{{Short description|Seminary of the Presbyterian Church in America}} {{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox university | name = Covenant Theological Seminary | established = {{Start date and age|1956}} | image = Covenant Theological Seminary Logo 2019.png | type = [[Private college|Private]] [[seminary]] | motto = Rooted in grace for a lifetime of ministry | religious_affiliation = [[Presbyterian Church in America]] | accreditation = [[Higher Learning Commission]], [[Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada]] | president = Thomas C. Gibbs | students = 300 FTE (2025)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ats.edu/member-schools/covenant-theological-seminary}}</ref> | city = [[Creve Coeur, Missouri|Creve Coeur]] | state = [[Missouri]] | country = United States | campus = Suburban | website = {{URL|http://covenantseminary.edu}} }} {{Portal|Reformed Christianity}} '''Covenant Theological Seminary''', informally called '''Covenant Seminary''', is the [[religious denomination|denominational]] [[seminary]] of the [[Presbyterian Church in America]] (PCA).<ref name="PCA Historical Center">{{Cite web |url=http://www.pcahistory.org/findingaids/cts/ctsindex.html |title=Covenant Theological Seminary, Records |access-date=2012-05-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018214616/http://www.pcahistory.org/findingaids/cts/ctsindex.html |archive-date=2016-10-18 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>American Council on Education, ''American Universities and Colleges'', 15th ed., Walter de Gruyter, 1997, {{ISBN|3-11-014689-4}}, p. 885.</ref> Located in [[Creve Coeur, Missouri]],<ref name="CreveCoeurmap">{{cite web|url=https://www.crevecoeurmo.gov/DocumentCenter/View/560/Zoning-Map?bidId=|title=Zoning Map|publisher=Creve Coeur, Missouri|accessdate=2022-07-23}}</ref> it trains people to work as leaders in church positions and elsewhere, especially as [[pastor]]s, [[missionary|missionaries]], and [[Pastoral counseling|counselors]]. It does not require all students to be members of the PCA, but it is bound to promote the teachings of its denomination. Faculty must subscribe to the system of biblical doctrine outlined in the [[Westminster Standards]].<ref name=Doctrine>{{Cite web |url=http://www.covenantseminary.edu/whycovenant/doctrine/ |title=Doctrine |access-date=2012-05-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511110206/http://www.covenantseminary.edu/whycovenant/doctrine/ |archive-date=2012-05-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==History== [[File:Covenant Founders Hall.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Covenant Theological Seminary|alt=]] The seminary was established in 1956 as a sister institution to [[Covenant College]], founded the previous year in [[Pasadena, California]]. Both were agencies of the [[Bible Presbyterian Church]] (Columbus Synod). The institution's founders believed that their denomination needed a strong [[theology|theological]] school to resist [[Liberal Christianity|liberalizing influences]] in [[Evangelicalism in the United States|American Evangelicalism]]. The college and seminary shared the president and campus in St. Louis until the college outgrew its space and moved to [[Lookout Mountain, Georgia]], in 1964. They formally became two separate institutions in 1966.<ref>David B. Calhoun, ''By His Grace, For His Glory: Celebrating 50 Years of God's Faithfulness'', (St. Louis, Missouri: Covenant Theological Seminary, 2006</ref>
Denominational mergers over the ensuing decades made the schools part of the [[Evangelical Presbyterian Church (established 1956)|Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC)]], then the [[Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod]] (RPCES), and finally, in 1982—through what is known as the "joining and receiving" with the RPCES—the [[Presbyterian Church in America]] (PCA), which elects and oversees the work of the seminary's board of trustees.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Coalter |first1=Milton J. |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vlYPZu8KX10C&pg=PA253 |title=The Confessional Mosaic: Presbyterians and Twentieth-century Theology |last2=Mulder |first2=John M. |last3=Weeks |first3=Louis |publisher=Westminster John Knox Press |year=1990 |isbn=978-0-664-25151-2 |pages=236–256 |language=en |chapter=The Tie That No Longer Binds: The Origins of the Presbyterian Church in America.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.pcanet.org/general/century21.htm |title=The Presbyterian Church in America: Taking the Reformation into the 21st Century |access-date=2012-05-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120505122607/http://www.pcanet.org/general/century21.htm |archive-date=2012-05-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
On March 26, 1990, Covenant Theological Seminary student Elizabeth Mackintosh was murdered on the Seminary's campus.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.covenantseminary.edu/news/seminary-statement-on-elizabeth-mackintosh}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bagpipeonline.com/news/2024/2/20/new-podcast-on-covenant-seminary-student-murder-victim-elizabeth-mackintosh}}</ref> The murder remains unsolved.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/law/article/cold-case-police-identify-suspect-in-nurses-killing-p9t2mvq3k?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqfe5FndhDKfggzK7ggef2ZqslvXashMwkS9r1JQ7XZ12v_d9HQ6SFwR8iXpiRM%3D&gaa_ts=69a8b654&gaa_sig=XrW88emuwCFFL4KRo_ujmgW6mGfop9o7W6nsK_m1J1XVLtJd8q3203pf50UsO6jiQmJFsqWcf3zfzUJYfY2OKw%3D%3D}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.oxygen.com/cold-justice/crime-news/elizabeth-mackintosh-case-explored-recap}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/1990-murder-of-seminary-student-featured-on-oxygen-network/}}</ref>
Over its 65 years, the seminary has continued to grow in size and reputation, and is now home to a student body (both on campus and online) drawn from nearly every U.S. state and many other nations. More than 4,500 Covenant Seminary graduates now serve as pastors, church planters, missionaries, campus ministers, counselors, Bible translators, and educators, and in many other ministry and non-vocational ministry capacities in multiple denominations and in all 50 states and 100 countries.<ref>[https://www.covenantseminary.edu/support/ Covenant Theological Seminary]</ref>
==Academics== The seminary is accredited by the [[Higher Learning Commission]]<ref>[http://www.ncahlc.org/index.php?option=com_directory&Action=ShowBasic&instid=1424 Covenant Theological Seminary]</ref> and [[Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada]].<ref name=ATS>[http://www.ats.edu/MemberSchools/Pages/SchoolDetail.aspx?ID=59 Covenant Theological Seminary], [[Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada]].</ref> It offers several [[academic degree]]s, including the [[Master of Divinity]] (MDiv), [[Master of Arts]] (MA), [[Master of Theology]] (ThM), and [[Doctor of Ministry]] (DMin).<ref name=ATS />
The seminary is doctrinally committed to the [[Calvinism|Reformed faith]] and [[Covenant theology]], and it believes the [[Bible]] to be the [[Biblical inspiration|inspired]] and [[Biblical inerrancy|inerrant]] word of [[God]].<ref name=Doctrine />
The seminary is also home to the [[Francis Schaeffer]] Institute,<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Burson |first1=Scott R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=in4SzrxviCYC&pg=PA14 |title=C. S. Lewis & Francis Schaeffer: Lessons for a New Century from the Most Influential Apologists of Our Time |last2=Walls |first2=Jerry L. |date=2009-09-20 |publisher=InterVarsity Press |isbn=978-0-8308-7464-4 |pages=14–15 |language=en}}</ref> which encourages Christians to engage contemporary culture in a compassionate way with the truth-claims of the gospel.<ref>[http://www.covenantseminary.edu/academics/institutesinitiatives/francisaschaefferinstitute/ Francis A. Schaeffer Institute] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925072515/http://www.covenantseminary.edu/academics/institutesinitiatives/francisaschaefferinstitute/ |date=2011-09-25 }}</ref>
Covenant publishes ''Covenant'' magazine annually and ''Presbyterion,'' an academic theological journal, semiannually.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Publications |url=https://www.covenantseminary.edu/publications |access-date=2024-01-30 |website=Covenant Theological Seminary |language=en-US}}</ref>
== President == In July 2021, Thomas C. Gibbs became the sixth president of Covenant Seminary,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.covenantseminary.edu/sixth-president/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210722220801/https://www.covenantseminary.edu/sixth-president/|archive-date=22 July 2021|title=Introducing the Sixth President of Covenant Theological Seminary the Rev. Dr. Thomas C. Gibbs|date=1 July 2021|access-date=22 July 2021|publisher=Covenant Theological Seminary|location=[[Creve Coeur, Missouri|Creve Coeur]], [[Missouri|MO]]}}</ref> After graduating from Auburn University, Gibbs served as a youth director at Faith Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama. After earning a Master of Divinity degree from Covenant Seminary in 1997, he started a new Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) chapter at Baylor University, then served as senior pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church of San Antonio, Texas, for 19 years.
Previous Covenant presidents include: [[Robert G. Rayburn]] (1956–1977), William S. Barker (1977–1985), Paul Kooistra (1985–1994), [[Bryan Chapell]] (1994–2010; chancellor, 2011–2012), and Mark Dalbey (interim president, 2012–2013, permanent, 2013–2021).<ref>Robert A. Peterson and Sean Michael Lucas, eds., ''All for Jesus: A Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Covenant Theological Seminary'' (Fearn, Ross-shire, United Kingdom: Christian Focus, 2006).</ref>
==Notable alumni== *[[Kenneth Bae]], US missionary, author, activist<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.faithgateway.com/author/kenneth-bae/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210722220547/https://www.faithgateway.com/author/kenneth-bae/|archive-date=22 July 2021|title=Kenneth Bae|work=faithgateway}}</ref> *[[William S. Barker]], theologian, educator<ref>{{cite web |url=https://almanac.logos.com/William_S._Barker,_II |title=William S. Baker}}</ref> *[[Anthony Bradley]], theologian, educator, author<ref name="Anthony Bradley"/> *[[Bryan Chapell]], theologian, educator, pastor<ref name="Bryan Chapell"/> *[[Ligon Duncan]], pastor<ref name="Ligon Duncan"/> *[[Taek Kwon Lim]], Former President of [[ACTS University]] in Korea.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.acts.ac.kr/design/contents10.asp?code=151313&left=acts4_4}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://samonews.org/bbs/board.php?bo_table=news&wr_id=5110}}</ref> *[[Matt Morginsky]], Christian singer<ref name="Matt Morginsky"/> *[[Nancy Pearcey]], Christian author<ref name="Nancy Pearcey"/> *[[Bong Rin Ro]], missiologist, former executive secretary of [[Asia Graduate School of Theology]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://magazine.wheaton.edu/stories/alumni-profile-dr-bong-rin-ro-62-billy-graham|title=Dr. Bong Rin Ro '62 |date=12 September 2016 }}</ref> *[[Phillip Sandifer]], singer/songwriter<ref name="Phillip Sandifer"/> *[[Gavin Ortlund]], theologian, author, apologist
== References == <references> <ref name="Phillip Sandifer">{{Cite magazine|title=Introducing Phillip Sandifer|magazine=The Lakeway Church Newsletter|url=https://lakewaychurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Lakeway-Church-Newsletter-MARCH-2017.pdf|page=3|publisher=The Lakeway Church|editor-last=Keetch|editor-first=Nancy L.|publication-date=March 2017|issue=3|volume=47}}</ref>
<ref name="Anthony Bradley">{{cite web |title=Anthony B. Bradley, PhD |url=https://www.acton.org/about/staff/anthony-b-bradley |website=Acton Institute|date=10 June 2022 }}</ref>
<ref name="Bryan Chapell">{{cite web |title=A Message From Dr. Bryan Chapell |url=https://www.pcaac.org/bryan-chapell-message |website=PCA Administrative Committee}}</ref>
<ref name="Matt Morginsky">{{cite web |last1=Moring |first1=Mark |title=Does the World Really Want a New Supertones Album? |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/november-web-only/does-world-really-want-new-supertones-album.html |website=Christianity Today |date=November 12, 2012}}</ref>
<ref name="Ligon Duncan">{{cite web |title=Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III |url=https://rts.edu/people/dr-j-ligon-duncan-iii/ |website=rts.edu}}</ref>
<ref name="Nancy Pearcey">{{cite web |title=Nancy R. Pearcey |url=https://www.discovery.org/p/pearcey/ |website=Discovery Institute}}</ref> </references>
==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.covenantseminary.edu}}
{{Covenant Theological Seminary|state=expanded}} {{Reformed Seminaries in the United States}} {{Creve Coeur, Missouri}} {{Education in St. Louis County, Missouri}} {{Colleges and universities in Missouri}} {{St. Louis Colleges}} {{authority control}} {{Coord|38.6437|-90.4521|type:edu_region:US-MO|display=title}}
[[Category:Seminaries and theological colleges in Missouri]] [[Category:Presbyterianism in Missouri]] [[Category:Presbyterian universities and colleges in the United States]] [[Category:Universities and colleges in St. Louis County, Missouri]] [[Category:Reformed church seminaries and theological colleges]] [[Category:Presbyterian Church in America]] [[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1956]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in St. Louis County, Missouri]] [[Category:1956 establishments in Missouri]]