Nazarene Theological Seminary

What does the future hold for Nazarene Theological Seminary?  Or perhaps a better question might be, “What kind of seminary will NTS need to be in the years ahead to carry out our mission of preparing women and men to be faithful and effective ministers of the gospel in an ever changing and increasingly complex world?”  And further, “What kind of seminary will we need to be to serve as a theological resource for the Church?” 

As we have been asking these questions and making plans for the future, it has occurred to us that often times the answer lies in strengthening programs and curriculum already in place, resourcing our students in new and additional ways, and working more closely with our Church in order that we might also serve her better.     

With that in mind, let’s look 5 – 10 years into the future, and perhaps even more than now, NTS is…
…a widely recognized and respected center of ministerial preparation and theological thinking in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. The faculty understands and fully embraces the NTS mission of preparing women and men to be faithful and effective ministers, and of serving as a theological resource for the Church. They carry out their responsibilities at NTS with the sense that it is the fulfillment of their calling. 

NTS students are serious and earnest. Many are part of a holiness renewal movement in the Church which is centered on the recovery of Christian communities committed both to personal and corporate expressions of holiness.

NTS’ philosophy of education is built around equipping students with the competencies necessary for faithful and effective ministry.  The curriculum, chapel, spiritual formation and supervised ministry have all been carefully integrated with the single goal of forming students in Christ in such a way that they are prepared to serve in Christian ministry. 

Students preparing to serve as pastors, missionaries, chaplains, teachers, and evangelists are under the guidance of mentor/practitioners throughout most of their seminary education; students in most academic programs serve under a mentor pastor for two full years.  Those preparing for missions service typically receive a portion of their education through sister schools in Asia, Latin America or Africa.  The NTS Doctor of Ministry program is thriving with three full cohorts as students seek to further equip themselves for pastoral leadership in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. 

While new technologies have made graduate level coursework more accessible to hundreds of students, the preferred modality remains theological education in residential community.  And although there has been a significant increase in the number of international students, second career students, and students from other sister Wesleyan denominations, the majority of students are Nazarene young adults who are recent graduates of North American Nazarene Universities.  The diversity of the student body continues to increase, and women students constitute about one-third of the enrollment.  

As young men and women respond to God’s call on their lives, NTS’ total enrollment continues to increase.  In order to accommodate increases in student enrollment and expanding programs, new faculty have been invited, adding to the overall depth, expertise and diversity of the community.

Tuition has continued to increase, but endowed scholarships, faculty chairs and development efforts have kept pace with the growing demand in such a way that the cost of tuition is not a major factor in a students’ decision to attend NTS.    

The facilities, while continuing to age, are relatively free of deferred maintenance.  The seminary now has the feel and look of a campus.  The campus includes the main building, the library, a Student Commons, the King Conference Center, and student housing.  The Commons is the natural gathering place for the seminary community. Students are actively engaged in ministry to people in the surrounding communities.

In addition to teaching, the faculty understands and embraces their responsibilities of research, writing, speaking and consulting for the Church.  The sabbatical policy provides faculty with the opportunity to give greater attention to research and writing in their respective fields, both in the academic arena as well as more practically in service of the Church.  NTS regularly offers forums on issues related to theology and ministry at major denominational gatherings.    

The relationship between the seminary and denominational leaders continues to be one of mutual trust, respect and cooperation.  The seminary faculty are routinely consulted by church leaders in matters of theology, ethics, biblical studies, and missional strategy.  The NTS Center for Lifelong Learning and the Mission Evangelism Office of the Church of the Nazarene have cooperated in the development of a continuing education program that provides ongoing education in ministry that is grounded in Wesleyan-Holiness theology to hundreds of pastors every year. 

NTS has become known as a leading seminary in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition.  Coursework is challenging but always relevant to preparation for ministry.  Lectureships expose students to some of the best scholars in the country.  NTS is known for being a center of spiritual vitality and passion for Christian holiness.  Chapel services are typically characterized by a sense of the presence of God where students frequently make and renew life commitments and respond in obedience to the call of God.  Relationships between faculty, staff and students are open and engaging as students are folded into community and mentored in the faith.  Graduates serving in ministries across the country and around the world report back to NTS that they have been well prepared to be faithful and effective ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.