Westminster Seminary California is a Reformed and

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

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

Escondido, California Escondido is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. Located in the North County region, it was incorporated in 1888, and is one of the oldest cities in San Diego County. It has a population of 151,038 as of the 2020 census. Et ...

. It was initially a branch campus of

Westminster Theological Seminary Westminster Theological Seminary is a Protestant theological seminary in the Reformed theological tradition in Glenside, Pennsylvania. It was founded by members of the faculty of Princeton Theological Seminary in 1929 after Princeton chose to ...

in Philadelphia until 1982 when it became fully independent. It currently has thirteen full-time faculty members and enrolls approximately 155 full-time students.

History and ecclesiastical affiliation

Westminster Seminary California was founded in 1979 and welcomed its first students in the fall of 1980. It is a multi-denominational seminary in the Presbyterian and Reformed tradition, with close relationships with several denominations, including the

Presbyterian Church in America The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is the second-largest Presbyterian church body, behind the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the largest conservative Calvinist denomination in the United States. The PCA is Reformed in theology and presb ...

Orthodox Presbyterian Church The Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) is a confessional Presbyterian denomination located primarily in the United States, with additional congregations in Canada, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. It was founded by conservative members of the Presbyter ...

United Reformed Churches in North America The United Reformed Churches in North America (URCNA) is a theologically conservative federation of Reformed churches founded in 1996. Many churches joined the URCNA after splitting from the Christian Reformed Church in North America denomination. ...

and

Korean-American Presbyterian Church Korean American Presbyterian Church is a conservative Presbyterian denomination in the United States and Canada. History It was formed in 1978 by Korean immigrants in the campus of Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On its fou ...

Escondido Orthodox Presbyterian Church

The Escondido Orthodox Presbyterian Church worships in the WSC Chapel. The congregation was founded in 2002 and has about 100 members. A number of members of the faculty are members of the congregation. The Pastor is Zach Keele, a Westminster graduate.

Academics

Westminster Seminary California is

accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

by the

Western Association of Schools and Colleges The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) was an organization providing School accreditation, accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary school, secondary and elementary schools in California and Hawaii, ...

and was first accredited by the

Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) is an organization of seminaries and other graduate schools of theology. ATS has its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. History It was founded in 1918. The assoc ...

in 1997. The seminary currently offers a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

degree and a Master of Divinity degree.

Theology

Westminster Seminary California is associated with the Reformed

Two kingdoms doctrine The two kingdoms doctrine is a Protestant Christian doctrine that teaches that God is the ruler of the whole world and that he . The doctrine is held by Lutherans and represents the view of some Calvinists. John Calvin significantly modified Mar ...

. Andrew Sandlin has called this the "Escondido Theology".

Notable faculty

Past and present notable faculty members include: * R. Scott Clark *

Edmund Clowney Edmund Prosper Clowney (July 30, 1917 – March 20, 2005) was a theologian, educator, and pastor. Early life and education Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he earned a Bachelor of Arts from Wheaton College in 1939, a Bachelor of Theology f ...

* John Frame *

W. Robert Godfrey W. Robert Godfrey is a minister in the United Reformed Churches in North America and formerly served as the third president of Westminster Seminary California. As of 2017 he is president emeritus and professor emeritus of church history. He cu ...

D. G. Hart Darryl G. Hart is a religious and social historian. Hart is Distinguished Associate Professor of History at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan. He previously served as dean of academic affairs at Westminster Seminary California from 200 ...

* Michael Horton *

Meredith Kline Meredith George Kline (December 15, 1922 – April 14, 2007) was an American theologian and Old Testament scholar. He also had degrees in Assyriology and Egyptology. Academic career Kline received his AB from Gordon College, Th.B. and Th.M ...

* H. David Schuringa * David M. VanDrunen

Notable alumni

* Joel Kim, president of Westminster Seminary California *

Julius Kim Julius Jason Kim is a Korean-American theologian and president of The Gospel Coalition. Biography Born in Los Angeles, Kim spent part of his childhood in South Korea before returning to California at the age of 12. He received a BA from Vanguard ...

, president of

The Gospel Coalition The Gospel Coalition, or TGC, is a union of Evangelicalism, evangelical and Reformed church, Reformed churches. History It was founded in 2005 by theologian D. A. Carson and pastor Tim Keller (pastor), Tim Keller. TGC describe their mission ...

* Lloyd Kim, coordinator of

Mission to the World Mission to the World (MTW) is the mission-sending agency for the Presbyterian Church in America. This evangelical Christian organization believes in advancing the Great Commission by promoting Reformed and covenantal church planting movements u ...

* Matt Slick, founder of

Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM) is a nonprofit, nondenominational Protestant apologetics ministry with an internet and radio outreach. It is involved in evangelism, including full-time support for several foreign missionar ...

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Seminaries and theological colleges in California Educational institutions established in 1979 Reformed church seminaries and theological colleges Presbyterian universities and colleges in the United States Schools accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Education in Escondido, California 1979 establishments in California