Matt Waters is one of RTS Virtual’s students who has an intriguing seminary experience to share. Growing up in a non-Christian home, his example of a religious life came from his father’s “quasi-Hindu” prayers. At fifteen, Matt accepted Christ into his life after receiving a Bible from his grandmother and attending a Southern Baptist church with a reformed pastor. At this point, he states that he attained the head knowledge but the “heart would become a longer journey” in his life.

Matt’s educational experience was also a long journey. As a child and young adult, Matt reports that he went through a “bad public school system.” He later attended the pragmatic George Mason University where he studied Politics in Government. Matt decided to “move out of politics to the main street,” when he began working with Care Net, a non-profit organization founded by O.J. Brown in 1975 to help women in crisis pregnancies and to prevent abortions. He is now the vice President of Development for Care Net. Recently, Matt and Care Net have worked with Crisis
Pregnancies on a Time Magazine story, covering the Christian organization in a positive light and what it does to help women.

A passion for Truth is what drives Matt through his seminary work. He admits that when he began this journey at Reformed Presbyterian Seminary he “selfishly” wanted to learn more. The most transforming seminary moment came while taking a class on John Calvin at RTS’ campus in DC. Taught by Justin Holcomb, the class delved into Calvinistic theology and realized how loving, pastoral, and devotional Calvin was, rather than someone who should be placed on the “top shelf.” Throughout his seminary career, Matt is seeking the “tremendous blessing…[by] not losing Jesus in this [endeavor].”

At RTS Virtual, Matt is at leisure to do his work at any time with the right amount of devotion, while recognizing that 70% of the Distance Education at RTS Virtual mirrors a classroom experience. He also provides a positive testimony for the mentoring portion of the Virtual curriculum and has found a great amount of added growth through this relationship: “to sit with him and to learn from him…from this man in full-time ministry, [and to learn] what it looks like…Virtual [is] better in just that way.”

The advice that Matt leaves Virtual Students with is to “get at it.” He also suggests communicating with the Virtual staff while taking the courses. Matt feels he is getting “the best of the best” with the professors and courses offered, and enjoys how it feels similar to a one-on-one teaching experience, comparing it to Socrates and Plato. There is work, but it is the “same amount as in the classroom” he says.