Faith Theological Seminary

What Faith Theological Seminary does

Faith Theological Seminary of Catonsville is a private, nonprofit religious educational institution operating in Catonsville, Maryland, under the 501(c)(3) registration of Grace Bible Baptist Church (GBBC), a member of the Independent Fundamentalist Churches of America. Originally founded in 1937 by Allan Alexander MacRae and others with theological roots tracing to Westminster Theological Seminary (1929), FTS dissolved and reopened in its current form in 2019 under President Dr. Jerry R. Harmon on the GBBC campus, following prior loss of accreditation. The seminary offers six religious degree programs across three tiers — Associate of Arts (60 credits, 2 years, $200/credit), Bachelor of Arts (120 credits, 4 years, $200/credit), Master of Arts (42 credits, 2 years, $250/credit), Master of Divinity (90 credits, 3 years, $250/credit), Doctor of Ministry (36 credits, 2-3 years, $300/credit), and Doctor of Philosophy (60 credits, 3-4 years, $300/credit) — serving students seeking ordination-track pastoral training, theological education, and advanced ministry preparation in the greater Baltimore-Washington region.

The institution's technology stack is modest and operational rather than differentiated: Populi serves as the learning management system and student information system; EBSCO and RISS provide library research database access; and the Earl M. Johnson, Jr. Library anchors academic resources alongside inter-library loan partnerships. Instructional delivery is primarily on-campus at the GBBC site, supplemented by annual academic trips to biblical locations (Israel 2023, Egypt 2024, Greece 2025) and content channels including Pillars Quarterly journal, YouTube media, and a weekly blog. No proprietary technology, AI/ML systems, or app-based learning products are evidenced.

The business model is a per-credit-hour tuition model ($200-$300) combined with tax-deductible donations processed through a Subsplash donation portal. The institution holds MHEC Religious Exemption (granted July 21, 2021 under COMAR 13B.02.04), Candidate Status with the Association of Reformed Theological Seminaries (which received CHEA recognition in 2024), and is pursuing SEVIS certification to enable F-1 visa-sponsored international enrollment. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; no venture capital, private equity, or external institutional investment is evidenced, with operations sustained by tuition, donations, and implicit GBBC subsidy.

Name

Faith Theological Seminary

Legal name

Faith Theological Seminary of Catonsville

Website

https://ftscatonsville.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Faith Theological Seminary is a private, nonprofit religious institution in Catonsville, Maryland, offering six theological degree programs (AA through PhD) in biblical studies on a per-credit tuition model, operating under Grace Bible Baptist Church's 501(c)(3) registration.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Theological Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Seminaries (Graduate Theology & Ministry) (EDAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical) (EDAHAKAM), Christian Colleges with Theological Programs (EDAHAKAG)

Keywords

• Theological education
• Biblical studies degrees
• Seminary programs
• Pastoral training
• Christian higher education

Headquarters

HQ city

Catonsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Per-credit-hour tuition model for undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate degree programs. Students pay based on number of credits enrolled. Additional fees may apply for specific services.
2. Donations: The seminary accepts donations through a dedicated donation portal, supporting institutional operations and student scholarships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Faith Theological Seminary delivers accredited theological education across three academic tiers — undergraduate (Associate of Arts and Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies), graduate (Master of Arts and Master of Divinity), and postgraduate (Doctor of Ministry and Doctor of Philosophy in Biblical Studies). Programs are taught on the Catonsville, Maryland campus with tuition charged per credit hour and supported by a research library, academic trips to biblical sites, and a quarterly theological journal.

Product overview

Faith Theological Seminary offers a comprehensive suite of theological education programs across three academic levels: Undergraduate (Associate of Arts and Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies), Graduate (Master of Arts and Master of Divinity), and Postgraduate (Doctor of Ministry and Doctor of Philosophy). The institution also provides supporting educational resources including the Earl M. Johnson, Jr. Library with database access, the Pillars Quarterly Journal for academic publishing, and Academic Trips to biblical locations. All programs operate from the Catonsville, MD campus located on the Grace Bible Baptist Church campus, with tuition ranging from $200 per credit for undergraduate to $300 per credit for postgraduate programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Associate of Arts in Biblical Studies (AA) A two-year undergraduate academic degree for students seeking to increase their knowledge of the Bible and theology and their effectiveness in Christian service through a more complete biblical and theological understanding. Requires 60 credits at $200 per credit hour.
• Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies (BA) A four-year undergraduate academic degree for those wanting to increase their knowledge of the Bible and theology and effectiveness in Christian service. Requires 120 credits at $200 per credit hour.
• Master of Arts in Biblical Studies (MA) A two-year professional graduate degree designed to train men and women seeking to serve Christ in professional vocational contexts and pastoral and other Christian ministries. Requires 42 credits at $250 per credit hour.
• Master of Divinity (MDiv) A three-year professional graduate degree with a ministry concentration designed to train men and women to serve in pastoral and other ministry contexts. Requires 90 credits at $250 per credit hour.
• Doctor of Ministry (DMin) A two-year professional postgraduate degree providing advanced practical pastoral training and equipping those actively involved in vocational ministry with greater competence. Requires 36 credits at $300 per credit hour.
• Doctor of Philosophy in Biblical Studies (PhD) A three-to-four-year postgraduate doctoral degree providing the most intensive level of academic study in biblical studies. Requires 60 credits at $300 per credit hour.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates prepared for ecclesiastic, educational, and community service vocations
• +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

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Grace Bible Baptist Church (GBBC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1937Faith Theological Seminary is incorporated under the 501(c)(3) nonprofit registration of Grace Bible Baptist Church. GBBC has been a nonprofit incorporation since 1973 as a member of the Independent Fundamentalist Churches of America. The seminary is located on the GBBC campus and operates as a semi-autonomous institution in collaborative relationship with the church.
• Association of Reformed Theological Seminaries (ARTS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFTS is in Candidate Status with ARTS, which achieved recognition in 2024 by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). The ARTS Commission on Accreditation accredits institutions offering undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate degrees in fields preparing students for vocational service and Christian ministry through biblical and theological studies within Reformed theological traditions.
• EBSCO Research DatabasesupportingTechnology or IntegrationLibrary provides access to EBSCO database for academic research, allowing students and faculty to conduct scholarly research in theological and related fields.
• Inter-library Loan PartnerssupportingTechnology or IntegrationLibrary provides access to additional resources from other collections through cooperative agreements and inter-library loan services to supplement institutional holdings.
• Populi Learning Management SystemsupportingTechnology or IntegrationFTS utilizes Populi web-based LMS for student portal access, course management, online applications, and academic administration.
• Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC)coreOthersState authorization through Religious Exemption granted by MHEC on July 21, 2021, under Code of Maryland Regulations 13B.02.04, allowing FTS to operate as a religious educational institution and grant religious educational degrees in Maryland.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Westminster Theological Seminary: Reformed evangelical seminary in Glenside, PA with doctoral faculty lineage shared by FTS. FTS traces its institutional genesis to Westminster's 1929 founding and employs Westminster alumni; offers similar MDiv, DMin, and PhD programs with comparable hermeneutical framework.
• Clarks Summit University: Small Baptist-affiliated institution in Pennsylvania where FTS Admissions Director Rev. Aaron Finley earned his B.A. Offers undergraduate and graduate theological degrees within the conservative evangelical Baptist tradition, serving as a comparable small-scale seminary.
• Covenant Theological Seminary: Reformed Presbyterian seminary offering MDiv, MA, and ThM/MATS programs with comparable hermeneutical framework to FTS. Both institutions emphasize biblical theology and pastoral formation within confessional Reformed traditions.
• The Master's University: Conservative Christian university in California offering biblical studies and seminary-level programs (MDiv, ThM, DMin) within a fundamentalist evangelical tradition similar to FTS. Both institutions target similar student segments with comparable theological methodology.
• Biblical Theological Seminary: Reformed evangelical seminary where FTS CAO Dr. Stephen Hague earned his M.A. and M.Div. Offers comparable MDiv and doctoral programs with similar hermeneutical methodology and a focus on pastoral ministry.
• Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary: Baptist seminary in Memphis, TN from which FTS President Dr. Harmon earned his M.Div. and Ph.D. and was recently honored as Alumnus of the Year 2025. Offers similar MDiv, DMin, and PhD programs targeting conservative Baptist ministerial students.

Broad incumbents

• Dallas Theological Seminary: Large nondenominational evangelical seminary in Dallas offering ThM, MDiv, and DMin programs with dispensational hermeneutical emphasis. Represents a larger, fully accredited competitor in the conservative evangelical theological education market that FTS competes for students against.
• Southern Baptist Theological Seminary: Large flagship Southern Baptist Convention seminary in Louisville, KY where FTS COO Rev. Wagner earned his M.A. Offers the full range of theological degrees (MDiv, DMin, PhD) at scale with full ATS accreditation, representing the dominant competitor for conservative Baptist ministerial students.
• Liberty University: Large online-first evangelical university where FTS Registrar Dr. Masih earned his M.Div., Th.M., and D.Min. Offers theological degrees at scale with full SACSCOC accreditation and aggressive online delivery, representing a major price-competitive and reach-competitive threat to small seminaries like FTS.
• Bob Jones University: Large fundamentalist Christian university where FTS Admissions Director Rev. John Gorham earned his B.A. Offers undergraduate and graduate theological programs within a conservative fundamentalist tradition similar to FTS's IFCA-affiliated heritage, but at much larger scale and with full regional accreditation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxVDi5X1y_F5-k4kPQnlP0A
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/faithseminary

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Faith Theological Seminary