Portland Seminary

Portland Seminary at George Fox University is a multi-denominational, university-based school that offers a variety of master's degree and postgraduate degree programs in theology and ministry, located in Portland, Oregon.

Portland Seminary
Former name
George Fox Evangelical Seminary
TypeSeminary
Established1947
Parent institution
George Fox University
DeanMaryKate Morse[1]
Location
Portland
,
OR
,
USA

45°25′40.38″N 122°44′49.05″W[2]
CampusSuburban
Websiteseminary.georgefox.edu

The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada granted the seminary full accreditation in 1974. It remains a fully accredited member to present.[3] The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities also certifies the seminary's programs.[4]

Mission statement

Portland Seminary is Christ-centered, broadly-evangelical, and committed to equipping women and men holistically for local and global service.[5]

Purpose statement

Portland Seminary exists to develop leaders and scholars to have a transformative and prophetic influence for Jesus Christ in the church and the world. We pursue this purpose by integrating spiritual formation, history, theology, and biblical and pastoral studies, in a multicultural and ecologically sensitive environment.[6]

History
2014 commencement ceremony

Founded in 1947 as the Western School of Evangelical Religion, the original campus was on the grounds of the Evangelical Church conference in Jennings Lodge, Oregon. In 1951 the school became Western Evangelical Seminary and in 1993 moved to a new campus near Interstate 5 and highways 99W and 217. In 1996, Western Evangelical Seminary merged with George Fox College to form George Fox University and changed its name to George Fox Evangelical Seminary in 2000. On January 9, 2017, the seminary changed its name to Portland Seminary.[7]

The first students came from these founding denominations: the Evangelical Church of North America, Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, the Free Methodists, the Nazarenes, and the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana). Today, more than 35 denominations are represented in the student body.

Academics

Portland Seminary offers programs both in-person in Portland, Oregon and online:[8]

In addition to the Master of Divinity, the foundational degree for pastoral ministry, Portland Seminary also offers an MA in Ministry (with a specialization), an MA in Theological Studies, and an MA in Spiritual Formation. The MA in Theological Studies, with emphases in Bible, Christian History and Theology, or Christian Earthkeeping, continues to serve those called to teaching or eventual doctoral study. The Doctor of Ministry degree, for experienced pastors who hold the M.Div. or its equivalent, is a cohort-style online program with three tracks: Semiotics, Church, and Culture; Leadership and Spiritual Formation; and Leadership and Global Perspectives.

Accreditation

The M.Div., MA in Ministry, MA in Spiritual Formation, MA in Theological Studies and D.Min. degree are approved by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada.[9]

The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities also certifies the seminary's programs. This dual accreditation is maintained now through George Fox University and assures students of the highest academic and professional standards.[10]   

Degrees

Certificates

  • Spiritual Direction Certificate
  • Spiritual Direction Supervisor Certificate
  • Spiritual Formation and Discipleship Certificate

Awards and grants

Portland Seminary offers several financial assistance programs for its degree-seeking students. These include: the Brose Scholarship; the Julius Clifton Bruner Scholarship Fund for graduate theological education, established by Iris J. Bruner in memory of her late husband; the Clapp Scholarship for M.Div. students; the Delamarter Scholarship, awarded to a Free Methodist student interested in Evangelism; the Farmer Family Scholarship; and the Ministry to Underserved Populations Scholarship, awarded to students who work in Oregon or South West Washington, serving unique underserved people groups. Among its other scholarships, the Seminary also offers the Hawks Ministerial Scholarship, the Ketterling-Schlenker Scholarship, the Clara and Harlan Macy Memorial Scholarship, the Chuan Cheng Morrisey Missions Memorial Scholarship Fund for students preparing for cross-cultural ministry, and the Richard Parker Scholarship, established by Jeannette Parker in memory of her husband.

Among its student prizes, Portland Seminary awards annual prizes for Excellence in Writing and Excellence in Preaching in honor of the American theologian and writer Frederick Buechner.  

References
  1. https://www.georgefox.edu/seminary/faculty/index.html
  2. Geolocated with Google Earth using the street address, 12753 S.W. 68th Avenue in Portland.
  3. "Portland Seminary of George Fox University". Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  4. "History". Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  5. "About the Seminary". Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  6. "About the Seminary". Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  7. "Why did we become Portland Seminary?". Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  8. "Programs". Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  9. "Member Schools: Portland Seminary of George Fox University". The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  10. Samek, Dr Linda L. (August 27, 2019). "George Fox University Notification Letter: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities" (PDF). Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  11. "Doctor of Ministry in Leadership and Spiritual Formation". Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  12. "Doctor of Ministry in Leadership and Global Perspectives". Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  13. "Doctor of Ministry in Semiotics and Future Studies". Retrieved 17 January 2018.
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