Western Theological Seminary
TypePrivate seminary
Established1866
Religious affiliation
Reformed Church in America
PresidentFelix Theonugraha
Location
Holland, Michigan
,
Michigan
,
United States
Websitewww.westernsem.edu
DesignatedMarch 9, 1966

Western Theological Seminary (WTS) is a private seminary located in Holland, Michigan. Established in 1866, it is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America, a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States.

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 evangelical, ecumenical and Reformed. Western Theological Seminary prepares students for ministry often involving ordination as well as for further graduate study, chaplaincy, missions, youth ministry, social service ministry, etc.

History

Albertus van Raalte founded Hope College in Holland Michigan; believing that parents had a primary responsibility to educate their children and not the state. [1] 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] Initially, the theological department within Hope College was used for theological education; but in 1884 following the synods approval the department was separated from Hope College and Western Theological Seminary was established as its own institution.[3] In 2022, the seminary became independent, though retains a relation to the Reformed Church in America, the denomination that gave it life and sustenance for over 150 years.

Academics

The seminary is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS). It offers the Master of Divinity (M.Div.), Master of Theology (Th.M.), and Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degrees; it also offers graduate certificates.

Notable faculty

Notable alumni

Notable affiliations

Among its student awards, Western Theological Seminary awards annual prizes for Excellence in Writing and Excellence in Preaching, named after the theologian and writer Frederick Buechner. Additionally, former seminary President and Henry Bast Professor of Preaching, Timothy Brown, has also delivered guest lectures on the topic of Buechner, including at the Buechner Institute at King University in 2013.

Notes

    References

    1. ↑ Lewis, Norma; Vries, Jay de (2009). Dutch Heritage in Kent and Ottawa Counties. ISBN 9780738560281.
    2. ↑ "The Western Story". westernsem.edu/about. Western Theological Seminary. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
    3. ↑ Bruins, Elton J. (2004). Albertus and Christina: The van Raalte Family, Home and Roots. ISBN 9780802821072.

    42°47′10″N 86°06′11″W / 42.786°N 86.103°W / 42.786; -86.103

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