NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 30, 2023
CBTS Holds 2023 Graduation Ceremony at New Facilities
On May 27, 2023, CBTS held its annual graduation service at the newly renovated facilities of Grace Reformed Baptist Church in Owensboro, KY.
14 graduates were conferred degrees upon completion of their academic programs – the most graduates the institution has had within an academic year. Three of the graduates received the flagship degree of Master of Divinity.
Five of the graduates are outside of the United States: from Mexico, Saint Lucia, Ecuador, and New Zealand. The other nine graduates were from California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, and Tennessee.
The graduates received an address from CBTS President Dr. Sam Waldron, who spoke on the three things which a Seminary cannot adequately pass on to students and so what graduates must continue to learn after the completion of their programs: oratio, meditatio, and tentato – or prayer, meditation, and trial or temptation.
The service featured testimonies from 3 of the graduates: Jorge Rodriguez (Pastor of Iglesia Bautista Gracia Soberana of Santa Domingo, Ecuador), Jod Charles (member of Calvary Baptist Church in Massade, Gros Islet in Saint Lucia), and Cody Edds (member and gifted brother at Christ Reformed Baptist Church of Lookout Mountain, TN).
“For me, CBTS has been more than a school…I learned how to be a godly pastor and father,” said Master of Divinity (MDiv) graduate Jorge Rodriguez, “I have learned how to be a godly man, not just in a theological education, but what a godly man looks like.”
“CBTS has greatly benefitted my ability to exegete the Word of God, and this has been evident in my growth as a preacher and teacher, and the affirmation of the elders and members of my church,” says Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MATS) graduate Jod Charles. “If you are asking yourself whether seminary training is necessary, affordable, or worth your time, take courage; CBTS provides the kind of theological education that equips the man of God for every good work because it is based on Scripture Alone.”
“While it was Christ (through the church) who has formed me, nothing has shaped my theology, nurtured my gifts in preaching, or deepened my understanding of pastoral ministry like my time at this wonderful institution,” said Master of Divinity (MDiv) graduate Cody Edds. He said, “I do not believe there is another Reformed Baptist institution or seminary that is better fit to make pastors who do all things in charity and love than CBTS.”
The graduates were charged by Seminary Vice-President John Miller from 2 Timothy 4:1-5, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching…Fulfill your ministry.”
“We rejoice in God’s help to these men to finish their course of studies, and we trust that the Lord will continue to equip them to serve the church of Jesus Christ faithfully,” says Brice Bigham, Seminary Director of Development. “We give glory to God that our graduating classes continue to grow each year. The Lord is helping CBTS to fulfill our mission 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. While many are anxious about the darkness of our times – God is raising up men for the hour.”
The graduation ceremony can be viewed in full on the Seminary’s Website (CBTSeminary.org), YouTube channel, or Facebook page.
About CBTSeminary
The vision of CBTSeminary 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. Its 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. They do this work by providing rigorous academic training and by facilitating extensive pastoral mentoring.
To learn more about Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary, visit CBTSeminary.org.
