Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Last updated
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
LouisvillePresbyterianTheologicalSeminarySeal.png
Former name
Presbyterian Theological Seminary,
Danville Theological Seminary
Motto
Lampades Multae, Una Lux
Motto in English
Many Lamps, One Light
Type Private
Established1853;171 years ago (1853)
Religious affiliation
Presbyterian Church
Academic affiliation
Kentuckiana Metroversity
President Andrew Pomerville
Location,
U.S.

38°14′15″N85°41′06″W / 38.2375°N 85.6850°W / 38.2375; -85.6850
Campus38 acres (15 ha)
Colors    Blue and white
Website lpts.edu

Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, also referred to as Louisville Seminary, is a seminary affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), located in Louisville, Kentucky. It is one of ten PC (USA) seminaries, and it identifies as an ecumenical seminary, with recent student enrollment representing many faith traditions.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Though now located in Louisville, it was founded in 1853 in Danville, Kentucky (the site is now Centre College) and was known as the Danville Theological Seminary. Though it thrived in its early years, the Civil War took a great toll and by 1870 there were only six students enrolled, and as few as one professor at times, requiring classes to be taught by the faculty of Centre College.

The seminary is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools [1] as well as the Association of Theological Schools. [2] The Seminary is located on land adjacent to the Cherokee-Seneca Parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.

The central quad includes Nelson Hall (which houses the Counseling Center), Caldwell Chapel, the library, and a student building. The Seminary offers multiple degree programs including Doctor of Ministry, Masters of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, Masters of Arts in Religion, and Masters of Divinity.

History

In 1893, a seminary opened in Louisville, operating out of Sunday School rooms in Second Presbyterian Church at Second and Broadway, with 31 students and six professors initially, and an endowment of $104,000. Longtime treasurer W.T. Grant died in 1901 and left his entire $300,000 estate to the seminary, which helped finance the construction of a new Gothic-style Campus.

Daniel S. Bentley had studied at the Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Danville. [3]

In 1901, the still-struggling Danville seminary merged with the Louisville one. Because of the merger, it was the only institution supported simultaneously by the northern and southern branches of the modern Presbyterian Church (USA). Faculty and students have been drawn from both denominations. The two branches, which split during the Civil War, were reunited in 1983.

In the 1950s, Interstate 65 was planned to be constructed within a few feet of the seminary building. This led to a move in 1963 to a new campus off of Alta Vista Road, in the Cherokee-Seneca neighborhood. The old Gothic-style buildings eventually became the campus of Jefferson Community College, which is now a part of Jefferson Community and Technical College. The seminary eventually acquired the Gardencourt Mansion, and integrated it into the adjacent campus.

See also

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John Clarke Young was an American educator and pastor who was the fourth president of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. A graduate of Dickinson College and Princeton Theological Seminary, he entered the ministry in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1828. He accepted the presidency of Centre College in 1830, holding the position until his death in 1857, making him the longest-serving president in the college's history. He is regarded as one of the college's best presidents, as he increased the endowment of the college more than five-fold during his term and increased the graduating class size from two students in his first year to forty-seven in his final year.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter A. Groves</span> American missionary, minister, educator, and academic administrator

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Robert Lee McLeod Jr. was an American pastor and academic administrator. Following his graduation from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, McLeod took preaching positions in Mississippi and Florida before spending two years working at the Presbyterian Church headquarters in New York. He was elected president of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, in 1938 and took office in October of that year. After four years in the position, he was granted a leave of absence from Centre to serve in the United States Navy as a chaplain; in this job he spent two years as the theological director of the V-12 Program and one year aboard the USS Antietam, all while maintaining his title of president. During his absence, Centre hired Robert J. McMullen to be "co-president" alongside McLeod, living on campus and holding the full responsibilities of the position. McLeod resigned following the war's end and spent time preaching in Missouri, Florida, Tennessee, and Louisiana, before retiring in 1981.

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Robert Johnston McMullen was an American pastor, missionary, and academic administrator. A graduate of Centre College and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, he was licensed to preach in April 1909 and soon after left the country to begin a period of more than thirty years in Hangzhou, China. He worked as a Presbyterian missionary from 1911 to 1932 before joining the faculty of Hangchow Christian College and eventually becoming the school's president for a four-year term. After a seven-month detainment in a Japanese prison camp, McMullen returned to the United States in 1943 and was elected president of his alma mater the next year. He began in the role in September 1944 as "co-president" alongside Robert L. McLeod, who had been away since December 1942 as a chaplain in the United States Navy. The war having concluded, both McLeod and McMullen resigned in November 1945, though McMullen stayed at Centre as its lone president until the following October. After leaving Danville, he worked for the United Board for Christian Colleges in China before his 1953 retirement.

References

  1. "Institutions". SACSCOC. Archived from the original on 2020-09-01. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  2. "Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary | The Association of Theological Schools". www.ats.edu. Archived from the original on 2020-09-26. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  3. Smith, Gerald L.; McDaniel, Karen Cotton; Hardin, John A. (2015-08-28). The Kentucky African American Encyclopedia. University Press of Kentucky. p. 41. ISBN   978-0-8131-6066-5.