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Nazarene Theological Seminary

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Coordinates: 39°00′32″N 94°34′00″W / 39.008830°N 94.566750°W / 39.008830; -94.566750
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Nazarene Theological Seminary
TypePrivate seminary
Established1945
Religious affiliation
Nazarene
PresidentJeren Rowell
Postgraduates169
Location
Kansas City
,
Missouri
,
United States

39°00′32″N 94°34′00″W / 39.008830°N 94.566750°W / 39.008830; -94.566750
CampusUrban
ColorsBlue, Silver
Websitewww.nts.edu

Nazarene Theological Seminary (NTS) is a Nazarene seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. The seminary was established by the Eleventh General Assembly in June 1944 and started its first school year in 1945 with 61 students.[1][better source needed] It moved to its current location in 1950. The seminary offers master's degrees in Divinity, Transformational Leadership, Black Leadership in Ministry, and Theological Studies as well as a Doctor of Ministry degree (D.Min.) and non-degree programs.

For the 2024-2025 academic year, NTS reported a total enrollment of 169 students--67 MDiv students, 24 MA students, and 73 DMin students. NTS enrollment has declined in the last five years, particularly in the master's programs. In the 2019-2020 school year, NTS reported 118 MDiv students, 50 MA students, and 52 DMin students, for a total of 220 students.[2]

History

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The Church of the Nazarene, founded in 1908, has since its beginning stressed the importance of education. It started and developed a number of denominational colleges to meet the demand of its constituents for college training, and for some time it relied on the religion departments of its colleges as the principal means for training students preparing for ministry. However, during the quadrennium of 1940-44, sentiment favoring the establishment of a central theological school grew rapidly and finally crystallized in an action of the Annual Conference of the District Superintendents held in Kansas City, January 5–6, 1944. The conference recommended that the Board of General Superintendents appoint a Seminary Commission to study the need for such an institution. On January 10, 1944, the Board of General Superintendents appointed the commission: Russell V. DeLong, chairman, M. Lunn, secretary; E.O. Chalfant; M. Kimber Moulton, and Harlan Heinmiller.

The commission reported its findings to the Eleventh General Assembly of the Church of the Nazarene held in Minneapolis in June 1944. This assembly authorized the establishment of the seminary as a graduation institution of the Church of the Nazarene. The first Seminary Board of Trustees was then elected and the name Nazarene Theological Seminary was chosen. The Board of Trustees unanimously selected Kansas City as the Seminary's location.

At a special meeting in Kansas City, September 1944, the board of trustees unanimously elected Hugh C. Benner as the seminary's first president. The following year, the board of trustees elected the following full-time faculty: Russell V. DeLong, district superintendent of the Northwest Indiana District, as dean and Professor of Philosophy of Religion; Ralph Earle, Eastern Nazarene College professor, as Professor of Greek and Bible; L. A. Reed, pastor of Chicago First Church of the Nazarene, as Professor of Preaching and Pastoral Ministry; Mendell Taylor, Bethany Nazarene College professor, as registrar and Professor of Church History; and Stephen S. White, Olivet Nazarene College professor, as Professor of Theology.

The seminary started its first school year in September 1945 in temporary quarters with 61 enrolled. The Nazarene Publishing House generously provided space for administrative offices and a classroom on the first floor of the General Editorial Building, 2901 Troost; and the management of the denominational headquarters building extended a similar courtesy in providing the seminary with its main classroom and chapel. The library was housed in the renovated coach house of the Headquarters property.

In January 1950, a 10+1⁄2-acre (4.2 ha) site was purchased at 1700 East Meyer Boulevard, Kansas City. An administration and classroom building was erected on this campus in 1954. A library building was added in 1966.[3][better source needed]

Presidents (1945-present)

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Deans of the Seminary/Deans of the Faculty (1946-present)

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  • Russell V. DeLong, Dean of the Seminary, 1946–1953
  • Mendell Taylor, Dean of the Seminary, 1953–1971
  • Willard H. Taylor, 1971–1981
  • Chester O. Galloway, 1981–1988
  • Albert L. Truesdale, 1988–1995
  • Edwin H. Robinson, 1995–2003
  • Roger L. Hahn, 2003–2017
  • Joshua R. Sweeden, 2017–2022
  • Sarah Coleson-Derck, 2022–Present

Criticisms

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NTS has received criticism from clergy and laity within the Nazarene denomination. This criticism has focused on the theologically progressive views of seminary professors and speakers. Critics have expressed concern for how NTS has platformed LGBTQ affirming professors and speakers.[4]

NTS President Jeren Rowell has also acknowledged the criticism the seminary has received. In response to that criticism, Rowell stated "The faculty at NTS (full-time, part-time, and contingent) are vetted and approved by votes of the faculty, the Board of Trustees, and approval of the Board of General Superintendents. It is not unusual for NTS to be criticized for including guest presenters in courses and events who may not be approved as full faculty. This is misplaced concern. Our mature students are not only fully capable of dialog across theological spectra, but they also expect the seminary program to provide these opportunities for guided exploration of the most difficult questions."[5]

LGBTQ+ stances

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NTS president Dr. Jeren Rowell, while affirming the Church of the Nazarene's position on matters of human sexuality, has stated that those who are advocating for full LGBTQ affirmation are "brothers and sisters in Christ". Dr. Rowell said he is "called to listen, dialog, and maintain fellowship with them". [6]

In 2023, an NTS faculty member published an essay in support of LGBTQ affirmation in a book titled Why the Church of the Nazarene Should be Fully LGBTQ+ Affirming.[7] Dr. Eric Severson was an affiliate faculty member when he wrote a chapter titled "The Queerness of the Holy".[8][9]

Dr. Steve McCormick also wrote an essay in the book entitled "See No One as 'Other'". Dr. McCormick had been a long-time professor at NTS and the chair of theology. He taught at NTS for 18 years, retiring in 2022, one year before he wrote in Why the Church of the Nazarene Should be Fully LGBTQ+.[10] McCormick has been open about his affirming position and indicated that he has held that position for years, including while as a faculty member at NTS.[11] Dr. McCormick is Emeritus Professor of Historical Theology | William M. Greathouse Chair for Wesleyan-Holiness Theology at NTS.[12]

Dr. Michael Christensen, a visiting professor in the NTS Doctor of Ministry program, is teaching a course in the spring 2025 semester. Dr. Christensen has been public about his affirming stance since at least 2016. According to Dr. Christensen, he has "advocated for full inclusion of gay and lesbian sisters and brothers in the life of church since I was in college over 40 years ago".[13]

Governance

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Nazarene Theological Seminary is governed by a board of trustees whose makeup is determined by the International Board of Education (IBOE) of the Church of the Nazarene. Church rules require a majority of the board's members to be "in full accord with the Articles of Faith, the doctrine of entire sanctification, and the covenants of the Church of the Nazarene as set forth in the latest version of the Manual." They also require at least 75% of the members to be active members of the Church of the Nazarene not under discipline and that the board have an equal number of clergy and laity if possible. [14]

In the event that NTS (or any institution in the Church of the Nazarene) is determined to be out of compliance with the standards as stated in the Manual, the International Board of Education is required to report this to the jurisdictional General Superintendent and the Global Education and Clergy Development director. [15]

All educational institutions within the Church of the Nazarene are also required to "seek to provide a curriculum, quality of instruction, and evidence of scholastic achievement that will adequately prepare graduates to function effectively in vocations and professions such graduates may choose." [16]

Funding

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According to the office of the Church of the Nazarene general treasurer, NTS received more than $1 million in 2024 from the denomination. Money received by the school is allocated from the World Evangelism Fund, to which every local Nazarene church is expected to contribute 5.5% of its annual income and is disbursed to multiple missional programs of the denomination.[17]

According to the 2024-2025 data tables from the Association of Theological Schools, NTS has a budget just more than $5 million. In addition, NTS reported $13.5 million in long-term investments.[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "What We Expect of Our Seminary | WHDL". whdl.org. Retrieved 2025-03-05.
  2. ^ "Annual Data Tables". www.ats.edu. Retrieved 2025-03-26.
  3. ^ "Who We Are – Nazarene Theological Seminary". Retrieved 2025-03-05.
  4. ^ "Nazarene Theological Seminary Gets Pushback for Platforming Pro-LGBTQ Faculty, Speakers – MinistryWatch". Retrieved 2025-03-21.
  5. ^ "The Courageous Middle – Nazarene Theological Seminary". 2025-03-20. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
  6. ^ "Affirmations – Nazarene Theological Seminary". 2025-02-28. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
  7. ^ Oord, Thomas Jay; Oord, Alexa (2023-05-01). Why the Church of the Nazarene Should be Fully LGBTQ+ Affirming. SacraSage Press. p. 513. ISBN 978-1-948609-95-1.
  8. ^ "Eric Severson - Nazarene Theological Seminary". Nazarene Theological Seminary. 2023-04-01. Archived from the original on 1 April 2023. Retrieved 2025-03-05.
  9. ^ "Faculty and Staff". Nazarene Theological Seminary. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  10. ^ "Dr. McCormick Announces Retirement – Nazarene Theological Seminary". 2025-02-28. Retrieved 2025-03-05.
  11. ^ Forest Fisk (2023-06-01). Interview with K. Steve McCormick. Retrieved 2025-03-05 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ "K. Steve McCormick – Nazarene Theological Seminary". Retrieved 2025-03-05.
  13. ^ Christensen, Michael (February 25, 2019). "Michael Christensen's Post". Facebook. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  14. ^ Manual: 2023. Nazarene Publishing House. May 20, 2024. pp. 194–195. ISBN 978-0-8341-4285-5.
  15. ^ IBID
  16. ^ Manual: 2023. Nazarene Publishing House. May 20, 2024. p. 193. ISBN 978-0-8341-4285-5.
  17. ^ Friedeman, Elijah (2024-07-03). "Nazarene Seminary Platforms LGBTQ-Affirming Faculty". Juicy Ecumenism. Retrieved 2025-03-26.
  18. ^ "Annual Data Tables". www.ats.edu. Retrieved 2025-03-26.

Bibliography

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  • A history of the first fifty years of the seminary is contained in the book More Preachers Better Preachers by Harold E. Raser in 1995.
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