Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
Encyclopedia
Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) in Berkeley
, California
is a seminary
affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) and is a member school of the Graduate Theological Union
(GTU). Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary was founded in 1950 and held its first classes in 1952 as a seminary of the United Lutheran Church in America
, later the Lutheran Church in America
and American Lutheran Church
and currently the ELCA. As one of eight seminaries training ministers and educators for the ELCA, PLTS was preceded by a school called the Pacific Lutheran Seminary, which was located first in Portland
, Oregon
, and then in Seattle
, Washington, from 1910 to 1934.
At present, PLTS has 11 full time, 10 part time, 25 adjunct faculty members and offers Master's and Doctoral Degrees in Theology, Ministry, Education, and other forms of Christian service. The seminary is partnered with Luther Seminary
in Saint Paul
, Minnesota
, to serve all of Regions I, II, and III an ELCA designation that covers the thirteen synods of the western U.S. In 1989 PLTS opened a satellite school in Manhattan Beach
, California
, which in 1992 moved to the Claremont School of Theology
. PLTS was founded to meet the missional needs of the Lutheran Church in the western United States. PLTS was a founding member of the Graduate Theological Union.
PLTS partners with eleven ELCA synods and with the national units of the ELCA, and several foundations. Together they have worked to develop a Theological Education for Emerging Ministries program. PLTS has recently seen a steady increase in enrollment and has added a Campus Pastoral Team, programs working with high-school youth, and programs in congregational studies.
On April 24, 2009, the Board of Directors of PLTS voted unanimously to seek a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) designation from Lutherans Concerned/North America (LC/NA), the first seminary in the ELCA to do so. Shortly thereafter, LC/NA added a new "Seminaries" category to its list of RIC organizations and made PLTS the first member of that category.
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
is a 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...
affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
(ELCA) and is a member school of the Graduate Theological Union
Graduate Theological Union
The Graduate Theological Union ' is a consortium of nine independent theological schools, and eleven centers and affiliates. Eight of the theological schools are located in Berkeley, California. The GTU was founded in 1962. It maintains the Graduate Theological Union Library, one of the most...
(GTU). Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary was founded in 1950 and held its first classes in 1952 as a seminary of the United Lutheran Church in America
United Lutheran Church in America
The United Lutheran Church in America was established in 1918 with the merger of three independent German-language synods: the General Synod , the General Council and the United Synod of the South . The Slovak Zion Synod joined the United Lutheran Church in America in 1920...
, later the Lutheran Church in America
Lutheran Church in America
The Lutheran Church in America was a U.S. and Canadian Lutheran church body that existed from 1962 to 1987. It was headquartered in New York City and its publishing house was Fortress Press....
and American Lutheran Church
American Lutheran Church
The American Lutheran Church was a Christian Protestant denomination in the United States that existed from 1960 to 1987. Its headquarters was in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Upon its formation in 1960, the ALC designated Augsburg Publishing House , also located in Minneapolis, as the church publisher...
and currently the ELCA. As one of eight seminaries training ministers and educators for the ELCA, PLTS was preceded by a school called the Pacific Lutheran Seminary, which was located first in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, and then in Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Washington, from 1910 to 1934.
At present, PLTS has 11 full time, 10 part time, 25 adjunct faculty members and offers Master's and Doctoral Degrees in Theology, Ministry, Education, and other forms of Christian service. The seminary is partnered with Luther Seminary
Luther Seminary
Luther Seminary is the largest seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America . Located in the Saint Anthony Park neighborhood of St...
in Saint Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, to serve all of Regions I, II, and III an ELCA designation that covers the thirteen synods of the western U.S. In 1989 PLTS opened a satellite school in Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach, California
Manhattan Beach is the wealthiest beachfront city located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, USA. The city is on the Pacific coast, south of El Segundo, and north of Hermosa Beach. Manhattan Beach is the home of both beach and indoor volleyball, and surfing. During the winter, the...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, which in 1992 moved to the Claremont School of Theology
Claremont School of Theology
Claremont School of Theology is a graduate school located in Claremont, California, offering Master of Art, Masters of Divinity, Doctorate of Ministry and Ph.D...
. PLTS was founded to meet the missional needs of the Lutheran Church in the western United States. PLTS was a founding member of the Graduate Theological Union.
PLTS partners with eleven ELCA synods and with the national units of the ELCA, and several foundations. Together they have worked to develop a Theological Education for Emerging Ministries program. PLTS has recently seen a steady increase in enrollment and has added a Campus Pastoral Team, programs working with high-school youth, and programs in congregational studies.
On April 24, 2009, the Board of Directors of PLTS voted unanimously to seek a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) designation from Lutherans Concerned/North America (LC/NA), the first seminary in the ELCA to do so. Shortly thereafter, LC/NA added a new "Seminaries" category to its list of RIC organizations and made PLTS the first member of that category.