal. Tom has written, From the Protestant Reformation to the Southern Baptist Convention: What Hath Geneva to Do with Nashville?and has edited several books and has contributed numerous articles and chapters to other publications. Tom and his wife, Donna, have six children.