What’s New – 2025 Highlights

Recent COA Actions

Actions from the 2025 ARTS Annual Meeting.

We enjoyed a meaningful Annual Meeting on the campus of Toronto Baptist Seminary, in Toronto. We are pleased to report that the arts Board of Directors has approved a new constitution for ARTS. This constitution was drafted was approved at the annual meeting on October 24. The changes from that meeting within compiled and the changes were finalized in December 2025.

The rationale behind the changes was to enhance efficiency by consolidating our constitutions and bylaws into a single document. The revised constitution has been made available on our website.

The ARTS COA is pleased to announce that Dr. Chris Holmes, an associate faculty member at Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary, has been approved by the Arts Board of Directors as a COA academic member. Dr. Holmes also possesses prior experience in accreditation in the K-12 educational sector.

ARTS-COA Site Visit Results for City Seminary of Sacramento.

On October 17, 2025 the COA site visit team finalized its letter of findings to the City Seminary of Sacramento (CSS) administration in response to the site visit on September 9-10. The site visit team consisted of Dennis Bennett, Thad James and Dana Blair.

The COA site-visit team compiled a list of 29 notations. In addition, one substandard, 1.1 was judged to exceed expections. CSS was found to be in Partial Compliance with ARTS Standards: 2.2; 2.3; 2.5; 2.6; 2.7; 2.9; 3.5; 4.6; 5.2; 5.3; 6.1; 6.2; 6.3; 6.4; 6.5; 6.6; 8.6; 8.7; 9.1; 9.3; 9.4; 10.2; 10.4; 10.5; and 11.1. CBTS was found to be in Non-Compliance with 4.5; 5.7; 7.7; and 8.3. CSS is now working on their response. Following the receipt of their response the ARTS-COA will vote on a letter of Commendation and Continuance.

Official Actions – ARTS-COA – September 12, 2025

In official action, the ARTS-COA voted to advance Christ Our Redeemer Seminary (https://www.christourredeemer.org/) and Faith Theological Seminary (https://www.ftscatonsville.org/) to candidate status for accreditation. No dates for site visits have yet been established.

Official Actions – ARTS-COA – June 13, 2025

In official action, the ARTS-COA voted to advance City Seminary of Sacramento (www.cityseminary.org) to candidate status for accreditation. Their site visit has been scheduled for September 9 and 10. The ARTS-COA has also voted Tyndale International Theological Seminary (www.tisus.org) to applicant status for accreditation.

The ARTS Annual Meeting will be held on the campus of Toronto Bible Seminary, October 22-24, 2025. A link to register is here.

Official Actions – ARTS-COA – February 14, 2025

In official action, the ARTS-COA voted to advance Miami International Seminary (www.mints.edu) to applicant status for accreditation.

ARTS-COA Welcomes two new Members – January 17, 2025

In official action, the ARTS Board of Directors voted to approve two new COA members. Dave Scafide was approved as an Academic Member, and Ben Chelladurai was approved as a Public Representative.

Official Actions – ARTS-COA – January 10, 2025

In official action, the ARTS-COA voted to advance City Seminary of Sacramento (www.cityseminary.org) to applicant status for accreditation.

From the Director

ARTS achieves CHEA recognition

At its meeting on May 13, 2024, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) reviewed the recommendation of the CHEA Committee on Recogntion regarding the recognition application submitted by the Association of Reformed Theological Seminaries-Commmission on Accreditation (ARTS-COA). The Board of Directors accepted the Committee recommendation and recognized ARTS-COA for the following scope of accredition:

ARTS Commission on Accreditation accredits United States-based institutions and other locations as determined by the Commission on Accreditation, which offer baccalaureate and/or graduate degrees in fields aimed at preparing students for Christian service and ministry through biblical and theological studies of Reformed traditions. (2024)

City Seminary Sacramento (CSS) Site Visit team

On September 9-10 2025 the ARTS-COA conducted a site visit with the City Seminary of Sacramento, in Sacramento, CA. CSS represents a new type of school for ARTS as it is a totally online in its instruction.