What’s New
Recent COA Actions
Official Action – ARTS-COA, August 14, 2026.
In official action, the ARTS-COA voted to advance Reformed Baptist Seminary (RBS) from Applicant to Candidate status with ARTS. No dates for their site visit have been established.
ARTS-COA Site Visit Results for Toronto Baptist Seminary and Bible College.
On July 31, 2026, the COA site-visit team finalized its Evaluation Team Report to the Toronto Baptist Seminary and Bible College (TBS) administration in response to the site visit conducted on June 24–25, 2026. The site visit was conducted as part of the process for TBS’s reaccreditation by ARTS-COA. The site-visit team consisted of Dennis G. Bennett, David Scafide, and Dana Blair.
The COA site-visit team identified 19 notations. TBS was found to be in Partial Compliance with ARTS Standards 1.4; 2.1; 2.2; 3.1; 4.4; 4.6; 5.5; 6.1; 6.3; 7.5; 7.7; 7.8; 8.3; 8.7; and 9.5. TBS was found to be in Non-Compliance with ARTS Standards 2.3; 5.2; and 5.3.
TBS is now working on its response to the Evaluation Team Report. Following receipt and review of the institution’s response, the ARTS-COA will determine the appropriate action regarding TBS’s continued accreditation.
ARTS-COA Site Visit Results for Birmingham Theological Seminary.
On July 6, 2026, the COA site-visit team finalized its Evaluation Team Report to the Birmingham Theological Seminary (BTS) administration in response to the site visit conducted on May 27–28, 2026. The site visit was conducted as part of the process for BTS’s reaccreditation by ARTS-COA. The site-visit team consisted of John Battle, Sid Dyer, and David Cannon (Public Member).
The COA site-visit team identified 12 notations. No substandards were judged to exceed expectations. BTS was found to be in Partial Compliance with ARTS Standards 3.1; 4.7; 5.5; 6.5; 6.6; 7.7; 8.7; and 9.4. BTS was found to be in Non-Compliance with ARTS Standards 2.7; 5.2; 5.3; and 5.6.
BTS is now working on its response to the Evaluation Team Report. Following receipt and review of the institution’s response, the ARTS-COA will determine the appropriate action regarding BTS’s continued accreditation.
ARTS-COA Site Visit Results for Faith Theological Seminary of Catonsville.
On June 2, 2026, the COA site-visit team finalized its Evaluation Team Report to the Faith Theological Seminary of Catonsville (FTSC) administration in response to the site visit conducted on April 21–22, 2026. The site-visit team consisted of Dennis G. Bennett, David Scafide, and Dana Blair.
The COA site-visit team identified 18 notations. In addition, two substandards, 4.7 and 8.4, were judged to exceed expectations. FTSC was found to be in Partial Compliance with ARTS Standards 2.2; 2.3; 2.6; 3.1; 3.2; 4.6; 5.2; 8.10; 10.1; 10.5; 11.2; and 11.4. FTSC was found to be in Non-Compliance with Standards 6.2; 6.3; 6.6; 7.7; 8.3; and 8.6.
FTSC is now working on its response to the Evaluation Team Report. Following receipt and review of the institution’s response, the ARTS-COA will determine the appropriate action regarding FTSC’s continued accreditation.
ARTS-COA Site Visit Results for Christ our Redeemer Seminary.
On April 28, 2026, the COA site-visit team finalized its letter of findings to the Christ Our Redeemer Seminary (CORS) administration in response to the site visit conducted on March 18–19, 2026. The site-visit team consisted of Thad James, Sid Dyer, and Blaine Thompson (Public Member).
The COA site-visit team identified six notations. No substandards were judged to exceed expectations. CORS was found to be in Partial Compliance with ARTS Standards 2.2; 2.9; 3.1; 4.3; 7.10; and 10.5. CORS was not found to be in Non-Compliance with any ARTS Standards.
CORS is now working on its response to the Evaluation Team Report. Following receipt and review of the institution’s response, the ARTS-COA will determine the appropriate action regarding CORS’s continued accreditation.
Dr. Larry Ruddell voted to ARTS-COA
The ARTS Board of Directors voted to appoint Dr. Larry Ruddell (effective June 3rd) to the open Public Representative position on the ARTS-COA. He will fill the position left vacant by a resignation.
Dr. Ruddell has extensive experience in higher education and corporate America. Currently, he is adjunct faculty with Belhaven University, Houston, Texas, and is a retired PCA pastor. He also serves as the VP of Academic Affairs with Miami International Seminary.
ARTS-COA votes accreditation for City Seminary of Sacramento.
The COA acknowledges and commends the substantial progress CSS has made in developing and strengthening institutional documentation. In particular, the Commission notes meaningful improvements in handbooks, policies, assessment frameworks, and planning documents. These developments represent an important step forward, especially in light of this being CSS’s first comprehensive accreditation review.
Update on Actions from the 2025 ARTS Annual Meeting.
We are pleased to report that the next ARTS Annual Meeting will be held on the campus of Grace Baptist Theological Seminary in Conway, Arkansas. Please save the date: October 1–2, 2026.
Another significant action is that the ARTS Board of Directors approved, via email ballot in early 2026, revisions to the ARTS governing documents. As previously communicated, the ARTS Constitution and Bylaws have been combined into a single document to provide greater clarity and effectiveness. 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.
From the Director
Welcome to 2026.
As you will notice, we have redesigned the What’s New section of the ARTS website. As ARTS continues to grow rapidly, the volume of updates has increased significantly. To improve clarity and organization, we have created a separate page for each previous year. Links to those pages can be found at the bottom of this page.
Looking Ahead
The ARTS Commission on Accreditation has a very full schedule in 2026, with two new institutions scheduled for initial site visits and two additional institutions scheduled for reaccreditation visits. In light of this activity, ARTS is seeking to appoint an additional public representative to serve on the Commission on Accreditation.
See Previous Years