April brought a Spring Intensive on the free offer of the gospel, a graduating MDiv student looking back on his time with us, an invitation to our 2026 Head & Heart Conference, and a fresh reflection on a core value that shapes everything we do: the sufficiency of Scripture.
Spring Intensive: Evangelism and the Free Offer of the Gospel
Eleven students gathered on campus for our Spring Intensive, Evangelism and the Free Offer of the Gospel, taught by Dr. Bob Gonzales, Academic Dean at Reformed Baptist Seminary, and Dr. Jeffery Johnson, President of GBTS.
The week introduced students to a biblical, theological, and practical study of the free offer of the gospel and its implications for evangelism — pressing them to proclaim Christ with urgency, with compassion, and with deep confidence in God’s saving purposes. We are grateful for Dr. Gonzales’s labors among us and for the way the Lord knit hearts together over the course of the week.
Graduate Spotlight: Cory Messerschmidt (MDiv 2026)
As another class prepares to graduate, we want to introduce you to one of the men the Lord has been forming here for pastoral ministry.
Reflecting on his time at GBTS, Cory says:
“My understanding of God has been sharpened and clarified as my professors have helped me see Him and His glory more fully. I have been made a better worshiper with a clearer sight of what pleases Him, in large part because the faculty and curriculum of GBTS are laser-focused on creating worshippers, not just men with heads full of knowledge.”
His advice to other men considering training here:
“I could not think of a better group of men to have impacted what I look like as a ‘fully trained’ student (Luke 6:40). These men are truly pastor-theologians. If you desire a seminary education that will train you to exhibit a high standard in handling the Word of God while at the same time faithfully tending to the people of God, GBTS is the place for you.”
After graduation, Cory plans to continue serving as Pastor of Delevan Baptist Church in Delevan, NY, laboring there as long as the Lord allows — seeking, with the apostle Paul, to “present every man complete in Christ” (Col 1:28). Would you join us in praying for Cory and the saints at Delevan Baptist?
You’re Invited: 2026 Head & Heart Conference, June 5–6
Our 2026 Head & Heart Conference is just around the corner. This year’s theme is Knowing the Spirit, featuring Dr. Joel Beeke and Dr. Brian Borgman.
The conference is free, but registration is required.
Register for Head & Heart 2026
Whether you are a pastor, a seminarian, or a believer who simply longs to know the Spirit of God more deeply, we would love to have you with us.
A Core Value Restated: The Sufficiency of Scripture
Every newsletter we publish ends up circling back to the convictions that hold GBTS together. This month, we want to put one of them plainly in front of you again.
Thesis. GBTS proclaims the sufficiency of Scripture and affirms that the Bible is the only infallible rule of faith and practice, providing the reader with abundant knowledge for salvation, doctrinal instruction, and practical holiness.
Affirmation. The Bible is the only book in all of the universe that is God-breathed. It is perfect and trustworthy because God Himself, the Bible’s ultimate divine author, is perfect and trustworthy (Prov 30:5). Scripture is the only infallible rule of faith and practice (2LBCF 1:1). As such, it is qualitatively different from every other piece of literature in human history.
The Scriptures are sufficient, meaning they provide plentiful knowledge not only for salvation (2 Tim 3:15) but also for Christian doctrine and practice, so that the man of God may be “equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16–17). The Bible is the chief book by which a man may watch his life and doctrine closely, persevering in them (1 Tim 4:16).
This is why our classrooms, our intensives, our conferences, and our graduates all converge on the same point: a high view of the Word of God, faithfully handled, in the service of the people of God.
How You Can Support GBTS
Pray. Would you lift these requests before the Lord with us?
- For our students to grow in their love for Christ as they pursue their academic studies
- For students and faculty to finish the semester well
- For our graduates as they finish their time at GBTS
- For students’ families and their involvement in their churches
- For GBTS to develop healthy, supportive relationships that will advance the gospel
Visit. We love when GBTS supporters visit our campus. Let us know when your next trip brings you through central Arkansas — it will be our joy to meet you and give you a tour.
Give. Partner with us in training and equipping future pastors and missionaries. Your support helps us develop faithful, godly, and strong servants of Christ, and makes theological education accessible to the men God is calling.
Church-based. Pastor-focused. Missions-minded.
Contact us: info@gbtseminary.org
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