BTSR...

[Jon Estes]

I think that is the initials of the school in Richmond the CBF supports or supported. How are they doing? What I can find is that they are very small (like 69 students).

I bring them up because I am in communication with a graduate about helping him and his church plant. He seems like a nice guy but here is my main concern right now.

1 - We have voted to use a certain percentage of our church budget and adopt a church plant (international and baptist).
2 - This church is one of the more recent which has been planted.
3 - Looks like a good candidate
4 - Our funds cannot carry them but can be of help with a plant that is committed to reach and build.
5 - The pastor will be leaving the church next year and with the difficulty in finding church planters (we have a dozen more areas we are wanting to plant a church but do not have bodies top put in those places) I am not sure such a commitment will make a difference in the long run... i.e. If the pastor is not remaining and it takes a while to get a new pastor will the church stay intact?

Any words of advice from my to the left of me friends (if you do not mind me calling you friend?).

[Dave Roberts]

Jon, I'm probably the closest and most involved with BTSR you will find. BTSR has changed some of its model in recent years moving to a downsized location. Originally, the school was the only moderate Baptist institution on the east coast. Now we are inundated with moderate schools, most of which are university related; ie--Campbell, Gardner-Webb, Wake Forest, Baptist Seminary of Kentucky, and Mercer. In its original vision, BTSR bought far too much real estate buying 5 unused buildings from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education that was merged into Union Seminary. They have sold most of this now to other users and have moved to a more sustainable model. I have a good friend who is a trustee of BTSR who feels like the school has had to make some hard decisions based on the student population and the financial realities of theological education which so many are attempting these days online.

My son is a graduate of BTSR, and I feel he received a good education from them, not perfect but of quality. He was pleased with the close interaction with professors and staff and the student fellowship that was available. At the same time, there were not a lot of electives offered by the faculty. He has felt that his education was comparable with other seminary graduates and has been a good foundation for the church staff position in which he is now serving.

Hope that is helpful to what you wanted, Jon. If not, please ask specific questions, and I will try to address them.

[Ed Pettibone]

Ed: Jon, as Dave Roberts has shown BTSR has turned out some very good pastors and teachers.

I am curios about the parenthetical (international and baptist) in your statement "We have voted to use a certain percentage of our church budget and adopt a church plant (international and baptist). "

In your context what does (international and baptist) mean? In my context Baptists are international. Last year ABC-USA hosted an international Missions conference at our Green Lake, Wisconsin Conference Center to Celebrate 200 years of foreign mission involvement. We where exposed to worship styles from every continent on earth except Antarctica.

[Jon Estes]

[Jon Estes]

[Ed Pettibone]

[Jon Estes]