Current Facts About RTS (as of the 2023–2024 Academic Year)
RTS has eight campuses in the U.S.A. (in order of their establishment: Jackson, MS, Orlando, FL, Charlotte, NC, Washington, DC, Atlanta, GA, Houston, TX, New York City, and Dallas, TX), in addition to our Global (online distance education) program, as well as a joint DMin program with the Andrew Jumper Center of Mackenzie Presbyterian University in São Paulo, Brazil. RTS also partners with the Yayasan Pendidikan Pelita Harapan (YPPH) in the Center for Reformed Theology at Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) in Karawaci, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Dr. Ligon Duncan became Chancellor/CEO in 2013 (he began teaching for RTS Jackson in 1990). Dr. Bob Cara became Provost/Chief Academic Officer (CAO) in 2005 (he began teaching for RTS Charlotte in 1993). Dave Veldkamp became Chief Enrollment Management Officer (CEMO) in 2021 (he has also served as Director of Institutional Assessment since 2020). Mike Copening became Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in 2021. Jessica Short became Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in 2022. Ricky Rayborn became Chief Operations Officer (COO) and Dr. Tony Doggett became Chancellor’s Chief of Staff (CoS) in 2023. We are currently looking for a Chief Development Officer (CDO).
Dr. Scott Redd, Jr. became President of RTS Washington in 2012. Dr. Mike Kruger became President of RTS Charlotte in 2013. David John became the Executive Director of RTS Global in 2016. Dr. Scott Swain became President of RTS Orlando in 2017. Dr. Mark McDowell became the RTS Dallas in 2017 and of RTS Houston in 2021. Dr. Guy Richard became Executive Director in 2017, then President of RTS Atlanta in 2021. Dr. Jay Harvey became the Executive Director of RTS New York City in 2018. Dr. Ligon Duncan became President of RTS Jackson in 2021.
Dr. Dick Belcher became Dean of RTS Atlanta in 2013 and Dean of RTS New York City in 2023 (having previously served as Dean of RTS Charlotte beginning in 2013). John Muether became Dean of Libraries in 2013. Dr. Michael Allen became the Dean of RTS Orlando in 2017. Dr. Tommy Keene became Dean of RTS Washington, DC in 2019. Dr. Guy Waters became the Dean of RTS Jackson in 2022 (having previously served as the Dean of RTS Dallas and RTS Houston beginning in 2017). Dr. Blair Smith became the Dean of RTS Dallas and RTS Houston in 2022. Dr. Greg Lanier became the Dean of RTS Global in 2022. Dr. James Anderson became the Dean of RTS Charlotte in 2023 (having previously served as Dean of RTS Global beginning in 2012 and RTS New York City beginning in 2014).
RTS has a number of “Centers” hosted by campuses, including: Center for Church Planting (Charlotte), Center for Campus Ministry (Charlotte), Summer Institute for Biblical Languages or SIBL (Jackson), the Paideia Center for Whole Life Discipleship (Orlando), the Edmiston Center for the Study of the Bible & Ethnicity (Atlanta), the Institute for Theology and Public Life (Washington), the Institute for Faith, Work, and Culture (Orlando), the Center for the Bible (New York City), and the Initiative on Neo-Calvinist Scholarship (Washington).
RTS currently offers the following degrees: Master of Divinity (Jackson, Orlando, Charlotte, Washington DC, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas), Master of Arts in Biblical Studies (Jackson, Orlando, Charlotte, Washington DC, Atlanta, Houston, New York City, Global), Master of Arts in Theological Studies (Jackson, Orlando, Charlotte, Atlanta, Dallas, Global), Master of Arts in Religion (Washington DC, *Atlanta, *Global), Master of Arts in Counseling (Jackson, Orlando), Master of Arts in Christian Counseling (Charlotte), Doctor of Ministry (Orlando, Charlotte, São Paulo). [*Note: the MAR is in teach-out at the Atlanta and Global campuses.]
RTS is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and its Master of Arts in Counseling degree program is accredited by The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
While most seminaries in North America are experiencing stagnant enrollment or decline (especially in full-time residential students), RTS has seen a significant increase in the total credit hours we have taught, surpassing our highest ever totals for the last three consecutive years. RTS taught over 22,000 credit hours last academic year (2022-23). Today, a little less than 60 years since the founding, RTS is the largest Reformed evangelical seminary in North America, with more than 6,700 alumni and more than 12,000 former students around the globe.
At all campuses combined, RTS has more than 2,000 students: over 1,750 who take at least one course per year for masters-level or DMin-level credit, and an additional 250+ who audit courses. These students represent 48 states (plus Washington, DC and Puerto Rico), 33 countries, and every inhabited continent.
More PCA ministers have graduated from RTS than any other seminary. RTS prepares a plurality of the ministry in the PCA, ARP, OPC, and EPC. RTS graduates have started at least 23 theological schools worldwide to provide Reformed, biblical, pastoral training in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
RTS has one of the largest faculties of any evangelical seminary in North America, at any given time we have 45-50 permanent voting faculty members, and over 70 regular adjunct professors/visiting lecturers. By conviction we have no tenured professors, but our faculty is often acknowledged as among the longest-serving in all of ATS. Currently, RTS has three Chancellor’s professors (Derek Thomas, Sinclair Ferguson, and Sean Lucas) and one Provost’s Professor (Carl Ellis). We also have three Fellows (Karen Ellis, Benjamin Intan, and Christopher Watkin).
RTS has an annual budget of RTS of over $20 million, an endowment of about $80 million, and assets in excess of $120 million. RTS has approximately 175 employees, not counting over 100 seminarians who participate in work-study.
The RTS Board of Trustees currently has 20 members (with a maximum of 21 allowed). The RTS Executive Committee currently consists of 11 of those board members (with a maximum of 12 allowed). Historically, RTS Board members have served for 20+ years.
The RTS Mobile App has over 210,000 users, giving them free access to over 40 courses, current RTS news & events, chapel messages from our campuses, featured RTS series such as “Wisdom Wednesday” and “RTS Book Notes,” and a vast vault of online courses from a variety of faculty from years past: https://subsplash.com/reformtheosem/app
RTS has a significant presence on the web and on social media. The RTS website https://rts.edu/ is a treasure trove of information about and resources from RTS. RTS is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ReformedSem/ (and there are also campus Facebook pages: RTS Jackson~ https://www.facebook.com/ReformedJackson; RTS Orlando~ https://www.facebook.com/rtsorlando; RTS Charlotte~ https://www.facebook.com/rtscharlotte; RTS Washington, DC~ https://www.facebook.com/RTSWashingtonDC; RTS Atlanta~ https://www.facebook.com/rtsatlanta RTS Houston~ https://www.facebook.com/rtshouston; RTS New York City~ https://www.facebook.com/RTSNewYorkCity; RTS Dallas ~ https://www.facebook.com/DallasRTS; RTS Global Education~ https://www.facebook.com/RTSGlobalEducation). Edmiston Center~ https://www.facebook.com/edmistoncenter.
RTS on Twitter (or X): @ReformTheoSem (@RTSJackson @rtsorlando @RTSCharlotte @RTSWashington @RTSAtlanta @RTSHoustonTX @RTSNewYork @RTS_Dallas @RTSGlobalEd) @EdmistonCenter
RTS on Instagram: @reformedseminary @rts.jxn @rts_clt @rts.washington @rts.atlanta @rts.nyc @the_edmiston_center
RTS-related websites: Ligon Duncan https://ligonduncan.com/. Scott Redd, Jr. https://www.sunergoi.com/. Mike Kruger https://www.michaeljkruger.com/. Scott Swain https://www.scottrswain.com/. Guy Richard https://guymrichard.com/. James Anderson https://www.proginosko.com/. Kevin DeYoung https://clearlyreformed.org/. Greg Beale https://www.gkbeale.com/. Greg Lanier https://glanier.wordpress.com/. Chad Van Dixhoorn Westminster Resources https://westminsterassembly.org/. Mark Futato https://dailydoseofhebrew.com/ John Fesko https://www.jvfesko.com/blog. Peter Lee https://redeemingchillingworth.com/. Will Ross https://williamaross.com/ Tommy Keene www.signandshadow.com RTS NYC Center for the Bible https://www.centerforthebible.org RTS DC Faculty Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rts-washington-faculty-podcast/id1504944937. RTS Atlanta Edmiston Center https://edmistoncenter.org/resources/. The Paideia Center https://paideiacenter.com/. RTS Jackson Online Discussion Forum https://rts.edu/campuses/jackson/community/online-discussion-forum/