Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and College SBC

What Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and College SBC does

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and College SBC is a nonprofit theological institution founded in 1957 and headquartered at 5001 North Oak Trafficway in Kansas City, Missouri, operating as one of six seminaries of the Southern Baptist Convention. It delivers undergraduate education through its wholly-owned Spurgeon College subsidiary and graduate theological education through seven master's programs (MDiv, MTS, MBS, MAT, MCS, MABC, MACE, MAIS, MAWM) and five doctoral programs (PhD, DMin, EdD, DEdMin, ThM), with most programs offered both residentially and asynchronously online. The seminary also runs a multi-center ecosystem including the Spurgeon Library (world's largest Spurgeon collection), the Center for Biblical Counseling, the Center for Biblical Spirituality, the Institute for Preaching and Preachers, and the For the Church media brand, alongside the free For the Church Institute course platform and a four-show podcast network.

The business model combines tuition and student fees (charged by credit hour or semester, with the 2025-launched For the Church Cohorts offering 100% scholarships for ~96 first-year residential students) with subsidies from the SBC Cooperative Program, alumni gifts, and endowments. Distribution is multi-modal: a main Kansas City residential campus, regional campuses in Iowa and St. Louis, and a Global Campus online platform with 10 start dates per year supporting international language tracks in Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, and Romanian. Marketing relies on content (FTC.co, podcasts, biannual Midwestern Magazine, Journal of Theology), events (For the Church National Conference, 9Marks at Midwestern, Preaching Workshops, Preview Days), and a community-led cohort model that lets alumni refer prospective students and lets online students remain in their current ministry contexts.

The institution is privately governed under SBC-elected trustees, holds dual accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission and the Association of Theological Schools, and employs 101-250 staff across academic, administrative, and student-success functions under a leadership team anchored by President Jason K. Allen (elected October 15, 2012). It claims to be the second-largest seminary in North America and one of the fastest-growing under Allen's tenure. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; based on employee count, multi-campus scale, and peer benchmarks, operations are most likely in the $50M-$100M band, though this estimate carries low confidence given the absence of audited financials in the available data.

Name

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and College SBC

Legal name

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Website

https://mbts.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and College SBC, founded 1957 in Kansas City, Missouri, is a nonprofit SBC-affiliated theological institution delivering undergraduate (Spurgeon College), master's, and doctoral programs across residential campuses in Kansas City, Iowa, and St. Louis, plus a multilingual Global Campus online platform, serving pastors, missionaries, counselors, and church leaders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Theological Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Religious Organizations (8131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Seminaries (Graduate Theology & Ministry) (EDAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Christian Colleges with Theological Programs (EDAHAKAG), Bible Colleges (Undergraduate Ministry & Biblical Studies) (EDAHAKAB), Religiously Affiliated Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAF)

Keywords

• Theological education
• Seminary degree programs
• Ministry training
• Doctoral theology programs
• Undergraduate biblical studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Degree program tuition charged per credit hour or semester. Multiple campus options (main campus, online, Iowa, St. Louis) with varying costs.
2. SBC Cooperative Program: Primary financial support derives from the Southern Baptist Convention's Cooperative Program, the denomination's unified giving mechanism for supporting seminaries and missions.
3. Alumni Gifts and Endowments: Financial support from alumni gifts and endowments from special friends enables the school to further its ministry.
4. Student Fees: Fees collected from students in addition to tuition for specific services including application processing and housing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is a private, SBC-affiliated theological institution that delivers accredited undergraduate, master's, and doctoral theological degree programs both residentially on its Kansas City, Iowa, and St. Louis campuses and fully online through the Global Campus. It also produces supporting ministry resources including academic centers (Biblical Counseling, Biblical Spirituality, Preaching & Preachers), the Spurgeon Library, conferences, podcast networks, and free online courses via the For the Church Institute.

Product overview

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary operates as a multi-product theological education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs and ministry resources. The core portfolio includes seven Master's degree programs (MDiv, MTS, MBS, MAT, MCS, MABC, MACE, MAIS, MAWM) ranging from 36-81 credit hours, five Doctoral degree programs (PhD, DMin, EdD, DEdMin, ThM), and undergraduate programs through Spurgeon College. Specialized programs include the Accelerate combined BA+MA (5 years), the For the Church Cohorts with 100% tuition scholarship, The Residency PhD component, and Global Campus online education via Canvas LMS. Supporting resources include the For the Church Institute (free online courses), podcasts, academic centers (Biblical Counseling, Biblical Spirituality, Preaching & Preachers), the Spurgeon Library, conferences (For the Church National Conference, 9Marks at Midwestern), and publications (Midwestern Magazine, Journal of Theology). Programs are offered in multiple languages including English, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, and Romanian.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• For the Church: Gospel-centered resources and ministry platform providing pastoral, practical, and devotional content for church leaders
• For the Church Institute
• Center for Biblical Counseling
• Center for Biblical Spirituality
• Institute for Preaching and Preachers
• Spurgeon Library
• Spurgeon College

Products and services

• Master of Divinity (MDiv)

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% tuition scholarship for first-year residential master's students in For the Church Cohorts
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• 9Marks MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with 9Marks to host the 9Marks at Midwestern Conference exploring biblical qualities of local churches. Prepares students and pastors for healthy church leadership through content collaboration.
• Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACBC staff co-lead the Biblical Counseling FTC Cohort. Graduates of the MA in Biblical Counseling meet requirements for ACBC certification. Collaborative program development for biblical counseling standards.
• For the Church Institute (FTC Institute)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFTC Institute offers free 10-week online courses taught by Midwestern faculty for local churches. Course topics include Scripture, doctrine, church history, and Christian life. Distributes MBTS educational content to broader church audience.
• Spurgeon LibrarymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDedicated website (spurgeon.org) preserving Charles Spurgeon's personal collection and legacy. Curated by Dr. Geoff Chang. Edifies local church and promotes Jesus Christ through Spurgeon studies.
• North American Mission Board (NAMB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKansas City designated as a NAMB Send City for church planting. Partnership supports church planters and partners needed to reach growing underserved populations with the gospel.
• Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMidwestern is one of six SBC seminaries. Derives majority of financial support from SBC Cooperative Program. Board of trustees elected by SBC in annual sessions. Faculty subscribe to Baptist Faith and Message statement.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Dallas Theological Seminary: Large nondenominational evangelical seminary offering comparable MDiv, ThM, and doctoral programs with a strong online presence. A primary non-SBC competitor for evangelical students considering theological graduate education.
• Liberty University School of Divinity: Large online-focused divinity school within Liberty University offering accredited MDiv, MAR, and doctoral programs at scale. Comparable online delivery model and broad evangelical target market.
• The Master's University and Seminary: California-based evangelical institution offering seminary-level MDiv, ThM, and DMin programs alongside undergraduate education. Competes with MBTS for conservative evangelical students seeking theological training.
• Biola University Talbot School of Theology: Evangelical graduate theological school offering MDiv, master's, and PhD programs in a university setting. Comparable academic scope and evangelical identity, with a broader denominational base than MBTS.

Regional players

• Southern Methodist University Perkins School of Theology: United Methodist-affiliated theological school in Dallas offering MDiv and doctoral programs. Comparable graduate theological education model in a different denominational context, illustrating the broader US seminary market MBTS competes within.

Direct peers

• Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary: Wake Forest, NC-based SBC seminary with similar graduate and doctoral theological programs, SBC denominational affiliation, and Cooperative Program funding model.
• New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary: SBC seminary in New Orleans offering MDiv, master's, and doctoral programs including ministry, counseling, and music tracks. Comparable institutional model, denominational funding structure, and program mix.
• Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary: Fort Worth-based SBC seminary offering a similar portfolio of MDiv, master's, and doctoral programs in theology, music, and education. Competes head-to-head with MBTS for Cooperative Program funding, faculty, and prospective SBC ministerial students.
• The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary: The flagship and largest SBC seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Directly comparable as a graduate theological seminary offering MDiv, doctoral, and online programs funded by the same SBC Cooperative Program and competing for the same denominational student pool.
• Gateway Seminary (formerly Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary): California-based SBC seminary offering master's and doctoral theological programs with a strong online campus. Directly comparable in mission, denominational affiliation, and distance-learning strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mbts
• Facebookfacebook.com/midwestern.seminary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/midwestern-baptist-theological-seminary

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and College SBC