Brief History
Pastor Abid Bhatti and his wife Humaira Abid envisioned ROGERS Theological Seminary (RTS) in 2008. They obtained registration for their ministry under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 by the Punjab state government in Pakistan. Pastor Abid Bhatti, the senior pastor of River of Grace Church, ROGERS Ministries, and his wife were co-founders of RTS. In 2012, RTS was physically begun. RTS Seminary is a sub-project of R.O.G.E.R.S Ministries, and its board is controlled by the ROGERS Ministries board. Initially, RTS’s goal was to equip preachers and teachers for gospel ministry and to educate the church. However, the goal has grown to encompass curriculum and training for laypeople, clergy, and professionals who are God-conscious. The vision became a reality in August 2012. When ROGERS Theological Seminary’s doors opened, around 50 students joined, eager to begin their Christian education adventure. During that time, all teachers were practical pastors who offered a wealth of pastoral knowledge and experience to mold and benefit RTS’s charter students.
RTS began seeking accreditation from a reputable accrediting body in August 2013, but was dissatisfied with the quality of unrecognized accrediting so-called bodies in the nation. So, due to the irresponsible accreditor and its unapproved presence, RTS was least persuaded to proceed with such a structure. As a result, the procedure was left incomplete. However, RTS’s mission remained alive and well in the minds and hearts of the institution’s founders, faculty, and students, and it continued to expand and progress.
ROGERS Theological Seminary started as a one-year certificate, two-year diploma, and three-year B.Th. program. On October 15, 2015, the first and second graduating batches marched in a massive, well-organized, and anointed Convocation hosted at the RAC – Rawalpindi Arts Council in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. ROGERS Theological Seminary continued to promote and attract students in order to maintain a dynamic and flourishing college. In 2018, the third and fourth graduating batches marched in a well-published and anointed Convocation at RAC – Rawalpindi Arts Council, Pakistan.RTS continued to organize national educational and theological seminars. RTS offered a three-year, 90-credit Master of Divinity program that started in the year 2021.
RTS continues to give spiritual, theological, and moral instruction on the seminary campus as well as online, led by the vibrant and gifted Pastors Abid Bhatti and Humaira Abid and an accredited team of Theological and Biblical scholars. Because of the Pandemic, RTS has followed a rigorous approach of giving classes both online and on campus via Zoom since 2019. The finest feature is that online students attend live campus classes and learn by participating in the classrooms. RTS initially provided once or twice-a-week sessions with business executives in mind. RTS is currently delivering regular 3-5 days a week lessons to meet the course credits requirements in accordance with the ATA – Asia Theological Association guidelines. RTS campus has just been transferred from Lalazar to New Lalazar, Rawalpindi,Pakistan.
By the grace of God, a strong team of excited and credentialed staff is working diligently to fulfill the original goal of bringing ROGERS Theological Seminary to the glory that was foreseen by the founding visionaries when it first began in 2012. From then to now, ROGERS Theological Seminary is well focused in its mission to educate the church.
In April 2023, RTS received an email from the ATA’s General Secretary that RTS had been accepted as the Associate Member of the ATA.
ROGERS Theological Seminary (RTS)