Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS) is one of six official seminaries of the Southern Baptist Convention. It is located in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary also houses an undergraduate college, Midwestern Baptist College, SBC. Although the seminary focuses primarily on graduate level education, there are several undergraduate programs through the college and diploma options for those lacking a college degree.
History
Midwestern Seminary was officially founded on May 29, 1957 when the Southern Baptist Convention voted to establish the institution and elected a board of trustees. Since that time, the trustees have been regularly and exclusively elected by the Southern Baptist Convention. Under the leadership of the original board of trustees, the seminary was established in 1958 in northern Kansas City, Missouri with six faculty members and 136 students. Most of the property on which the seminary is housed was donated by the Vivion family to the seminary. The Vivion farm home has been restored and is now used for special events and to house special guests of the seminary.
Doctrinally, MBTS is guided by the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message. Every member of the faculty and administration is required to sign a statement agreeing to the precepts of this document. While students are required to be Christians, they are not required to affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message. The purpose statement of Midwestern Seminary was revised in 2008 to read, "Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary serves the church by biblically educating God-called men and women to be and to make disciples of Jesus Christ."
Campus
Midwestern Seminary is located in Kansas City, MO, at the intersection of Vivion Rd. and N. Oak Trafficway. Ground was broken in 2010 on a new 1000 seat chapel, which was dedicated in April 2014. Other recent improvements to the campus include the Daniel Lee Courtyard and the new Spurgeon Library.
The Spurgeon Library houses the remaining personal collection of Charles Spurgeon, which Midwestern Seminary acquired from William Jewell College in 2006. The ribbon-cutting and dedication of the library took place in October 2015, and the Seminary is now working to digitize the collection and publish new volumes of previously undiscovered sermons.
The Seminary has announced plans to build a new Student Center on the north slope of the campus, thanks to a $7 million lead gift by the Mathena family of Oklahoma City. Though work on this project has yet to begin, plans have been drawn up for the 40,000 square foot building.
Academics
MBTS is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) and The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC). The seminary is accredited to offer several Master's degrees that are generally classified as Master of Divinity (MDiv) and Master of Arts. In the MDiv program, concentrations are available in the traditional MDiv, Preaching and Pastoral Ministry, Biblical Languages, Christian Education, Conuseling, International Church Planting, Church Planting, Leadership, Worship Ministries, and Youth Ministries. Master of Arts degrees are available in Christian Education, Worship Ministries, Counseling, and Biblical Languages. Midwestern also offers an MTS (Master of Theological Studies) degree, with concentrations available in Leadership, Church Planting, Preaching and Pastoral Ministry, Church Revitalization, Missions, Mobilization, and Korean. The seminary also offers a Graduate Certificate in Christian Foundations for Lay Ministers.
At the doctoral level, MBTS offers professional doctorates: Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.), Doctor of Counseling (DCoun) Doctor of Educational Ministry (D.Ed.Min.), Doctor of Counseling and a research doctorate Doctor of Philosophy in Biblical Studies with emphases in Old Testament, New Testament, Apologetics, Ethics, Historical Theology, Ministry, Missiology, and Preaching. The seminary also has a Korean language track for its Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Ministry degrees and a Spanish language track for its Doctor of Ministry degree.
Midwestern Baptist College, SBC offers undergraduate degrees.
Since 2010, Midwestern Seminary offers both graduate and undergraduate degrees entirely online, through the Online You program. Available degrees include the standard MDiv, MTS, and BA, with select concentrations available as well.
Other Programs
Midwestern Seminary is involved in several official programs and pursuits besides academics. Most notable is For the Church (official website), a Christian resource website that is edited by Jared Wilson. For the Church also hosts a yearly conference that takes place on the campus of Midwestern. The 2016 theme of the FTC conference is "Portraits of a Pastor," and includes keynotes by Jason Allen, Darrin Patrick, Danny Akin, and Jared Wilson.
Other pursuits of Midwestern Seminary include the Charles Spurgeon Library (official website), headed by Christian George; and the upcoming Center for Public Theology, launching in 2016 and headed by Owen Strachan.
President
Jason K. Allen is the current president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was elected as the Seminary's 5th president in October 2012. He is one of the youngest presidents in higher education in America, and the youngest seminary president in the Southern Baptist Convention.
As a member of Southern Seminary’s Executive Cabinet since January 2006, Allen had been vice president of Institutional Advancement since 2009, and executive assistant to the president (2006-2009). He had also served on Southern’s faculty since 2007, teaching courses in personal spiritual disciplines, pastoral ministry, leadership and preaching.
In addition to his seminary duties, Allen has served as pastor and interim pastor of several Southern Baptist churches. Dr. Allen holds a Bachelor of Science from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala., as well as Master of Divinity and Ph.D. degrees from Southern Seminary. Currently, in addition to his responsibilities as president of Midwestern Seminary, he serves the church more broadly through writing and preaching ministries.
Allen and his wife, Karen, have five children.
Notable alumni
- Jerry Johnston
Notable Faculty
- Owen Strachan
- Christian George
- Jason G. Duesing (Official Website)
See also
- Southern Baptist Convention
References
External links
- Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary official site
