Christian Theological Seminary is an ecumenical seminary

Seminary

A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...

 related to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

The Christian Church is a Mainline Protestant denomination in North America. It is often referred to as The Christian Church, The Disciples of Christ, or more simply as The Disciples...

. It is located in Indianapolis

Indianapolis

Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

, Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

, and provides eight degree

Academic degree

An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...

-level education

Education

Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...

 courses. While the seminary is related to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), students from a variety of religious traditions - including Methodist, Episcopal, Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Catholic, and Orthodox - attend the school.

The current president of the seminary is the Rev. Dr. Edward Wheeler, an American Baptist

American Baptist Churches USA

The American Baptist Churches USA is a Baptist Christian denomination within the United States. The denomination maintains headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The organization is usually considered mainline, although varying theological and mission emphases may be found among its...

 minister and scholar. Wheeler is the first African-American and non-Disciple to serve as president of the seminary.

Mission and vision

The Mission of Christian Theological Seminary is to form disciples of Jesus Christ for church and community leadership to serve God's transforming of the world.jeck

To this end we celebrate the presence of the risen Christ in Word and Table; welcome into partnership all who seek God's truth, love, and justice; cultivate the virtues, passions, and practices of Christian leadership; reflect critically on the sources of Christian understanding in scripture, the traditions of the ecumenical church, cultures, and experience; and engage the spiritual and moral issues facing the human community.

Student groups

The Student Association represents the entire student body and provides member to committees of the faculty, administration, and trustees. Other groups include Black Student Caucus, Hispanic/Latino(a) Association, Affinity representing LGBT students and allies, and the Social Justice Group. In addition, there are several student unofficial groups meeting regularly for prayer, fellowship, and health promotion.

Diversity

The seminary prides itself on diversity of many kinds and celebrates each one’s place in God’s creation. In addition to preparation for pastoral leadership, CTS offers degrees preparing our graduates for careers as licensed therapists and counselors, for further study in doctoral programs and leadership in education and the arts.

Location

Christian Theological Seminary is located at 1000 West 42nd Street in Indianapolis, Indiana. The seminary is centrally located within Indianapolis and is within walking distance of Butler University and the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Library

The Christian Theological Seminary Library contains more than 210,000 volumes as well as over 1,300 current periodical subscriptions. There are also microfilms, audio-visuals, manuscripts, and special materials on the Restoration movement for your use. All of these materials are listed in the computer catalog. The CTS Library is also home to the Congregational Resource Center, a resource library that contains videos, curriculum, denominational resources, and Vacation Bible School resources that are available for loan by pastors and leaders of local congregations.

Grants

Over the years, the seminary has had several grants from the Lilly Endowment including: Disciples House for Youth; Indiana Camp Ministries Project; Indiana Clergy Peer Group Study Program; and the Faith, Wealth, and Community Leadership Program.

Notable alumni

• Robert W. Funk
  Robert W. Funk
  Robert W. Funk , an American biblical scholar, was co-founder of the controversial Jesus Seminar and the nonprofit Westar Institute in Santa Rosa, California....
  
  
• Philip Gulley
• Pablo A. Jimenez
• Jim Jones
  Jim Jones
  James Warren "Jim" Jones was the founder and leader of the Peoples Temple, which is best known for the November 18, 1978 mass suicide of 909 Temple members in Jonestown, Guyana along with the killings of five other people at a nearby airstrip.Jones was born in Indiana and started the Temple in...
  
  (Jones did not graduate from the seminary, but rather took classes at CTS.) He is most remembered for leading a religious cult in South America.

External links

• Official website