Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Motto For the Church
Type Private
Established 1957
Affiliation Southern Baptist Convention
President Jason Keith Allen
Location Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Website http://www.mbts.edu

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, Spurgeon College [1] (until recently known as 'Midwestern College'), offering numerous programs and diploma options for those pursuing 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 the official residence of the seminary's presidential family.

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."

More recently, the seminary has grown tremendously since 2012, when its current president, Dr. Jason K. Allen, was installed to leadership and began a revitalization process financially, infrastructurally, and philosophically. In the last five years, Midwestern has nearly tripled in size, becoming one of the fastest growing seminaries in North America[2] and one of the largest in the world. Enrollment has nearly tripled in five years, from 1,107 in the 2010-11 academic year to surpassing 3,000 students in 2017-18.[3]

Campus

Midwestern Seminary is located in Kansas City, MO, at the intersection of Vivion Rd. and N. Oak Trafficway, just a few minutes from downtown. Ground was broken in 2010 on a new 1000 seat auditorium, The Daniel Lee Chapel, which was dedicated in April 2014.[4] Other recent improvements to the campus include the O.S. Hawkins Courtyard and the Charles Spurgeon Library.

The campus features numerous dormitory and apartment buildings for residential students, playground and picnic areas, a modest fishing pond, and over 220 acres of woods. The Sword & Trowel Bookstore is also located on campus.

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.[5] Construction on his project -- which will include gymnasium, fitness center, faculty offices, cafeteria, coffee shop, bookstore, and expanded study center, and which will include exterior plans for sports fields -- began in 2017, with plans to open the 40,000 square foot building for use in the fall of 2018.

The Spurgeon Center and Library

The Spurgeon Library houses the remaining personal collection of Charles Spurgeon, which Midwestern Seminary acquired from William Jewell College in 2006.[6] The ribbon-cutting and dedication of the library took place in October 2015,[7] and the Seminary is now working to digitize the collection and publish new volumes of previously undiscovered sermons. Dr. Christian T. George serves as the curator of the collection, which also includes numerous items and artifacts from Spurgeon's life and ministry, among them his personal writing desk, travel kit, and the metalwork from his study door. The library interior has been well-appointed in academic "Oxford style" and features numerous portraits highlighting the life of Spurgeon specifically commissioned by Dr. George and Midwestern Seminary of the Romanian artist Petru Botezatu.[8]

For The Church

Beginning with Jason Allen's installation as president of Midwestern Seminary, the institution has emphasized the slogan "For The Church" as its vision statement for academic and institutional renewal, seeking to re-connect the purpose of theological education to the support and strengthening of local churches. This vision has been manifested in numerous events and resources, including Midwestern's website For The Church[9] and the annual For The Church national conference held in Kansas City, which has featured internationally renowned speakers like Matt Chandler, H.B. Charles Jr., Russell Moore, David Platt, and Ray Ortlund Jr.

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, Counseling, International Church Planting, Church Planting, Leadership, Worship Ministries, and Youth Ministries.[10] 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.),[11] Doctor of Counseling[11] and a research doctorate Doctor of Philosophy in Biblical Studies with emphases in Old Testament, New Testament, Apologetics, Ethics, Historical Theology, Ministry, Missiology, Theology, 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.

Spurgeon College offers a variety of undergraduate degrees in ministry, missions, and theology, as well as degrees in leadership, counseling psychology, and philosophy. Through the Accelerate program, undergrads may earn both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Divinity degree simultaneously in a rigorous five-year course of study. Associate degrees are also available through the college. Undergrad students interested in pursuing a call to mission work may also participate in Midwestern's Fusion program, a training cohort partially funded by the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention which includes cultural studies, physical training, and stints overseas to better prepare future missionaries for the realities of their work.

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.

Most recently, Midwestern has provided numerous incentives for residential education, including the Timothy Track[12], which partners M.Div students with local churches to serve in internship programs, and The Residency[13], a contextual component of the standard doctoral program that facilitates immediate application of academic training.

Dr. Jason G. Duesing serves as Midwestern's Academic Provost, and Samuel Beirig serves as Dean of Spurgeon College.

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.[14] He is one of the youngest presidents in higher education in America,[14] 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.

Dr. Allen has written or edited several books including Discerning Your Call to Ministry, Portraits of a Pastor, The SBC and the 21st Century, and the forthcoming Becoming a Christian. He also currently serves as the transitional pastor of the First Baptist Church of Jackson, Mississippi.[15]

Allen and his wife, Karen, have five children.

Notable alumni

  • Dean Inserra [16]
  • Micah Fries [17]
  • Jeff Iorg [18]
  • Jeff Dodge

Notable Faculty

Notable staff

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Midwestern Seminary trustees add Kostenberger, launch Spurgeon College". Midwestern Seminary. April 10, 2018. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Midwestern Seminary recognized by accreditor as one of the fastest growing seminaries in America". Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  3. ↑ "Midwestern Seminary trustees celebrate Mathena Student Center groundbreaking, record enrollment, and faculty reelections". Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  4. ↑ "Midwestern Seminary dedicates chapel during Trustee Week, expands Ph.D. offerings, elects graduate dean - Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary". Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  5. ↑ "Midwestern Seminary receives $7 million lead gift for proposed student center - Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary". Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  6. ↑ "The Spurgeon Center". spurgeoncenter.com. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  7. ↑ "Historic dedication, record enrollment announcement highlight Midwestern Seminary Trustee Meeting - Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary". Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  8. ↑ "Spurgeon, Art, and Incarnation". Spurgeon. 2015-02-01. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  9. ↑ "For The Church". ftc.co. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  10. ↑ "Midwestern Trains Men and Women for the Church | MBTS". Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  11. 1 2 "Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary". Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  12. ↑ "Timothy Track". Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  13. ↑ "The Residency". Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  14. 1 2 "About". jasonkallen.com. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  15. ↑ "Dr. Jason K. Allen Accepts Position as Transitional Pastor". First Baptist Jackson. 2017-08-30. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  16. ↑ http://www.citychurchtallahassee.com/dean-inserra/
  17. ↑ https://www.micahfries.com/bio/
  18. ↑ https://www.gs.edu/about/president-jeff-iorg/
  19. ↑ "Midwestern Seminary names scholar Owen Strachan to faculty as associate professor of Christian Theology, head of forthcoming center for theology and culture - Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary". Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  20. ↑ "Jason G. Duesing - Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary". Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
  21. ↑ "Matthew Barrett, H.B. Charles, Steven Smith named to Midwestern Seminary roles". Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  22. ↑ "John Mark Yeats". Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  23. ↑ "Matthew Barrett, H.B. Charles, Steven Smith named to Midwestern Seminary roles". Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  24. ↑ "Matthew Barrett, H.B. Charles, Steven Smith named to Midwestern Seminary roles". Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
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