Wesley Seminary is an evangelical Christian

theological Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of an ...

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...

that was founded by the Wesleyan Church denomination and Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU). Wesley Seminary is located on Indiana Wesleyan University's main campus in

Marion, Indiana Marion is a city in and the county seat of Grant County, Indiana, United States, along the Mississinewa River. The population was 28,310 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is named for Francis Marion, a brigadier general from ...

History

In 2008, IWU administrators and the board of trustees endorsed the concept of the seminary and set aside funding for the potential program. On April 3, 2009 the board of trustees unanimously approved the proposal after the seminary was accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The seminary opened for the fall 2009 semester. On June 20, 2012 Wesley Seminary was admitted as an Associate Member of the Association of Theological Schools. On October 2, 2009, during IWU's Homecoming Chapel, university president Dr. Henry Smith announced that the board of trustees had officially voted to name the seminary Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University and had chosen Dr. Wayne Schmidt to be the seminary's first Vice President. Wesley Seminary has completed construction of its seminary on the IWU campus in Marion, Indiana in part through a donation from the Green family, owners of the Hobby Lobby corporation. On April 12, 2012, the cornerstone for the new $7 million Wesley Seminary building was laid and the facility was completed in 2013. Wesley Seminary is the first officially affiliated seminary in the history of the Wesleyan Church, which does not currently require pastors to hold a seminary degree for ordination. Currently, only about 15 percent of Wesleyan pastors have seminary degrees. Denominational leaders hope the creation of Wesley Seminary will double that number. Wesley Seminary ranks in size within the top 10 percent of the Association of Theological Schools’ accredited seminaries. Wesley Seminary currently employs 11 full-time faculty, 10 administrative staff members, and 3 executive administrators. Wesley Seminary launched a Doctor of Ministry program in 2016. The first cohort began in June, when students traveled to Atlanta to learn about the foundations of urban, rural, and suburban leadership from nationally acclaimed pastors and Christian leaders. Subsequent cohorts in 2017 and 2018 focused on preaching and spiritual formation, respectively. In June 2016, Wesley Seminary Vice President Wayne Schmidt accepted the position of General Superintendent of the Wesleyan Church. As a result, Jo Anne Lyon was named Interim Vice President of Wesley Seminary. In May 2017, Associate Professor of Congregational Formation Rev. Colleen Derr was appointed President of Wesley Seminary and sits on the Executive Council of Indiana Wesleyan University as an Executive Vice President.

Accreditation

Wesley Seminary is accredited by the

Higher Learning Commission The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...

of the

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), also known as the North Central Association, was a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states engaged in educational accreditation. It ...

. It also received accreditation from the Association of Theological Schools in 2014.

Academics

The seminary offers a

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 ...

degree program, along with other graduate

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

degrees, offered in on-site and online formats.
/ref> * Master of Divinity (M.Div.) * Master of Arts in Ministry (M.A.) with six specialization options * Master of Practical Theology * Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) with three specializations

Notable alumni

References

External links

* {{authority control Seminaries and theological colleges in Indiana Marion, Indiana Indiana Wesleyan University Educational institutions established in 2009 2009 establishments in Indiana