Ligonier Ministries
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| Formation | 1971 |
|---|---|
| Founder | R. C. Sproul |
| Founded at | Ligonier, Pennsylvania |
| Type | Non-profit |
| Headquarters | Sanford, Florida |
Chairman | W. Robert Godfrey |
President and CEO | Chris Larson |
| Website | www |
Ligonier Ministries (also known as simply Ligonier) is an international Christian discipleship organization headquartered in the greater Orlando, Florida area. Ligonier was founded in 1971 by R. C. Sproul in the Ligonier Valley, Pennsylvania, outside of Pittsburgh.[1] Ligonier is distinguished by its teaching of Reformed theology.[2]
Ligonier operates Reformation Bible College,[3][2] which offers an unaccredited[a] Bachelor of Arts in Theology as its flagship program, which is recognized by Westminster Theological Seminary, an accredited organization.[5][6] Ligonier also runs annual national conferences on various topics.
On February 28, 2016, Ligonier announced the publication of the Ligonier Statement on Christology which is a statement covering the topic of Christology.[7]
Teaching fellows
[edit]As of March 2026, the teaching fellows at Ligonier Ministries are the following:[8]
- Sinclair Ferguson (Chancellor's Professor of Systematic Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary)
- W. Robert Godfrey (president emeritus, professor emeritus of church history, Westminster Seminary California)
- Joel Kim (president, assistant professor of New Testament, Westminster Seminary California)
- Burk Parsons (senior pastor, Saint Andrew's Chapel, Sanford, FL)
- Michael Reeves (president, professor of theology, Union School of Theology)
- Derek Thomas (Chancellor's Professor of Systematic and Pastoral Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary)
Fellowship history
[edit]In early 2010, working to prepare for leadership succession, Ligonier founder and chairman R. C. Sproul[9] appointed Sinclair Ferguson, W. Robert Godfrey, Steven Lawson, and R. C. Sproul Jr. as the first members of a new teaching fellowship.[10] In 2013, Stephen Nichols was appointed as a fellow,[11] where in 2014 he was named president of Reformation Bible College and chief academic officer for Ligonier.[3] In 2015, an email address belonging to Sproul Jr. was leaked as part of the July 2015 Ashley Madison data breach. Sproul Jr. claims that he visited the website in August 2014, two and a half years after the death of his wife. After informing the board of Ligonier, Sproul Jr. was suspended from ministry for a year.[12][13][14] In late 2015, Albert Mohler and Derek Thomas were appointed as fellows.[15] In December 2016, Sproul Jr. contacted Sproul and the Ligonier board to resign from his positions at Ligonier and Reformation Bible College, citing "personal reasons."[16][17][18] In 2017, Burk Parsons was appointed as a fellow.[19] After Sproul's death in December 2017,[1] Mohler concluded his fellowship tenure in early 2019.[15] In late 2024, Lawson resigned from his position after confessing to a five-year relational affair.[20][21] In January 2026, Joel Kim and Michael Reeves were appointed as fellows.[22]
In 2019, Ligonier teaching fellow Burk Parsons, the senior pastor of independent Reformed church Saint Andrew's Chapel (SAC),[b] pled guilty to charges surrounding harsh treatment of congregants.[25] In 2023, SAC joined the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), where Parsons stated, "We need to have that accountability. I made it very clear to our people in preaching. I said, they need to be in a position to be able to take me to court. And they need to be in a position to bring charges against me and bring charges against our elders."[23]
On June 12, 2025, Parsons was found guilty on three charges by a commission of the PCA Central Florida presbytery, involving "domineering [and] contentious leadership ... being harsh, ungentle, and unkind to those under his care ... [and] slandering and demeaning other [ministers] and churches." Parsons pled not guilty to all three charges, where SAC appealed the verdict.[25] On December 14, 2025, before the completion of the appeal process, SAC voted 669–108 to leave the PCA.[26] An elder of SAC resigned from the church.[23] The SAC session rejected the resignation and excommunicated the elder under the charge of contumacy. It also excommunicated a former Ligonier and Reformation Bible College senior official and his wife under the same charge after they resigned their membership following SAC's departure from the PCA.[27][28]
Notes
[edit]- ^ With regard to accreditation, former Reformation Bible College president Stephen Nichols states the following: "One of the accrediting associations to which many Bible colleges belong, the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE), formerly required member institutions to have thirty credit hours of biblical and theological instruction. Recent standards have relaxed that threshold. Historically, Bible colleges have not had robust programs in the humanities and great works, and they have tended not to be Reformed. Bible colleges trace their roots to the Bible institute movement of the early twentieth century, a movement rooted in fundamentalism and dispensationalism."[4]
- ^ Saint Andrew's Chapel was founded in 1997 by the late R. C. Sproul.[23] In 2011, Ligonier relocated its offices to the SAC site in Sanford, Florida.[24]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Shellnutt, Kate (December 14, 2017). "Died: R. C. Sproul, Reformed Theologian Who Founded Ligonier Ministries". Christianity Today. Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ a b Stetina, Karin Spiecker (April 2022). "R. C. Sproul, A Life". Themelios. 47 (1). Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ a b Taylor, Justin (March 18, 2014). "Stephen Nichols Named New President of Reformation Bible College and Chief Academic Officer for Ligonier". The Gospel Coalition. Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ Nichols, Stephen (September 8, 2020). "Why Reformation Bible College Exists". Reformation Bible College. Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ "Academics". Reformation Bible College. Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ "Westminster's Accreditation Status". Westminster Theological Seminary. July 18, 2025. Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ "Announcing the Ligonier Statement on Christology". Ligonier Ministries. 2016-02-29. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
- ^ "Who We Are". Ligonier Ministries. Archived from the original on March 20, 2026. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- ^ Gryboski, Michael (October 31, 2017). "Biggest Threat to Christianity in 21st Century Comes From Within, Theologians Say". The Christian Post. Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ Larson, Chris (May 12, 2010). "The New Teaching Fellows of Ligonier Ministries". Ligonier Ministries. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ Larson, Chris (June 27, 2013). "Welcoming Dr. Stephen J. Nichols as Our Newest Teaching Fellow". Ligonier Ministries. Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ Morgan, Timothy C. (August 31, 2015). "Ligonier Suspends R. C. Sproul Jr. over Ashley Madison Visit". Christianity Today. Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ "R.C. Sproul Jr. Suspended from Ministry after Admitting to 'Visiting' Ashley Madison". Relevant. September 1, 2015. Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ Blair, Leonardo (August 31, 2015). "Christian Minister R.C. Sproul Jr. Is Suspended After Confessing Visit to Ashley Madison in 'Moment of Weakness'". The Christian Post. Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ a b Larson, Chris (November 9, 2015). "Welcoming Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. and Dr. Derek W.H. Thomas as Our Newest Teaching Fellows". Ligonier Ministries. Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ "A Statement Concerning Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr". Ligonier Ministries. December 12, 2016. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ Blair, Leonardo (December 16, 2016). "R.C. Sproul Jr. Resigned From Ligonier Ministries After Felonious DUI Arrest With Minor in Vehicle". The Christian Post. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ Einselen, Sarah (June 28, 2021). "After Moral Failures, R.C. Sproul Jr. Launches College to Train 'Men of Godly Character'". The Roys Report. Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ Larson, Chris (March 9, 2017). "Welcoming Rev. Burk Parsons as Our Newest Teaching Fellow". Ligonier Ministries. Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ Eturralde, Jessica (March 13, 2025). "Steve Lawson Breaks Silence". MinistryWatch. Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ Roys, Julie (September 25, 2024). "Steve Lawson Had '5-Year Relationship' with Woman in Her 20s, GCC Pastor Says". The Roys Report. Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ Larson, Chris (January 28, 2026). "Announcing Two New Ligonier Teaching Fellows: Joel Kim and Michael Reeves". Ligonier Ministries. Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ a b c Silliman, Daniel (February 4, 2026). "Burk Parsons' Florida church won't allow elder to resign". The Roys Report. Archived from the original on March 20, 2026. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- ^ Bilmanis, Karisa (May 3, 2011). "We're Moving!". Ligonier Ministries. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- ^ a b Shepherd, Josh (June 19, 2025). "Prominent Presbyterian Pastor Suspended for 'Harsh' Treatment of Congregants". The Roys Report. Archived from the original on March 20, 2026. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- ^ Silliman, Daniel (December 15, 2025). "Florida church votes to leave PCA denomination that suspended its pastor". The Roys Report. Archived from the original on March 20, 2026. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- ^ Roberts, Kim (March 20, 2026). "Dr. Stephen Nichols Speaks out About Excommunication From St. Andrew's Chapel". MinistryWatch. Archived from the original on March 21, 2026. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
- ^ Silliman, Daniel (March 17, 2026). "3 Reformed institutions eject leader Stephen Nichols, as turmoil from church spreads". The Roys Report. Archived from the original on March 20, 2026. Retrieved March 20, 2026.