New Academic Year Off to a Great Start

We are nearly a month into the 2020-21 school year with good news to report!

A global pandemic can’t dampen our spirits. The work of the seminary continues, and here are several highlights:

• We welcomed 61 new students to WTS this fall.
• There is now a total of 345 students in various programs at WTS, following God’s call on their lives.
  • 109 Master of Divinity
  • 30 Master of Arts
  • 71 Doctor of Ministry
  • 109 Graduate Certificate in Pastoral Ministry
  • 8 Graduate Certificate in Disability and Ministry
  • 1 Graduate Program for Christian Educators
  • 17 non-degree-seeking and audits
• Our inaugural Friendship House Fellows (FHF) program has begun! The FHF is a 6-year program for individuals with intellectual disabilities who want to explore their ministry gifts within the supportive environment of a community of Christian co-learners.
• The Doctor of Ministry program kicked off the year with two cohorts meeting in person, one online, and another one (all in Spanish) to be held in Orlando, FL in October.
  • “Disability and Ministry: Imagining More Faithful and Inclusive Congregational Ministries” with Dr. Ben Conner (9 students)
  • “In Step with the Spirit: Leading Global Christian Movements” with Dr. Alvin Padilla (11 students)
  • “Deepening Soul Care and Spiritual Transformation for Mission” with Dr. Chuck DeGroat (13 students)
  • “The Latino Pastor-Theologian: Towards Effective Pastoral Leadership” with Dr. Alvin Padilla & Dr. David Escobar Arcay (12 students)
• We welcomed Dr. Winn Collier to the faculty of WTS in August. He will direct the Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination (more on that later this fall) and will serve as Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and Christian Imagination.
• 37 churches and ministries are participating in our Teaching Church program, mentoring 44 M.Div. students.
• We launched our very first Connection Week from September 13-21, in which we celebrated the people and ministries that flow back and forth between Western Theological Seminary and the front lines of the local church.

Look for details on these stories and more in the upcoming Fall edition of The Commons newsletter.