As Bryan Chapell, president of Covenant Seminary, reflects on the past year, he surveys the many ways in which God has shown His faithfulness in the midst of change. In his report to the PCA’s 38th General Assembly, Chapell said, “Though we should not be surprised at God’s continual outpouring of His grace, we often find ourselves astonished at just how much goodness He chooses to shower upon those who love Him.” Chapell articulates several areas in which Covenant Seminary has experienced God’s faithfulness.

A Refined Mission Statement

One of the most important changes for Covenant Theological Seminary (CTS) this year was the revision of its mission statement, said Chapell, speaking with byFaith. “The goal was not to change our conception of who we are or what we do, but rather to refine what was already a good statement to make it reflect even more accurately our deepened understanding of our calling.” 

The new statement affirms the Seminary’s aim to train God’s servants to walk in His grace, which Chapell says is a way of echoing the ethos of Covenant. “We recognize that grace is in so many ways the heart of Reformed theology, and must be the leading aspect of our training.” The new statement also articulates Covenant’s commitment to train students to minister God’s Word and to help equip God’s people. “We wanted to reflect the biblical language of discipleship,” says Chapell. “In the past, our training has focused on preparing people to handle the pulpit. What we’re saying now is that it’s not enough to just give students information. We must train leaders to train those in the pew for works of ministry.”

Covenant’s new mission statement culminates with an additional phrase: “all for God’s mission.” While the core of Covenant’s mission remains the same, says Chapell, the Seminary now specifically articulates this goal in its purpose statement. 

Celebrating Ministry Success

In his report to the General Assembly, Chapell noted a number of Covenant Seminary’s ministry highlights. The report cites these statistics:
• Over the last five years, among MDiv. graduates seeking ministry positions with the Seminary’s recommendation, Covenant reports a 97 percent placement rate.
• On average, 75 percent of MDiv. graduates serve in pastoral ministry in the PCA.
• CTS alumni tend to remain in church service at a rate four times higher than that of graduates from other accredited seminaries. One in four will plant a new church within eight years of graduation.

Asked which Seminary distinctives help equip Covenant students for long-term ministry, Chapell attributes the preparation students receive not only in theological education, but also in the realities of pastoral life. “Through its history,” he explains, “Covenant has remained riveted on pastoral preparation. So, we evaluate every MDiv. student every year on their aptitude for ministry. We identify areas where they may be weak, so that we can give them special training while they are here.”

Covenant’s emphasis on God’s grace is also a key distinctive, says Chapell. “We emphasize an understanding of God’s grace, which says God is not loving you more or less based on your performance,” Chapell says. “So, when difficulties arise, pastors are not shaken in their relationship with the Lord.”

Online Ministry Skyrockets

In recent years, Covenant Seminary has posted online much of its course content free of charge, and statistics show an enthusiastic response to the growing online ministry.
• In the past four years, a combined total of approximately 800,000 unique visitors have visited Seminary sites nearly two million times.
• 240,000 users from 192 countries visited various online CTS ministries more than 530,000 times in 2009 alone.
• Free course materials from iTunes and iTunesU have seen a total of 1.4 million individual downloads since that partnership began.
“Our online resources have been successful beyond our wildest dreams,” reports Chapell. “It’s incredible. … People around the world who would not otherwise have access [are benefiting] from the Reformed approach to ministry that we believe is so life-giving.”

Faculty Accomplishments and Financial Health

As CTS faculty serve not only seminary students, but the larger body of Christ in their writing and teaching, Chapell highlights a sample of the publications enumerated in his report to the General Assembly. Jerram Barrs published Learning Evangelism from Jesus (Crossway, 2009), which was chosen in February 2010 as “Outstanding Evangelism Resource of the Year” by Outreach magazine. “As Reformed believers, we talk about how to worship according to the ‘regulative principle,’ guided by Scripture alone,” says Chapell. “Jerram talks about how we evangelize according to the regulative principle—following the model of Jesus in Scripture. This book is an outstanding guide for outreach.”

“Dr. Robert Peterson continues to speak about Reformed distinctives regarding eternity. He stands against the popular desire to eliminate hell from our theology,” says Chapell. “Without hell, grace is not very great. Through his publications, he desires to re-awaken the warnings that hell involves and the beckoning that heaven involves.” Peterson published “The Annihilation of Hell,” in Risking the Truth: Handling Error in the Church (Christian Focus, 2009) and Our Secure Salvation: Preservation and Apostasy from the Exploration in Biblical Theology series (P&R, 2009). “Richard Winter is preparing a new edition of The Roots of Sorrow,” says Chapell. “This resource has been tremendously helpful for people struggling with depression.”

While many ministries and non-profits across the U.S. are struggling in the midst of economic difficulties, Covenant Seminary finds itself in solid financial health, says Chapell. “We have been tremendously blessed in a difficult financial environment. We’ve had record enrollment and record giving while we’ve doubled our facilities at the Seminary. And all this while carrying zero debt.” While Chapell cites that there has been some loss in the Seminary’s endowment due to stock market losses, tuition and giving increases have more than compensated for these losses, he says. “The Lord has provided in an amazing way.”