Western Seminary

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Western Seminary
Western Seminary Institutional Logo 2012.jpg
Western Seminary Logo
Motto Trustworthy and Accessible Training for Gospel-centered Transformation.
Established 1927
Type Seminary
President Dr. Randy Roberts
Students 915 [1]
Location Portland, OR 45°30′43″N 122°36′22″W / 45.512°N 122.606°W / 45.512; -122.606,
Santa Clara, CA37°13′52″N 121°57′36″W / 37.231°N 121.96°W / 37.231; -121.96,
Sacramento, CA 38°37′05″N 121°22′19″W / 38.618°N 121.372°W / 38.618; -121.372, USA
Campus Urban
Colors Blue and Gold
Website www.westernseminary.edu

Western Seminary is an evangelical, non-denominational theological seminary with physical campuses in Portland, Oregon, as well as in San Jose and Sacramento in California. The Online campus also delivers training through web-driven distance education that emphasizes community and mentoring. The seminary offers Master’s Degrees in Divinity, Counseling, Intercultural Studies, Leadership and Theology along with Doctoral Programs in Ministry and Missiology. Western Seminary provides alternative online training options for non-credit students through the Center for Leadership Development (CLD).

Contents

[edit] Theology and Philosophy of Ministry

Western Seminary is dedicated to the motif "Gospel-Centered Transformation". As a seminary there is an intentionality in regards to centering all learning and experience-in and out of the classroom-on the gospel. Faculty and students are asked to think about the meaning and implications of the gospel in relation to each class and subject.[2]

Though Western Seminary students come from a large number of Christian denominations and non-denominational churches, the faculty teaches a conservative and evangelical Christian doctrine, with a progressive philosophy of ministry in and alongside the Church.

The faculty of Western Seminary regard the Bible as the infallible and inerrant word of God, which may be accurately understood through a grammatical-historical model of interpretation. They place a strong emphasis on the practical ministry application of any interpretation of scripture.

[edit] Accreditation

Western Seminary is accredited to award master's and doctor's degrees by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and is an accredited member of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS).

The seminary is also a partner with Jerusalem University College in Jerusalem, Israel, as well as a charter member of the Institute of Theological Studies (ITS).

[edit] History

Armstrong Hall at the Portland campus

Portland Baptist Bible Institute was organized in the winter of 1925 through the work of Walter B. Hinson. In the following year, further efforts were begun to establish a graduate-level seminary to provide a theological education of greater depth in the Northwestern United States. The Western Baptist Theological Seminary was officially dedicated on October 4, 1927.

The Board acquired a mansion and 5 acres (20,000 m2) of land on the west slope of Portland's Mt. Tabor in 1944. Additional structures were built and classes convened at the new site in the fall of that year. The Portland campus continues to operate at this site today.

To date, Western Seminary has opened several extension campus locations in the Western United States to support residential studies in other major cities. The first branch campus was launched in San Jose, CA in 1986, followed by another in Phoenix, AZ in 1988. A Sacramento, CA campus was opened in 1991, as was the Seattle, WA campus in 1992. Since this time, the Phoenix and Seattle campuses have become independent seminaries.

Western’s presidents have been reputable leaders in theological education, including Earl D. Radmacher (1965–1989) and Bert Downs (1998–2008). The current president is Randal Roberts (starting in 2008).

Western has developed many solutions to help non-residential students complete their coursework. Western was one of the earliest institutions to offer the Doctor of Ministry degree, with modular scheduling for easy out of state access. In 1981, Western began a distance learning program that served hundreds of students per year in study centers across America and overseas through interactive video curriculum. In adapting courses to DVD and online streaming formats, the Western Seminary Center for Lifelong Learning offers distance learning courses on demand. Today, alternative course scheduling options on the different campuses also allow students to complete their studies as either part- or full-time students, without need for relocation.

In 2005, Western expanded its training sites along the west coast by establishing hybrid learning cohorts in such cities as Seattle and Richland, WA; Reno, NV; Bakersfield, CA.

In 2010, the San Jose campus relocated to a new, more centralized Bay Area facility in Santa Clara, CA.

In 2013, Western Seminary changed the name of its distance learning department to Western Seminary Online Campus (formerly "Center for Lifelong Learning") as it began to offer its first fully online degree program.

[edit] Academics

Western Seminary offers the following Master's-level training programs currently:

  • Master of Divinity (M.Div.)
  • M.A. in Counseling
  • M.A. in Martial and Family Therapy
  • M.A. (Biblical and Theological Studies)
  • M.A. (Intercultural Studies)
  • M.A. in Ministry and Leadership
  • Master of Theology (Th.M.)
  • Graduate Studies Diploma
  • Graduate Studies Certificate


Western Seminary offers the following Doctoral training programs currently:

  • Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.)
  • Doctor of Missiology (D.Miss.)


Western Seminary offers the following non-credit and certificate programs currently:

  • Certificate in Transformational Coaching
  • Lay Leadership Training Certificate
  • Advanced Studies Certificate


The following training programs are no longer offered, but were once offered at various point in the history of the seminary:

  • Bachelor of Divinity (B.D.)
  • Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.)
  • Master of Church Leadership
  • Master of Church Music
  • Master of Spiritual Nurture
  • M.A. in Educational Ministry
  • M.A. in Exegetical Theology
  • M.A. in General Ministry
  • M.A. in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling
  • M.A. in Music Ministry
  • M.A. in Specialized Ministry
  • M.A. in Youth and Family Ministry


[edit] Publications

The Spurgeon Fellowship Journal was inaugurated in October 2007 in an effort "to equip pastors to bring classic pastoral wisdom to bear upon modern ministry challenges." The journal is published online three times a year, focusing each edition on one of three areas: The Pastoral Identity, The Pastoral Task and the Pastoral Confession. Journal articles are contributed by Western Seminary faculty, as well as theologians and pastors around the country.

Trans·formed: living the gospel in an everyday world is a blog composed by faculty and alumni of Western Seminary, which was launched in October 2011 to help initiate renewal to the Christian Church community. Articles address a variety of disciplines, including the Bible, theology, ministry practice, leadership, discipleship, culture and reviews of various media that pertain to Christian living.

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.westernseminary.edu/Admissions/our_students.htm
  2. ^ http://www.westernseminary.edu/News/WSNews/Toward%20a%20Classic%20Strategy%20for%20Evangelical%20Renewal.pdf

[edit] External links
Public institutions
Private institutions
Community colleges
Defunct colleges
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