Although there was major unrest and challenges in the world in 2020, including the COVID-19 pandemic, racial injustice, and political election division in the United States, Rocky Mountain School of Ministry and Theology (RMSMT) continued to thrive. In fact, 2020 was a year of great growth in programs, faculty/staff, and greater outreach to the Majority World. Below are some of the highlights of 2020 for our school:

New Academic Programs

  • We launched our 75 credit hour (25 course) Master of Divinity degree. For this degree, students can choose one of three majors: Biblical Studies, Pastoral Counseling, or No Specific Concentration.
  • We launched our MTP (Ministry Training Program) Certificate in Christian Ministry. This program (similar to MTAs) consists of six practical ministry courses and six academic biblical courses. Although it began as an in-person only program, we now also have made it available online for those who may not be able to attend an MTA or MTP program in their part of the world.
  • We began taking applications for admission to our new Master of Arts in Biblical Studies in Spanish (Maestría en Artes en Estudios Bíblicos) Program, a 36 credit hour (12 course) degree taught in Spanish which is slated to be officially launched in August 2021.


New Faculty and Staff

In 2020, we welcomed new faculty and staff members (pictured below from left to right):

  • Dr. Trevor Cochell as Professor of Old Testament and Curriculum Development to help teach courses and facilitate our courses meeting Lincoln Christian University (LCU) accreditation standards.
  • Dr. Benjamin Barnett (Doctor of Ministry) as Professor of Christ and Culture and Congregational Studies for our Master of Divinity program.
  • Dr. Courtney Bailey (Doctor of Philosophy in New Testament) as Instructor in New Testament.
  • Robert Carrillo (Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry in progress) to teach in our new Master of Arts in Biblical Studies in Spanish Program.
  • Steve Brown (Master of Theology) to teach in our new Master of Arts in Biblical Studies in Spanish Program.
  • Brian Campbell (Master of Arts in Bible and Theology) as Director of the MTP Certificate in Christian Ministry program.
  • Mariana Van Meter (Master of Library Science) as our new RMSMT Librarian.
  • Arturo Elizarrarás as our RMSMT MA in Spanish Student Coordinator.
  • Dolores Synovec as our Spanish Application Assistant.
  • Frank Kim, an elder in the Denver Church of Christ, as a financial planning and future development advisor for RMSMT.


Majority World Outreach

  • With our new Master of Arts in Biblical Studies in Spanish Program, our RMSMT outreach to the Majority World will expanded tremendously. We will now be able to offer deeper biblical and ministry education to Mexico, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and other parts of the world.
  • About 60% of all our 125 Students who have signed up for credit/certificate programs are in the Majority World. This percentage is growing every year.
  • We continue to offer a 75% tuition discount to Majority World students as part of our mission to help train ICOC leaders in those countries.
  • We now serve students in the following Majority World countries: Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, India, Korea, Sri Lanka, Philippines, UAE, Kuwait, Haiti, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Honduras. Among these, we have 35 students in Africa and 19 in Asia.
  • The Denver Church of Church of Christ has now put RMSMT in its special missions budget to help with the tuition discounts for Majority World students. This is a tremendous boost to help us continue to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters in the Majority World.

Summary of RMSMT Online Degree and Certificate programs now offered:

  • Master of Arts in Biblical Studies
  • Master of Arts in Christian Ministry
  • Master of Arts in Biblical Studies with Languages
  • Master of Arts in Christian Counseling
  • Maestría en Artes en Estudios Bíblicos
  • Master of Divinity
  • Graduate Certificate in Biblical Studies
  • Certificate in Christian Counseling
  • MTP Certificate in Christian Ministry

As we continue to grow, we anticipate creating more programs, hiring more faculty and staff, and reaching out to meet the needs of more and more students in the Majority World. Please pray for us to be aware of the doors God opens to serve him in this worldwide ministry.