Erskine Theological Seminary

Erskine Theological Seminary is a college of theological and pastoral education. The seminary is based in Due West, South Carolina, and also teaches at four other sites in the region: Augusta, Georgia, Charleston, South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina and Greenville, South Carolina. It is in the conservative presbyterian tradition, and primarily prepares candidates for ordained Christian ministry.

The seminary is related to Erskine College, a liberal arts college established in 1835. Both schools are related to the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. The seminary was chartered in 1837 and was originally named "The Clark and Erskine Seminary." It became a distinct establishment from Erskine College in 1858. The name "Erskine" was taken from Ralph and Ebenezer Erskine. Both men were notable preachers in Scotland and were among the founding fathers of one of the two Scottish Churches in the roots of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church—the Associate Presbytery. The name "Clark" came from Dr. Thomas Clark. Born in Scotland, Clark was a student of Ebenezer Erskine. In 1764, he migrated to America and after the Revolutionary War, moved to South Carolina, where he became pastor at Cedar Spring and Long Cane Churches.

Ebenezer Erskine Pressly was the first President of Clark and Erskine Seminary.

The seminary is known for the development of "The Erskine Declaration," which was a proclamation of students enrolled at Erskine declaring that racially segregated congregations were inappropriate for most Christian congregations. It became a pattern for several other seminary student bodies to adopt in the 1980s and 1999s.

For Further Reading

• The History of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, by Ray King. [1].

• The History of Erskine Theological Seminary 1837-1976, by Maynard Pittendreigh. [2]

External links

• Erskine Theological Seminary Official Page
• Erskine College