Western Theological Seminary (WTS) is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

seminary located in Holland, Michigan. Established in 1866, it is affiliated with the

Reformed Church in America The Reformed Church in America (RCA) is a Mainline Protestant, mainline Reformed tradition, Reformed Protestant Christian denomination, denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 152,317 members. From its beginning in 1628 unti ...

, a mainline

Reformed Reform is beneficial change Reform may also refer to: Media * ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang * Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group * ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine *''Reforme'' ("Reforms"), initial name of the ...

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 Albertus Christiaan van Raalte (17 October 1811 – 27 July 1876) was a 19th-century Dutch Reformed clergyman. Early life and education Van Raalte did not set out to follow in his father's footsteps and become a clergyman. He was initially ...

founded Hope College in Holland Michigan; believing that parents had a primary responsibility to educate their children and not the state. 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. 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. 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 For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and divi ...

(M.Div.), Master of Theology (Th.M.), and Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.)degrees; it also offers graduate certificates.

Notable faculty

* J. Todd Billings, Gordon H. Girod Research Professor of Reformed Theology

Notable alumni

* Martin De Haan, founder of Our Daily Bread Ministries * Norman Kansfield, senior scholar at Drew University *

Stephen Kaziimba Samuel Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu (called Stephen Kaziimba; also spelled Kazima; born 15 August 1962) is a Ugandan Anglican bishop. On 28 August 2019, he was elected to serve as the ninth Archbishop of Uganda and Bishop of Kampala, effective 1 Mar ...

, Archbishop of Uganda * Henry Collin Minton, scholar, minister * Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary * Robert H. Schuller, author, pastor *

Eugene Sutton Eugene Taylor Sutton (born January 9, 1954) is the 14th and current Episcopal Bishop of Maryland. Early life and education Sutton grew up in Washington, DC, as a Baptist. He graduated from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, in 1976 and earned a ...

Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...

Bishop of Maryland * Robert E. Van Voorst, faculty at Western Theological Seminary

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

External links

Official website
{{authority control Buildings and structures in Holland, Michigan Reformed Church in America Reformed church seminaries and theological colleges Hope College Seminaries and theological colleges in Michigan 1866 establishments in Michigan Educational institutions established in 1866 Education in Ottawa County, Michigan Buildings and structures in Ottawa County, Michigan