The focus of the CMI is to prepare men and women for service in many settings: military, institutional, airport, hospital, corporate, and more. Briefly, our program will be marked by a distinctively Reformed approach to the chaplaincy…

Due to the incredible opportunities and need for chaplains in all sectors of American life, both domestically and internationally, RTS Charlotte is pleased to unveil the new Chaplains Ministry Institute (CMI).

“Soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, guardsmen, as well as prisoners, patients, and even
businessmen, are in need of ambassadors of God! Now is the time for the Chaplains Ministry Institute” explains Dr. Michael Milton, an active reserve Army Chaplain himself and currently President of RTS Charlotte and Chancellor Elect for the RTS system.

The focus of the CMI is to prepare men and women for service in many settings: military, institutional, airport, hospital, corporate, and more. Briefly, our program will be marked by a distinctively Reformed approach to the chaplaincy and will embody the following characteristics:

Theologically Informed Ministry: Committed to Reformed theology as defined in the Westminster Standards, we believe that a ministry practice flows from a theological center and chaplains should be equipped to think theologically about issues that their ministry will encounter.

Centrality of Preaching and Teaching the Word: While chaplain ministry involves many aspects, we are committed to the supremacy of preaching. Whether preaching on the battlefield or giving the Word privately in counseling, we believe our chaplains are “physicians of the soul,” and their medicine is Word, Sacrament, and Prayer. Our chaplains, regardless of their ministry context, must be able to exegete, and esposit the primary means of grace: the authoritative Word of God.

Faithful Gospel Witness in a Pluralistic Culture: As most chaplain ministry takes place in pluralistic settings, our aim is to teach chaplains how to conduct ministry that is faithful to the Word of God in that context. Chaplain candidates will explore the ministry framework of several cultures, including the military and various institutions, and be taught faithful methods for presenting the Gospel in those contexts.

Apologetics and Evangelism: We endeavor to prepare our chaplains as evangelists and apologists to be ready to give an answer for the hope that they have in Christ, according to the Scriptures.

Family Focus: Chaplains will be prepared to minister by integrating Biblical truth to the whole family, not just the soldier, prisoner, or businessman alone.

Attuned to Personal Calling: Our institute is focused on preparing chaplains with specific callings, thus directing them to supplemental learning resources and mentors who can help them achieve their personal goals of ministry.

Biblical in Principle and Practice: While thankful for the good work of other national agencies and institutes, our approach to preparing chaplains will be grounded in a commitment to the inerrant and infallible Word in all things.

Courses will usually be taken with other students in the pastoral program, but mentorships, lectures, reading and papers will focus on the chaplaincy emphasis.

The Advisory Council is a central component of the CMI. Its members use their many years of chaplain ministry experience to provide vision, direction, and guidance to future chaplains at RTS Charlotte. In addition, some of the Advisory Council members regularly teach a number of the specialized courses that focus on chaplain ministry.

This advisory Council includes the following people:

CH (BG) Douglas Lee, USA (Retired), Serves as Chairman of the Advisory Council. He is Executive Director, Presbyterian and Reformed Joint Commission on Chaplain Ministry

The Honorable J. Scott Redd, Vice Admiral, United States Navy (Retired); Member of the Board of Trustees of Reformed Theological Seminary

CH (COL) Ken Bush, US Army, Director of Curriculum, Unites States Army Chaplain School

CH (LTC) Pete Sniffin, US Army, Assistant to the Chief of Chaplains of the US Army, The Pentagon

Dr. Samuel H. Larsen, CDR, CHC, USN (Retired); Professor of Missions Emeritus, RTS Atlanta

CH (COL) Chris Wisdom, US Army, Germany

CH (LTC) Michael Cannon, US Army Reserve. Chaplain Cannon is now serving as the Director of the CMI.

Dr. Andrew Peterson, President, RTS Virtual Campus, Charlotte, NC

Dr. Hutz H. Hertzberg, LCDR, CHC, USNR; Executive Pastor, The Moody Church; Senior Protestant Chaplain, Chicago O’Hare and Midway Airports

Chaplain Doug Lee Executive Director of the PRJC (which serves the ARP, KAPC, KPCA, OPC, PCA, RPCNA AND URCNA denominations) says of the CMI: “The world is wide open and the stage is wide open for men who are creative and want to be a gospel minister to make a big difference as a chaplain…RTS Charlotte is the only seminary of a Reformed nature, in America, that is pursuing this with a passioin.”

Anyone interested in application information can obtain it here.