Methodist Theological School in Ohio 
The information on this page was last updated 7/8/2026. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
For six decades, Methodist Theological School in Ohio has been a portal to lives of service, leadership and lasting significance.
Contact information
Mailing address:
Methodist Theological School in Ohio
3081 Columbus Pike
Delaware, OH 43015
Website: www.mtso.edu
Phone: 740-363-1146
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 314421101
CEO/President: Jay Rundell
Chairman: Jeffrey A. Taylor
Board size: 18
Founder:
Ruling year: 1958
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 06/30
Member of ECFA: No
Member of ECFA since:
Purpose
MTSO aspires to be a vibrant, diverse, inclusive community that faithfully engages the intersections of church, society and academy to prepare leaders for ministry and service in pursuit of a transformed world. Celebrating and appropriating the scriptures, traditions and myriad experiences of Christian faith in an open and challenging formational community, we cultivate learning for ministry and service.
Mission statement
Methodist Theological School in Ohio provides theological education and leadership in pursuit of a just, sustainable and generative world.
Statement of faith
Donor confidence score
Show donor confidence score details
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Transparency grade
D
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Colleges/Universities
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 875 of 1412 | 113 of 155 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 209 of 1412 | 25 of 155 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 1230 of 1412 | 131 of 155 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 971 of 1413 | 123 of 155 |
To understand our financial efficiency ratings, click here.
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 13% | 5% | 12% | 5% | 7% | 4% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 2% | 1% | 2% | 3% | 2% | 1% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 15% | 23% | 17% | 50% | 28% | 35% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 85% | 77% | 83% | 50% | 72% | 65% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 84% | 69% | 66% | 65% | 62% | 65% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 96% | 64% | 98% | 134% | 87% | 64% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 81% | 44% | 64% | 87% | 54% | 42% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 4% | 36% | 2% | -34% | 13% | 36% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 2% | 8% | 0% | -3% | 2% | 6% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 14% | 29% | 32% | 33% | 35% | 33% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 0.53 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.11 | 0.11 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 2.73 | 1.52 | 1.53 | 1.53 | 1.54 | 1.50 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.45 | 0.20 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.17 | 0.16 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 8.18 | 80.18 | 19.68 | 74.29 | 100.97 | 112.60 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.12 | 0.01 | 0.05 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 6.96 | 59.90 | 59.02 | 60.77 | 69.98 | 74.97 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 20% | 5% | 7% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 10% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 148% | 729% | 734% | 747% | 865% | 899% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Cash | $8,092,755 | $7,531,777 | $7,766,772 | $9,156,747 | $6,050,291 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $402,244 | $3,164,075 | $529,091 | $421,513 | $679,508 |
| Short-term investments | $43,369,936 | $39,759,063 | $37,033,125 | $33,854,582 | $42,078,355 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $51,864,935 | $50,454,915 | $45,328,988 | $43,432,842 | $48,808,154 |
| Long-term investments | $15,858,302 | $14,927,152 | $14,151,988 | $13,675,308 | $14,342,761 |
| Fixed assets | $9,539,623 | $9,633,869 | $7,766,925 | $7,672,301 | $7,903,673 |
| Other long-term assets | $1,672,558 | $2,204,643 | $2,239,131 | $2,195,156 | $2,350,726 |
| Total long-term assets | $27,070,483 | $26,765,664 | $24,158,044 | $23,542,765 | $24,597,160 |
| Total assets | $78,935,418 | $77,220,579 | $69,487,032 | $66,975,607 | $73,405,314 |
| Liabilities | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $618,679 | $2,537,350 | $592,769 | $405,623 | $414,804 |
| Other current liabilities | $28,157 | $25,972 | $17,407 | $24,517 | $18,667 |
| Total current liabilities | $646,836 | $2,563,322 | $610,176 | $430,140 | $433,471 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $3,513,202 | $3,226,112 | $2,905,326 | $2,765,045 | $3,391,325 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $3,513,202 | $3,226,112 | $2,905,326 | $2,765,045 | $3,391,325 |
| Total liabilities | $4,160,038 | $5,789,434 | $3,515,502 | $3,195,185 | $3,824,796 |
| Net assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Without donor restrictions | $6,822,537 | $6,962,871 | $4,958,213 | $6,033,878 | $6,431,308 |
| With donor restrictions | $67,952,843 | $64,468,274 | $61,013,317 | $57,746,544 | $63,149,210 |
| Net assets | $74,775,380 | $71,431,145 | $65,971,530 | $63,780,422 | $69,580,518 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Total contributions | $3,743,743 | $1,697,490 | $3,301,813 | $2,403,090 | $4,212,504 |
| Program service revenue | $3,160,108 | $2,988,629 | $2,589,915 | $2,175,551 | $2,564,568 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $8,645,493 | $2,086,732 | $319,341 | $3,599,888 | $4,928,346 |
| Other revenue | $412,417 | $3,197,217 | $360,472 | $302,681 | $390,755 |
| Total other revenue | $12,218,018 | $8,272,578 | $3,269,728 | $6,078,120 | $7,883,669 |
| Total revenue | $15,961,761 | $9,970,068 | $6,571,541 | $8,481,210 | $12,096,173 |
| Expenses | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Program services | $7,099,030 | $6,428,026 | $5,743,347 | $4,605,548 | $5,043,848 |
| Management and general | $2,968,940 | $3,109,085 | $2,907,402 | $2,609,834 | $2,542,256 |
| Fundraising | $192,965 | $200,920 | $179,862 | $158,098 | $157,234 |
| Total expenses | $10,260,935 | $9,738,031 | $8,830,611 | $7,373,480 | $7,743,338 |
| Change in net assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $5,700,826 | $232,037 | ($2,259,070) | $1,107,730 | $4,352,835 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $5,700,826 | $232,037 | ($2,259,070) | $1,107,730 | $4,352,835 |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Jay Rundell | President | $223,235 |
| James Summers | Treasurer | $103,589 |
| Ryan Shellenberg | Faculty Trustee | $84,687 |
| Shema Roberts | Student Trustee | $7,418 |
Compensation data as of: 6/30/2025
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 7/8/2026. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
In April of 1958, 48 members of the Provisional Organization for the Establishment of a Methodist Theological School in Ohio signed a document laying the groundwork for the construction of a new educational institution on a hillside rising above the Olentangy River in Central Ohio. Its purpose, they wrote, was "to train, educate and prepare students for the preaching and proclaiming of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the various ministries of the Church." Later, on a campus cornerstone, they would state it more succinctly: "TO PREACH THE WORD."
A year later, $4 million had been raised for the project. A year after that, in the fall of 1960, the first classes met on the scenic new campus. The Rev. John W. Dickhaut, whose efforts were pivotal to the founding of the school, was elected its first president and would serve for 22 years. Van Bogard Dunn was appointed academic dean. The first graduating class, in 1963, was all male and included one African-American graduate. The second class included the first female graduate.
https://www.mtso.edu/about-mtso/history/