of Baptist Studies Theological Seminary A mind for truth. A heart for God. ORLANDO

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1 The Nicole Institute of Baptist Studies A mind for truth. A heart for God. Reformed Theological Seminary ORLANDO

2 What is The Nicole Institute of Baptist Studies? After a distinguished career at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Dr. Roger Nicole ( ) served as visiting professor of Theology at the Orlando campus of Reformed Theological Seminary from A native of Switzerland, he earned an M.A. from Sorbonne, a Th.D. from Gordon Divinity School, and a Ph.D. from Harvard University. Roger Nicole was among a generation of scholars that led a renaissance of American evangelicalism in the mid-twentieth century. A beloved teacher and prolific writer, he has long been regarded as one of the preeminent evangelical systematic theologians in North America. Among his many accomplishments he assisted in producing the New International Version of the Bible. Dr. Nicole s service to the RTS family was an especially great encouragement to the many Baptist and baptistic students who studied at RTS during his tenure. In the spirit of Roger s ministry, Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando has established a program of study for those desiring to serve baptistic and non-denominational churches in the Reformed tradition. The one who taught us so eloquently on grace With the establishment of the The Nicole Institute for is the one who sits on the throne of grace to Baptist Studies at RTS Orlando, students now have the intercede for his own, to lift them up in the piety while also developing a robust Baptist vision of the presence of the triune God so that God s opportunity to learn the riches of Reformed theology and church and its ministry. blessing may rest upon them. Dr. Roger Nicole.03

3 I thank God for the education I have received at RTS, and I am thrilled at the launch of the Nicole Institute of Baptist Studies! Justin Taylor, RTS Student, Gospel Coalition blogger What makes the Nicole Institute different? The Nicole Institute of Baptist Studies offers four core courses as a part of RTS regular Master s program. These courses focus on issues of importance for Baptist and independent churches. Baptist Confessions January 14-18, 2013 This is a Survey of the major Baptist confessions and their Reformed backgrounds. This class will be taught by Dr. Tom Nettles of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Baptist Theology of Ministry January 6-10, 2014 This course seeks to familiarize students with different paradigms of Baptist ministry while promoting a Reformed Baptist understanding of the primacy of the church, the priority of preaching, and the right use of the Lord s Supper and Baptism. This class will be taught by Dr. Tom Ascol of Grace Baptist Church. Baptist History February 21-22, 2014 This class is s survey of Baptist history from its English roots to present-day American expressions. This class will be taught by Dr. Michael Haykin of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Baptist Polity Date to be determined This course surveys different approaches to polity in Baptist life and seeks to promote a distinctively Reformed Baptist polity that is both biblical and practical..05

4 We have come to a turning point in the road. If we turn to the right mayhap our children and our children s children will go that way; but if we turn to the left, generations yet unborn will curse our names for having been unfaithful to God and to His Word. Charles H. Spurgeon Spurgeon Lecture Series The Spurgeon Lecture Series In addition to the great line-up of classes being offered, The Nicole Institute of Baptist Studies will also sponsor an important biennial practical and theological series known as the Spurgeon Lecture Series. Charles Spurgeon is a well-known Reformed English Baptist of the 19th century who is still widely read and influential. Inaugural Spurgeon Lecture Wednesday, April 10, 2013 Dr. John Piper The Life and Ministry of Charles Spurgeon John Piper is the pastor for preaching at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and studied at Wheaton College, where he first sensed God s call to enter the ministry. He went on to earn degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary (B.D) and the University of Munich (D.Theol). For six years he taught Biblical Studies at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in 1980 accepted the call to serve as pastor at Bethlehem. John is the author of more than 30 books and more than 25 years of his preaching and teaching is available for free at desiringgod.org. John and his wife, Noël, have four sons, one daughter, and an increasing number of grandchildren.

5 Nicole Institute Visiting Faculty Andy Aikens, M.Div. Tom Ascol, Ph.D. Senior Pastor, Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, Fla; Executive Director, Founders Ministries; Editor, Founders Journal Andy is the founding pastor of Grace Community Church in St. Cloud, Fla., where he has served since Additionally, he is now serving as the Interim Director of the Nicole Institute Michael Haykin, Th.D. Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Director, The Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies for Baptist Studies. Ever since my days as a student under Dr. Nicole, I have dreamed of a more focused ministry to the Baptist students attending Reformed Theological Seminary. To that end, we have assembled some of the best Reformed Baptist pastors, theologians, and historians to teach in this program. In addition, we are enlisting gifted Reformed Baptist, independent, Acts 29, EV Free and other pastors to mentor incoming students. Our hope is that if you are considering ministry in any of these traditions, you Thomas J. Nettles, Ph.D. Professor of Historical Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Resident faculty include: John Frame Mark Futato Steve Childers will come and prepare in The Nicole Institute of Baptist Studies at RTS Orlando. Join us as we seek to encourage and strengthen our Baptist and independent churches across Florida, the US, and around the world. Contact us and come for a visit: If you are looking for an education that is grounded in Baptist principles from a Reformed perspective, visit us at us at admissions.orlando@rts.edu, or call us at (407) We would love to help you as you discern God s call on your life..09

6 FAQ s Q. Who may take part in the Nicole Institute? A. The Nicole Institute is open to all students of RTS who are pursuing degrees. Q. How does this program fit into the traditional MDiv curriculum? A. The four core classes of the Nicole Institute will either be taken as electives for the MDiv program or take the place of the traditional MDiv track. For instance, Baptist Polity will be substituted for Church Polity and Baptist History for the one-hour class of Presbyterian History. Q. How does Baptist thought fit in with the Reformed theology taught in our classes? A. The Nicole Institute will focus on Baptist theology that comes from the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith. The London Confession is a document that is both Reformed and Baptist in its understanding of Scripture. Q. What are the benefits of the Nicole Institute in preparation for ministry? A. Apart from the specifically Baptist classes, we will be creating partnerships with local Baptist and independent churches that will offer mentoring of students that are part of the Institute. Q. How do I apply for the Nicole Institute? A. All a student needs to do is declare upon their admission to RTS that they would like to be a part of the Nicole Institute. It is open to all students. Other RTS students are also welcome to take Nicole Institute classes as electives as well..11

7 As our blessed Lord has required us to pray that his kingdom may come, and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven, it becomes us not only to express our desires of that event by words, but to use every lawful method to spread the knowledge of his name. William Carey Go to to begin your journey. Reformed Theological Seminary 1231 Reformation Drive Oviedo, FL p. (800) p. (407) e.