About CBTS
Our Mission, Confession, Constitution, Values, Philosophy, & History
From the President
Greetings in the name of our reigning Lord Jesus Christ! Thank you for your interest in Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary.
Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary is committed to informed scholarship with a pastoral heart. We are committed to offering the highest quality of scholarship, both through our distance learning program and for students who choose to move to Owensboro, Kentucky, and study with us here. Though we teach our courses with pastoral ministry in mind, we also do so with an eye to current trends in important theological debates.
CBTS is founded on a commitment to the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. For us, it is the finest historic confession available to the church today. CBTS fully subscribes to it and ensures that all our teaching remains faithful to it. In this way, you may be assured that the teaching you receive through CBTS is not novel but reflects the great tradition of Reformed Baptist thought growing out of the Reformation.
The Lord Reigns,
Dr. Sam Waldron, President
Our Vision
Our vision is to see the church of the Lord Jesus Christ strengthened and expanded worldwide,
to the end that Christ would be known, loved, and exalted.
Our Mission
Our mission therefore is to help the church to prepare men to undertake the full range of pastoral responsibilities they will face in serving Christ and His kingdom, and to equip Christians for effective service in the church. We do this work by providing rigorous academic training and by facilitating extensive pastoral mentoring.
Our Confession of Faith
CBTS fully subscribes to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith.
Our Constitution
Approved by the CBTS Board of Directors, July 29, 2025.
Values
Our mission will be carried out in a manner that adheres to our 8 core values.
1
The church worldwide ought to embrace its God-given duty to prepare its own future leaders (2 Tim. 2:2). Followers of Christ should all see this as a privilege for perpetuating, purifying, and extending the gospel to all nations and generations.
2
Each local church ought to involve itself in the equipping of men for pastoral ministry. The local church is best positioned to recognize, develop, assess, and confirm the spiritual giftedness of men aspiring to that office.
3
Men being considered for pastoral ministry preparation must exhibit, at least in emerging form, the character, gifts, and graces prescribed in passages such as 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, Acts 20, 1 Peter 5, etc.
4
The pastoral ministry requires thorough, comprehensive, and balanced training. Preparation should not be shallow, nor should it be skewed either towards exclusive pastoral experience or exclusive academic studies.
5
Theological instruction must be Bible-saturated, Gospel-centered, confessionally grounded, and led by godly, experienced, Reformed pastors and scholars. We are committed to the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith as the best and most wholesome summary of the truth of God’s Word.
6
The Lord Jesus Christ gives a variety of gifts to His church and providentially opens a diversity of opportunities for the exercise of those gifts. We ought to recognize and accommodate differences in giftedness and possible futures for those being trained.
7
The desire and appropriateness to pursue theological training may not match an individual’s financial and practical ability to undertake that training. To the extent possible we ought to assist each individual and adapt the training program in order to encourage participation by needy brethren.
8
All that the seminary undertakes must be performed with the highest regard to biblical standards of righteousness, integrity, faithfulness, compassion, and total dependence on the grace of God. We are stewards of the gifts of God’s people, and we are servants of the great Head of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our Philosophy of
Theological Education
A detailed expression of our convictions regarding theological education from Scripture.
Goals and Objectives
Mission Goal A:
Prepare men to undertake the full range of pastoral responsibilities
Objectives to Achieve the Goal
By providing seminary materials that is biblically sound and academically thorough.
By offering courses that cover the full range of topics needed by men going into the pastorate.
By using competent instructors who present their material well and interact personally with students.
By conducting live classroom courses that supplement the online offerings and are conveniently located for students to attend.
By assuring that students move efficiently through the course of study with a high rate of completion.
By using the seminary program to cultivate the godliness of students and effectively assess their personal progress in grace.
By incorporating pastoral mentors who understand the seminary’s program and effectively coach and evaluate their student mentees, and who participate with seminary/mentor dialog.
By graduating at least five men annually with master’s degrees.
Mission Goal B:
Equip Christians for effective service in the church
Objectives to Achieve the Goal
By offering courses that cover a wide range of topics relevant to Gospel truth and the Christian life.
By helping students to have easy access to course offerings and participate at their own pace and depth. (MATS)
Support Goals & Objectives
1 - 4
To undergird and strengthen the Mission of the Institution
1 - Curriculum
To provide curriculum materials of the highest caliber
Objectives
- By assuring that each course is thoroughly Scriptural and is based on a Reformed systematics framework consistent with the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith.
- By assuring that each course is internally consistent with and complementary to the other seminary course offerings.
By assuring that each course is supported by carefully prepared reading lists, writing assignments, and testing materials.
- By assuring that courses are available to fulfill the requirements of each degree program that the seminary offers.
- By assuring that the seminary program is accredited by a recognized Christian accrediting organization
2 - Faculty
To provide godly, competent faculty
Objectives
- By assuring that each faculty member holds an advanced theological degree.
- By assuring that each faculty member exhibits godly character and demeanor and is known to be deeply engaged in the life and ministry of the local church.
- By assuring that each faculty member demonstrates competence to teach effectively.
- By assuring that each faculty member interacts well with students at both a personal and a professional level.
- By assuring that each faculty member respects the authority of the academic dean and fully supports the mission of the seminary.
3 - Facilities
To provide necessary physical facilities
Objectives
- By assuring that facilities adequately meet the instructional needs of the seminary.
- By assuring that audio and video recording is well served by the seminary’s facilities.
- By assuring that the seminary houses its library materials and provides study space for students.
- By assuring that staff office and meeting space is adequate.
- By assuring that adequate operational and storage space is provided for technical equipment, files, etc.
4 - Technology
To provide adequate technology support
Objectives
- By assuring that the seminary has an Internet presence that is attractive, contemporary, and easy to understand.
- By assuring that the seminary website propels online learning, public relations, and essential administrative interfaces (applications, student portal, online donations, etc.).
- By assuring that the quality of audio and video recording is excellent.
- By assuring that technical methods are flexible for various teaching requirements and are adaptable as new technologies emerge
5 - 8
5 - International Training Support
To provide support for international training opportunities
Objectives
- By assuring that the seminary is able to develop and assist similar programs in other countries.
- By assuring that the seminary has adequate resources to contribute online and in-person faculty participation to international programs.
- By assuring that the seminary has adequate administrative and governance resources to coordinate ongoing participation in international programs.
- By assuring that international theological training programs sponsored by the seminary are easily replicable in new locations
6 - Governance
To provide responsible, gifted governance for the seminary
Objectives
- By assuring that the board is filled with qualified men who have the range of gifts needed to govern the seminary and lead its various working committees.
- By assuring that the academic dean is gifted with theological training and pastoral experience. He provides competent leadership of the seminary.
- By assuring that sufficient administrative support is provided so that the program of the seminary can proceed efficiently.
- By assuring that the seminary anticipates and plans for leadership succession.
- By assuring that the seminary maintains independent governing status while receiving appropriate spiritual oversight by confessional local churches
7 - Administration
To provide adequate administration resources for the seminary
Objectives
- By assuring that administrative staff focuses on maintaining high standards of integrity including financial stewardship.
- By assuring that administrative staff supports governance leadership by undertaking daily operations and providing timely reports.
- By assuring that administrative staff interfaces with constituent groups in a gracious and professional manner.
- By assuring that administrative staff is augmented by volunteer participation.
8 - Financial Support
To provide a sufficient and balanced support base for the seminary
Objectives
- By assuring that tuition rates and fees are kept at a level commensurate with the ability of students to afford theological studies.
- By assuring that the seminary readily responds to special financial needs of its students and provides tuition relief through a special fund.
- By assuring that the seminary maintains a broad base of support for its financial needs.
- By assuring that supporters know the mission of the seminary, believe in that mission, and have confidence that the seminary can accomplish that mission.
20+ Years of Theological Education
The story of CBTS testifies to the Lord’s unchanging faithfulness, by which He has enlarged our mission, directed our work, and prepared us for increased service to His church throughout the world.
2001
In 2001, under the leading of God’s gracious providence, Pastor Sam Waldron reached the conclusion that he should pursue doctoral studies to better equip him in preparing men for the ministry and in serving the church through his writing ministry. Consequently, he left the Reformed Baptist Church of Grand Rapids where he had been a pastor for 24 years and moved to Owensboro, KY.
2005
In 2005, he completed his dissertation and received his PhD from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Through the shared vision of Dr. Waldron and Pastor Ted Christman, Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary was established that same year on the campus of Heritage Baptist Church in Owensboro as the Midwest Center for Theological Studies.
2014
In 2014, the institution was renamed Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary. This name made clear that we were an institution dedicated to the preparation of men for the Christian ministry in the Reformed and Baptist theological tradition. At about the same time, Dr. Waldron became the dean of the seminary while continuing in his role as the resident professor of Systematic Theology. He also began to serve as a pastor of Grace Reformed Baptist Church of Owensboro, which became CBTS’ host church. Through God’s provision, GRBC purchased a church building at 1501 E. 26th St., and would later purchase an additional home on the property to house the Seminary offices. CBTS had hired its very first full-time staff member, John Divito, in 2011 and had begun to invest more intentionally into online education in 2012.
2015
In 2015, CBTS became an affiliate member of the Association of Reformed Theological Seminaries (ARTS). In 2017, CBTS requested applicant status with ARTS, which formally began the process of accreditation. With the invaluable help of Kyle Kearbey and Rex Semrad, CBTS was officially accredited by ARTS in October of 2019. Student growth began to accelerate during CBTS’ candidacy period and surged dramatically after accreditation was achieved.Having added Rex Semrad as the full-time registrar in 2015, CBTS added its second full-time staff member, Brice Bigham, in 2019. Also around this time, important renovations on GRBC’s sanctuary and the “Eby House” were completed at the facilities at 1501 E 26th St. However, due to the rapid growth of the church and seminary, those facilities would soon become overcrowded.
2022
In 2022, the Lord provided GRBC with a church building at 800 Chuck Gray Ct through a generous donor. The 11,000 square foot building had fallen into disrepair, so that same year, a project was led by Deacon Jamie Mindrup to renovate the building for the church and seminary. Nearly $1 million was raised for the project from special gifts, fundraising, and the sale of GRBC’s former property. The project was completed in May of 2023, and the seminary held its first modular course in that same month. The church held its first worship services the next month. By this time, the seminary had added 3 additional staff members (Blake Cassell, Roberto Soriano, and Austin McCormick). The Seminary also announced plans to hire John Miller as part-time Vice President and Jorge Rodriguez as the Spanish Program Director. In 2023, the Seminary held its largest graduation service in the new facilities, conferring degrees upon 14 students.
Present & Future
CBTS continues to grow as a confessional Reformed Baptist seminary devoted to rigorous scholarship and pastoral formation. Today we are expanding our reach, strengthening partnerships, and broadening opportunities for theological training. Looking ahead, we remain firmly grounded in our mission while pursuing new initiatives and resources to equip faithful servants of Christ and support the church around the world.