Memphis Theological Seminary

Memphis Theological Seminary
Former name
Cumberland Presbyterian Theological Seminary
TypePrivate Seminary
Established1852
AccreditationAssociation of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada
Religious affiliation
Cumberland Presbyterian Church
PresidentRev. Dr. Jody Hill
Students195
Location
Memphis, Tennessee
Websitehttp://www.memphisseminary.edu/

Memphis Theological Seminary is an ecumenical seminary of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Although it is affiliated with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, it accepts and trains ministerial candidates from other denominations as well.[1] It offers the Master of Divinity (MDiv), Master of Arts in Christian Ministry (MACM), and Doctor of Ministry (DMin). It also administers the Cumberland Presbyterian denomination's Program of Alternate Studies. At a called meeting of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, the closure of Memphis Theological Seminary effective July 31, 2026, was approved and a Board of Theological Education established to continue some of the seminary's functions including administration of the Program of Alternate Studies.[2][3]

History

MTS is a continuation of the Cumberland Presbyterian Theological School, which was originally started in McLemoresville, Tennessee in 1852. It was moved from the campus of Bethel College in McKenzie, Tennessee, to Memphis in 1964.[4][5][1]

Memphis Theological Seminary

The school was moved into the Newburger House, which was constructed in 1912 for Judge Joseph Newburger. The residence was designed by the prominent Memphis architectural firm of Hanker and Cairns.[6]

Leaders of the seminary plan to close it in July 2026, pending approval of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.[2]

Organization

The president is Jody Hill. The seminary is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) and the Commission on Colleges and Schools of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The seminary is also approved by the University Senate of the United Methodist Church to educate United Methodist theological students.

The seminary is located in Midtown Memphis at the corner of Union Avenue and East Parkway, across town from the denominational Cumberland Presbyterian Center in Cordova, Tennessee.

Notable alumni

References

  1. 1 2 Sparks, Jon W. (2021-08-16). "Faith: An Ecumenical Call to Action". Memphis magazine. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
  2. 1 2 "Important News from Memphis Theological Seminary - Memphis Theological Seminary". 2025-12-16. Retrieved 2025-12-16.
  3. ↑ 2026 Minutes of the Called Meeting of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church CPPubArc on Calameo, retrieved 2026-06-24
  4. ↑ "History". memphisseminary.edu. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
  5. ↑ "Cumberland Presbyterian Theological Seminary - McKenzie, Tennessee". www.cumberland.org. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
  6. ↑ MHI2016 (2018-04-04). "Joseph Newburger House (Memphis Theological Seminary)". Memphis Heritage Inc. Retrieved 2025-01-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Bibliography

  • 2026 Minutes of the Called Meeting of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church (Memphis: Tennessee, 2026).
  • 2026 Yearbook of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church (Memphis: Tennessee, 2026).

35°07′59″N 89°58′58″W / 35.132917°N 89.982855°W / 35.132917; -89.982855

This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.