Western Theological Seminary

The Western Theological Seminary

Type	Seminary, Professional school, Graduate school
Established	1866
Affiliation	Reformed Church in America
President	Timothy Brown
Location	Holland, Michigan, USA
Website	www.westernsem.edu
Michigan State Historic Site
Designated	March 9, 1966

The Western Theological Seminary of the Reformed Church in America, known as Western Theological Seminary (WTS) is a seminary located in Holland, Michigan, in the United States. Established in 1866, it is one of two seminaries^{[lower-alpha 1]} operated by the Reformed Church in America, a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States that follows the theological tradition and Christian practice of John Calvin.^{[lower-alpha 2][1]}

The seminary offers professional and graduate degree programs for candidates for ministry, and to those pursuing careers in academia or non-theological fields. It was established to fill a need for theological education on the (then) western frontier of the Reformed Church in America. In its theological identity, Western Theological Seminary is ecumenical and Reformed. Western Theological Seminary prepares students for ministry often involving ordination (many in the Reformed Church in America), as well as for further graduate study, chaplaincy, missions, youth ministry, social service ministry, etc. Although WTS is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America, it is ecumenical in scope and it educates students from other denominations, including: the Christian Reformed Church, the United Church of Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the Presbyterian Church (USA).

History

In 1866, seven students graduating from Hope College felt called to full-time Christian ministry following graduation. They wanted to pursue their theological training in West Michigan, so they made a petition to the General Synod of the Reformed Church to allow for theological training through the Hope College Religion Department. Permission was granted and Western Theological Seminary was established.^[2]

Accreditation

The school has full accreditation by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS).

Degrees offered

• Master of Divinity
  • In-Residence and Distance Learning
• WTS Newbigin House Distance Learning M.Div.
• Master of Divinity/Master of Social Work-Dual Track Degree
• Master of Theology
• Doctor of Ministry
• Graduate Certificate in Urban Pastoral Ministry

Notable graduates

• James I. Cook, faculty at Western Theological Seminary
• Norman Kansfield, senior scholar at Drew University
• Isaac C. Ketler, founder of Grove City College
• Henry Collin Minton, scholar, minister
• Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary
• Robert H. Schuller, author, pastor
• Benjamin Tucker Tanner, author, bishop
• Robert E. Van Voorst, faculty at Western Theological Seminary

References

Notes

1. The other being New Brunswick Theological Seminary in New Brunswick, New Jersey
2. Note, before 1819, RCA was the North American branch of the Dutch Reformed Church.

Citations

1. Reformed Church in America. Educational Institutions – Seminaries. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
2. "The Western Story". http://www.westernsem.edu/about/mission/. Western Theological Seminary. External link in |website= (help);

External links

• Western Theological Seminary (official website)
• Reformed Church in America (official website)
• RCA Educational Institutions – Seminaries

Coordinates: 42°47′10″N 86°06′11″W / 42.786°N 86.103°W