Photo Credit: NOBTS Communications Staff
A recent study found that there were twenty Montanans enrolled in Spring 2025 as degree-seeking students in master’s and doctoral programs at the six Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) seminaries and the Canadian National Baptist Convention’s (CNBC) seminary. The Spring 2026 count has climbed to twenty-five—a 25 percent increase in one year.
Understanding how students hailing from the Treasure State engage SBC and CNBC seminaries to prepare for vocational service in Baptist churches and in other Christian ministries throughout the world provides valuable insights into leader development across the state, especially given the prevalence of online access to theological education and similar affordability of attendance for students from cooperating churches due to support through the Cooperative Program.
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) saw their total number of Montana students double over the past year from five to ten. While undergraduate enrollment remained steady at two, master’s student figures increased from two to six. Doctoral students grew from one to two with both participants pursuing research doctoral degrees. Institutional efforts through the Caskey Center for Church Excellence to strengthen local churches and bolster awareness about the availability of $5,000 scholarships to eligible Montana pastors and planters could account for some of this growth, but domestic immigration also contributed. At least three NOBTS students relocated to Montana in Summer 2025: two as part of a church planting team, and a third joined a Baptist church staff in Montana and began graduate studies.
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) reported nine students enrolled with Montana addresses. Two are high school students participating in dual enrollment, and two others are pursuing bachelor’s degrees. There are three Montanans working on Master of Arts degrees and one in the Master of Divinity program. SBTS has one Doctor of Philosophy student whose student record currently reflects a Montana address, although a second PhD student moved to the state in late 2025 and assumed a pastoral role in a church affiliated with the MTSBC.
Gateway Seminary (GS) and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS) each have six total students from Big Sky County. At GS, the number of master’s students increased from three to five, and they also have one DMin student. MBTS has two undergraduate students at Spurgeon College and four doctoral students—one of whom is in a research doctoral program, and the other three are DMin students.
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary realized an increase of master’s students from one to two. Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) does not presently have any Montanans who are actively pursuing degrees; however, Easthaven Baptist Church in Kalispell recently began a formal partnership with The Equip Network through which they aim to offer undergraduate and master’s coursework through SEBTS starting in Fall 2026.
No matter the town from which you start driving in Montana (even Alzada in the southeastern corner), Google Maps suggests the shortest drive to a Baptist seminary main campus ends in Cochrane, Alberta. Like all six SBC seminaries, Canadian Baptist Theological Seminary and College (CBTSC) offers most courses required for their degrees through online delivery. CBTSC recently deleted many academic fees and integrated financial requirements into a single tuition figure. The result remains a strikingly similar cost of attendance for Southern Baptist students when compared to the price they would pay at any of the six SBC seminaries. Over the school’s four decades of existence, numerous Montanans have taken advantage of CBTSC’s convenient proximity and found solidarity with their vision to train God-called men and women for spiritual leadership in tough places. That opportunity appears worthy of fresh consideration.
While the numbers provide some situational awareness, the real story of how Baptist seminaries are contributing to leader development in the nation’s fourth largest state is arguably expressed best in the words of the students themselves.
Jacob Crain, an MDiv student in his second semester at NOBTS who serves as pastoral assistant at Easthaven Baptist Church, reflected on the early stages of his graduate studies by saying, “Montana desperately needs pastors who will shepherd God’s flock and be devoted to the preaching and teaching of the word. Theological education better equips them for this office. I would encourage current or aspiring pastors who are considering pursuing online theological education to put away the concern of missing out on in-class instruction and discussion and instead see the value of hands-on ministry experience in their context paired with rich online learning where they can go at their own pace. I have found online learning to be very helpful in allowing me to learn at my own pace amidst ministry obligations. The work of shepherding is fruitful, and so is the online learning format for those who pursue theological education while living in the beautiful state of Montana.”
Colt Hudson, a PhD candidate at SBTS and pastor of Madison Valley Baptist Church in Ennis, summarized his seminary experience this way: “I have been blessed in my preparation to receive pastoral and theological education that not only sharpened the mind but also nourished the soul. My programs in theology and World Religions have helped me shepherd my congregation well and defend the faith against false teachings. My education through Southern Baptist seminaries grounded me in the absolute authority of Scripture and trained me to preach and lead with doctrinal clarity and conviction. That formation has proven essential for faithful ministry in Montana.” He urged “every ministry leader to pursue some form of theological education to sharpen their ministry skills. Montana churches need men who are unapologetically committed to the authority of Scripture, the centrality of the Gospel, and the task of preaching the whole counsel of God. In a culture increasingly confused about truth, theological education is not a luxury but a necessity.”
These seven institutions stand as strategic partners in the critical task of equipping current and future ministry leaders for faithful service in the 123 churches already affiliated with the MTSBC and the new churches to be planted in the coming days. The present trend indicates that a growing number of Montanans are leveraging these learning opportunities to fulfill the Great Commission at home and beyond.
Degree-Seeking Students with a Permanent or Home Address in Montana Enrolled in Southern Baptist Convention and Canadian National Baptist Convention Seminaries
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