Professor: Dr. Phillip Scheepers
Time: January 31 – February 5, 2026

Schedule:

Saturday, January 31, 2026, 09:00–12:00
Monday, February 2, 2026, 18:00–21:00
Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 18:00–21:00
Wednesday, February 4, 2026, 18:00–21:00
Thursday, February 5, 2026, 18:00–21:00

Place: Brivibas gatve 291, Riga. Registration necessary for participation.
Language: English, with simultaneous translation channel in Russian (on Zoom).

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The purpose of this course is to provide participants with a thorough understanding of the biblical and historical basis of missions. This will be achieved by systematically working through significant mission passages and themes in the Old and New Testaments. The course will also focus on how the early church responded to these passages. Towards the end of the course, participants will work towards formulating an integrated Biblical Theology of Mission.

ABOUT PROFESSOR

Dr. Phillip Scheepers (BA, BTh, MTh, and DTh, University of the Free State) serves as Principal and Lecturer in Missions and Church History at the Reformed Theological College, Melbourne, Australia. Originally from South Africa, Phillip joined RTC in 2010, bringing extensive experience in missions and church-based theological training. After completing his doctoral studies at the University of the Free State, he engaged in mission work in South Africa before moving to London, where he served for eight years with Veritas College. In that role, he helped establish training ministries for local church leaders across the Arab world. At RTC, Phillip oversees the college’s strategic direction and teaches in the areas of missions and church history. His academic interests include the theology of mission, Reformation history, and the relationship between doctrine and missional practice. Phillip is a regular contributor to Vox Reformata, the College’s academic journal.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1. Attendance at all class sessions (10%).
2. Required reading (30%):
   • Christopher J. H. Wright, The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative (IVPAcademic, 2018)
     Deadline: February 5, 2026 (by the end of the course)
3. Writing Assignments:
   • Exegesis Report (20%): A 1,000-word exegesis on a biblical passage relevant to mission theology.
     Deadline: March 1, 2026
   • Major Essay (40%): A 2,500-word essay on a biblical theme of missiological significance across the Testaments.
     Deadline: March 1, 2026

INFORMATION:

Andrejs Prieditis, e-mail: aprieditis@brts.edu.lv,
Phone: (371) 26177539.

COURSE OUTLINE:

1. Introduction to Theology of Mission
2. Old Testament: Israel’s Calling and the Nations
3. Mission in the Psalms and Prophets
4. Developments during the Inter-Testament Period
5. Mission in the Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Revelation
6. Mission as an Overarching Biblical Theme
7. Mission in the Early Church
8. Missionary Paradigms and the Missio Dei
9. The Purpose and Nature of Mission