Trinity_School_for_Ministry_in_the_Spring

The North American Lutheran Seminary (NALS) is the seminary system of the

North American Lutheran Church The North American Lutheran Church (NALC) is a Lutheran denomination with over 420 congregations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, counting more than 142,000 baptized members. The NALC believes all doctrines should and must be judged b ...

. The proposal resulted from the work of NALC's Task Force for Theological Education and recommended two components for the seminary system. The seminary describes itself as "not investing in bricks and mortar, but rather investing in people". As such it has no buildings of its own.

History

In 2012, the Joint Commission on Theology and Doctrine of the NALC recommended the formation of a Commission on Theological Education. This was approved by the NALC's Executive Council and was appointed with Dr. Roy Harisville III as chair. The Commission on Theological Education recommended the creation of a seminary. The proposal was approved at the NALC convention held on August 8–9, 2013, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 2013, the Rev. Dr. Amy C. Schifrin was called as the seminary system's first president. In 2019, the Rev. Dr. Eric M. Riesen was called as its second president.

Organization

The seminary system operates similar to a wheel, with a hub and spokes. The hub is the seminary center located at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. The spokes are various partner institutions in NALC mission districts. In 2013, the NALS began its first House of Studies in Charlotte, North Carolina, on the campus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. This was discontinued effective May 31, 2016. The seminary system has since formed several memoranda of understanding with various institutions, including:

Concordia College New York Concordia College (CCNY) was a four-year liberal arts college in Bronxville, New York. Concordia College was sponsored by the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) and was a member of the Concordia University System. It was chartered by the Bo ...

Bronxville, New York Bronxville is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States, located approximately north of Midtown Manhattan. It is part of the town of Eastchester. The village comprises one square mile (2.5 km2) of land in its entirety, a ...

; Concordia University of Edmonton in Edmonton, Alberta;

Concordia University St. Paul Concordia University, St. Paul is a private university in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was founded in 1893 and enrolls nearly 5,600 students. It is a member of the Concordia University System, which is operated by the second-largest Lutheran churc ...

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...

; and Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Academic information

The NALS offers degrees through its relationship with Trinity School for Ministry, which is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada and is a charter member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.TSM Profile on ECFA website
Retrieved on July 15, 2009.

Degree programs

*Master of Divinity (M.Div.) - available on campus or online (a 1-year residency is required) *Master of Arts in Religion (M.A.R.) - available on campus or online

Diploma and certificate programs

*Diploma in Lutheran Studies - available on campus or online *Certificate in Lutheran Studies - available on campus or online The seminary also offers individual courses to supplement the educational requirements needed for those in the candidacy process to become ordained pastors in the North American Lutheran Church.

References

External links

* North American Lutheran Church Seminaries and theological colleges in Pennsylvania Lutheran seminaries Lutheran buildings and structures in North America Educational institutions established in 2013 Universities and colleges in Beaver County, Pennsylvania 2013 establishments in Pennsylvania {{lutheranism-stub