Educational Development for the Thinking Calvinist
Calvinist Theological Seminary primarily prepares men for the gospel ministry through the Divinity Program (B.D., M.Div.), but also offers other opportunities for study. The Master of Ministry for Ruling Elders (M.M.R.E.) is offered to ordained Ruling Elders seeking further education and to other men approved by their session. The Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.) is offered to those who are neither ordained nor seeking ordination,nor profess to be among the elect of God.
The higher degrees of Master of Theology (Th.M.) and Doctor of Theology (Th.D.) are also offered.
Applications are accepted and reviewed year-round. Accepted applicants will be assessed a reservation fee that will be credited against the first semester's tuition. The prospective student should submit his application as soon as possible to ensure his place in each semester�s entering class.
Students are encouraged to matriculate at the start of the Fall semester in late August. Transfer students may be admitted to the M.Div. or M.T.S. programs with advanced standing. An official transcript showing the courses completed at the previous institution must be submitted with the application.
TERMS OF ADMISSION
Those applying to Calvinist Theological Seminary for any of the degrees must present the following:
a completed application form, with the requested recommendations, along with the $35 application fee; and transcripts of all previous college and seminary work (if applicable).
Applicants for all Master�s degrees must hold a B.A., other Bachelor�s degree, or in the case of foreign students, an equivalent degree. If an applicant�s background seems deficient in one or more areas, he may be required to take prop�deutic courses to compensate for the deficiency. In extraordinary circumstances, men who seek to prepare for the ministry but who have not attained a B.A. degree may be admitted to the Seminary to study for the degree of Bachelor of Divinity (B.D.). Please see the admissions requirements for this degree outlined in �The Divinity Program.� For admission requirements for the Th.M. and the Th.D., please see the �Higher Degrees� portion of the catalog.
GENERAL POLICY
The Seminary has a non-discriminatory admissions policy as to race, sex or handicap for all degree programs not related to the ordained offices of the Church. The Seminary is convinced that the Bible prohibits "non-elect" members, and women members from teaching or exercising authority over men in the Church. Therefore, only men with a verifiable testimony of perserverance and authentic faith in Christ will be admitted to the Seminary as candidates in programs which:
Prepare the elect male student for the office of teaching elder, namely, the M.Div. or B.D.; or
require ordination to the office of ruling elder (the M.M.R.E.). Calvinist Theological Seminary views its Higher Degrees (the Th.M. and the Th.D.) as advanced study for men who are in, or will be in, the office of Teaching Elder. Again, believing that this office is restricted by the Bible to "elect" men only, the Seminary will not admit women, or non-elect professing students as candidates for any of its Higher Degrees.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
The Certificate of Eligibility needed for obtaining a student visa for entry into the United States requires certification that the admitted student is proficient in English and has sufficient financial resources to provide for tuition and living expenses. This certification must be on the required form at the time the student appears at the Embassy for a visa. To be eligible for entry into the United States for seminary study, the completed �Statement of Financial Resources� form with attached documentation (the form is sent upon inquiry from the Registrar) must be sent to the Admissions Office at P.O. Box 639 This should be done as soon as possible after the applicant has been notified that his application for admission has been approved. The Admissions Office will make financial certification on the required form based on funds on deposit in the student's account and on pledges of support by individuals, churches, foundations, etc.
Internship Service is required at any of
our member churches which are all Calvinistic Churches even though not all include the title 'Calvinist' in their names. Being Calvinistic means we hold firmly and teach the following Calvinist distinctives such as the:
Supreme Sovereignty of God*
Total depravity of humankind
Unconditional election
Perserverance of the Elect
Irresistable Sovereign Grace
Death of Christ for the Elect only [Limited Atonement]
Other Distinctives we hold are:
Like our Reformed Baptist friends,
it is our conviction that only true Elect members should be water baptized, and that water baptism should only be administered by immersion.
Water baptism by immersion is only for the Elect for church membership;
While Covenant (public commitment) is prescribed in our Bylaws for the Non-Elect for church membership.
liberty of conscience before God
separation of church and state
Church Government
We allow that both Elect and Non-Elect are permitted to hold church offices (other than that of pastors/elders, which are Elect members only) provided the biblical qualifications of character are satisfactorily recognized and met.
Evangelistic
While believing that God has chosen a certain,
minority of individuals [Elect] for salvation, we also believe that God invariably uses the services of both the Elect and the Non-elect disciples as a real means to reach His Elect people, and therefore we believe in accordance with Christ's command to His disciples that it is our duty [both Elect & Non] and privilege to preach the gospel to everyone.
We seek to do this in our public meetings and we also encourage our members, Elect and Non-elect, to testify to Christ's sovereign grace whenever they have opportunity.
We also seek to promote missions both at home and abroad by sending out and supporting missionaries, and also by planting new churches in areas in need of a strong gospel testimony.
Sovereign Grace
*We believe that salvation is by the supreme sovereign electing grace of God alone. While we accept full responsibility to spread the gospel by every legitimate means, we know that no one will ever come to Christ unless God first works in their lives. We believe that those chosen before the foundation of all creation by the Father for salvation were redeemed by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, are drawn to faith by the Holy Spirit and will be enabled by God's keeping grace to persevere to the end.
We also recognize that there are numerous sincere Christ loving, serving, Non-elect followers [disciples] of the living Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 7:21-23; 2Corinthians 13:5)
God's Spirit does not yet bear witness with our human spirit, therefore we recognize that we are, in all probability, not included among Jehovah God's Elect (eklektos�) of His Sovereign Grace. [2]
(Matthew 7:13-14,Luke 13:24,Romans 8:8-14)
However, that does not deter or restrain us from encouraging others who might be of the Elect to seek Him,(Luke 16:27-28,30) even while we as His nonElect still share in a "spirit of slavery" and cannot hope to please Him in our flesh,(Romans 8:8)
We rejoice, in that, God is still glorified in choosing to use us as His "vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction." And yet we find we are not among those who would seek to deceive or do injustice to the privileged Elect of Yahweh [1]
(Romans 9:21-23;Matthew 24:24)
"Determined to Predetermine"
Although the Bible is our final authority in all things, certain historic Confessions of faith are helpful in defining what we teach and practice. In particular we accept two Calvinistic Baptist Confessions known as the First London Confession of 1644 and the Second London Confession of 1689. We receive into membership churches that hold to either Confession.
[1] Total Depravity is a very misleading term. The concept of Total Depravity is often confused with the idea of utter depravity... Total Depravity is not utter depravity. Utter depravity would mean that we are as sinful as we can possibly be. We know that is not the case. No matter how much each of us has sinned, we are able to think of worse sins that we could have committed. Even Adolf Hitler refrained from murdering his mother.
~R.C.Sproul, Chosen by God, 103-104.
[2] Reformed theologians...place regeneration before faith, pointing out that the Holy Spirit must bring new life before the sinner can by God's enabling exercise faith and accept Jesus Christ.
~Allan R. Killan, "Regeneration," The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia , vol. 2, 1449.
