Blog Interview: Phillip Scheepers – Reformed Theological College, Geelong, Australia

1) Please introduce yourself and your role at Reformed Theological College

My name is Phillip Scheepers, and I have been Principal of the Reformed Theological College (RTC) from the beginning of 2020. I have been with the college since 2010 and teach in the areas of missions and church history.

2) Tell us a little about Reformed Theological College

RTC was founded in 1955 in Geelong, about an hour west of Melbourne, Australia. From the beginning its aim was to train ‘workers for the harvest’. For most of RTC’s history we have been based in Geelong. In 2017 we opened a teaching campus in the centre of Melbourne and in 2026 we moved our operations and library to Melbourne as well. We are highly focussed on ministry training, with many of our 70-plus students enrolled in a Bachelor of Theology or Master of Divinity. We are one of the 16 member colleges of the Australian University of Theology (AUT) and all RTC qualifications are fully accredited by the university.

3) Are the courses full time, part-time or a mixture of both?

There is a real mix in our student body as far as the pace of study is concerned. Students are able to study full time (defined as at least three units, or papers, per semester) or part time and can take subjects in a variety of modes. These include on-campus, livestreaming, intensives, and online options.

4) How do Reformed Theological College students fund their studies?

Many of our students are engaged in part time church ministry or other forms of paid work. Some also receive support from their home churches. Australian students have access to something called FEE-Help, which is a government loan scheme, with repayments kicking in when their post-graduation income reaches a set level. We, lastly, administer a scholarship fund (called the ‘Reformed Ministers Scholarship’) for those seeking to enter pastoral ministry in Reformed churches.

5) Does Reformed Theological College take students from overseas?

Our main source of overseas students is New Zealand (due to our partnership with the Reformed Church of New Zealand). New Zealand students can study and work in Australia without any restrictions. Students from other countries will have to apply for a work permit through the Australian University of Theology.

6) What type of ministry is Reformed Theological College intended to prepare students for?

RTC is strongly focussed on ministry training, although there are some students who come primarily to be strengthened in their Christian lives and testimony. We offer ordination training for several Australasian Reformed denominations (the Christian Reformed Church of Australia, the Reformed Church of New Zealand, the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia, and the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia). However, around 60% of our students come from other backgrounds. These students may go into pastoral ministry in their own churches or networks. Some of our students also come to be equipped for missions and campus ministry.

7) When students leave Reformed Theological College what kind of ministries / jobs do they go into?

Many of our students go into pastoral ministry in the denominations mentioned above. Others are serving in church ministry in the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC), other independent churches, or other denominations. A significant proportion of our alumni also serve in campus or other parachurch ministries, notably as staff workers with the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students (AFES). Lastly, we have several former students serving with various missions agencies around the world.

8) What is distinctive about what Reformed Theological College offers compared with other colleges in Australia and overseas?

There are three key distinctives worth pointing out. Firstly, we view ourselves primarily as a place for ministry formation. This does not mean that we do not value academic training. In fact, we maintain very high academic standards, but always in the service of equipping people for the advance of the gospel. One expression of this is that we only appoint lecturers with significant experience in frontline Christian ministry. Secondly, we are a confessionally Reformed college, which means that lecturers are committed to ensuring that our teaching will be in line with Scripture and Reformed orthodoxy (as expressed in the Three Forms of Unity and the Westminster Confession). Students can, therefore, expect a significant level of theological alignment across the different subjects that we teach. Lastly, we highly value learning in community and seek to build strong relationships between lecturers and students, and students with each other. This is expressed in the high value we place on meeting together around the Word and for times of sharing, prayer, and fellowship.

9) Please tell us about the library and other research facilities

Our library recently went through a major reorganisation, with the opening of a new floor at our Melbourne Campus. The Alexander Barkley Library (named after our first principal) was opened on 12 June 2026 and holds 12,000 titles. We trust that this will be a well-resourced and welcoming space for students and researchers. In addition to this, we also intend to store several thousand volumes offsite that students can order as needed. We are, lastly, a full member of the Digital Theological Library and have access to several other digital collections.

10) Does Reformed Theological College offer a distance or on-line learning option

Off-campus students can access RTC studies in a variety of ways. Firstly, we livestream all of our classes for students. Off-campus students can, therefore, participate in classes in real time. We, secondly, offer 2-3 fully online distance subjects. Students are able to access these at their own pace. We, lastly, offer 2 intensive units per semester. For these units students will do some online work, before coming to Melbourne for a full week of classes.